Olivia Hussey, Romeo and Juliet star dies at 73

Olivia Hussey, best known for her role as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, passed away on Friday at the age of 73, her family announced.

The performance earned her a Golden Globe and remains one of the most iconic portrayals of the character.

“Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her,” her family shared in a statement on her Instagram account.

Born in Buenos Aires, Hussey was just 15 years old when she starred opposite Leonard Whiting in the Oscar-winning film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy.

In 2023, Hussey and Whiting filed a lawsuit against the studio, citing allegations of child abuse related to a controversial nude scene in the film, which they had filmed as minors. The lawsuit was later dismissed by a judge that same year.

Reflecting on the scene in a 2018 interview with Variety, Hussey said director Zeffirelli handled it with care and sensitivity. “Everyone assumes we were too young to understand what we were doing,” she remarked. “But we were very aware. We both came from drama schools and approached our work with seriousness.”

Whiting, in a 2023 interview, shared how they leaned on each other during the challenging moments on set. “Olivia was very nervous and frightened too, but we were very fond of each other and supported each other throughout,” he said.

Hussey, born to an Argentine opera singer and a British legal secretary, moved to London with her family at the age of seven. She trained at the prestigious Italia Conti drama school and began acting professionally as a teenager, leading to her life-changing role in Zeffirelli’s film.

Following her Golden Globe win for “New Star of the Year,” Hussey went on to star in notable films, including the 1974 horror classic Black Christmas and the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile.

She is survived by her husband, David Eisley, their three children, and a grandchild.