Italian actresses were all the rage in the 60s and the 70s. The Italian film industry was booming which made for a lot of opportunities for Italian actresses to crossover to American films. That is exactly what Claudia Cardinale did. She acted in Italian and American movies, really blowing up when she was in The Pink Panther in 1963. Other notable performances include The Blindfold, The Professionals, and Once Upon a Time in the West. Tarantino's new movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a play off of the “Once Upon a Time” title moniker, but that's not the only connection. The main character, Rick Dalton, goes to Italy to star in Italian movies just like Claudia Cardinale.
She is regarded as one of the most beautiful women in film history. Don't believe me? Check out LA Times Magazine in 2011 where they named her one of the 50 most beautiful women in film history.