Olivia Hussey, the actress who mesmerized audiences as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, passed away on Friday at the age of 73.
Her family confirmed the news on Instagram, describing her as a “remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her.”
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Hussey was just 15 years old when she starred opposite Leonard Whiting in the Oscar-winning adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. Her performance earned her a Golden Globe for “New Star of the Year,” solidifying her place in cinematic history.
Hussey’s diverse career spanned film and television, including notable roles in the 1974 slasher film Black Christmas and the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile.
In 2023, Hussey and Whiting filed a lawsuit against the studio behind Romeo and Juliet, alleging child abuse over a controversial nude scene in the film. Although the lawsuit was dismissed, Hussey defended the scene in a 2018 interview, stating that both actors were aware and took their work seriously.
Born in 1951 to an Argentine opera singer and a British legal secretary, Hussey moved to London at the age of seven. She trained at the Italia Conti drama school and began acting as a teenager before landing her iconic role in Zeffirelli’s film.
Hussey is survived by her husband, musician David Eisley, their three children, and a grandchild.
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