Producers began to pursue her, eager to cast the radiant newcomer.

But behind her graceful exterior, Cardinale was keeping a heartbreaking

secret: she was pregnant as a result of a violent assault by an older man.

She turned down most offers until one producer, Franco Cristaldi, managed

to draw her in with promises of fame and protection. He became not

just her manager but, eventually, her husband—though their relationship was one of control more than love.

Cristaldi insisted her pregnancy be hidden from the world. When her son,

Patrick, was born, the public was told he was her younger brother.

Under Cristaldi’s strict guidance, Cardinale was molded into what

the industry hoped would be the Italian answer to Brigitte Bardot,

though she remained firmly committed to her own values—including never appearing nude on screen.

Despite the personal turmoil, Cardinale’s star rose quickly. She appeared

in Three Strangers in Rome in 1958 and within a few years was sharing

the screen with legendary actors in acclaimed films. In 1963, she starred

in Federico Fellini’s 8½ and Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, both considered

masterpieces of world cinema. Her performances, marked by a balance

of strength and vulnerability, earned her widespread acclaim. Read more below