Golden Globe-Winning ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Star Olivia Hussey Passes Away at 73
Golden Globe-Winning ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Star Olivia Hussey Passes Away at 73
Olivia Hussey, the celebrated actress who rose to fame as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 Oscar-winning adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, has passed away at the age of 73, her family announced on Friday.
“Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her,” the family said in a heartfelt statement shared on her Instagram account.
Hussey, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was just 15 years old when she starred alongside Leonard Whiting in the iconic adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy. The role earned her a Golden Globe for “New Star of the Year.”
In 2023, Hussey and Whiting made headlines after filing a lawsuit against the studio, alleging child abuse over a controversial nude scene in the film. Both actors were minors at the time of filming. However, the case was dismissed later that year.
In a 2018 interview with Variety, Hussey reflected on the scene, describing it as tastefully done under Zeffirelli’s direction.
“Everyone thinks they were so young they probably didn’t realize what they were doing,” she said. “But we were very aware. We both came from drama schools, and when you work, you take your work very seriously.”
Leonard Whiting, her co-star, shared how they supported each other through the challenging moments on set:
“Olivia was very, very nervous and frightened as well, but we really were very fond of each other and we helped each other get through the whole thing,” he said in a 2023 interview.
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Hussey’s career spanned several decades, featuring notable roles in the 1974 slasher film Black Christmas and the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile.
Born to an Argentine opera singer and a British legal secretary, she moved to London with her family at age seven and trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.
She is survived by her husband, David Eisley, their three children, and a grandchild.
