Claudia Cardinale, an Italian actress who appeared in films such as “Once Upon a Time in the West” and “8½,” has died at the age of 87.

Cardinale’s agent, Laurent Savry, confirmed the actress’ death in Nemours, near Paris, according to The Hollywood Reporter .

“She leaves us the legacy of a free and inspired woman both as a woman and as an artiste,” Savry said in a statement, Variety reports .

Born on April 15, 1938, Cardinale caught the attention of filmmakers when she entered a beauty contest in Rome at the age of 17, according to her IMDb.com bio .

She made her major film debut in “Goha,” a 1958 movie starring Omar Sharif. Deadline reports it was the start of a successful career that saw her become one of “the great European stars of the 1960s.”

“The fact I’m making movies

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