The Argentine-British actress Olivia Hussey, known for her iconic portrayal of Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet,” passed away on December 27, 2024 at her residence. The performance that reimagined Shakespeare for a new generation and won her a Golden Globe came to an end at the age of 73.
Her demise was communicated via her Instagram account in a statement mentioning that she “passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones.” Her family reported the reason for her death to be breast cancer.
Born on April 17, 1951, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Hussey relocated to London with her mother and brother when she was a child. Despite enduring significant financial difficulties, she eventually found success in the entertainment industry. She studied at the Italia Conti Academy drama school, where her innate talent quickly shone through. By the age of 13, she was taking part in local theater performances and had started to garner the attention of industry professionals.
While performing with Vanessa Redgrave in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” at age 15, Hussey was noticed by director Franco Zeffirelli. He immediately recognized her as the ideal embodiment of Shakespeare’s Juliet. Filmed in Italy over a period of nine months on a budget of $850,000, the movie went on to gross $38.9 million worldwide and to win two Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design.
Her role as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet catapulted the young stage performer to international fame, as she later chronicled in her 2018 memoir “The Girl on the Balcony.” The role brought about both significant career achievements and personal challenges that guided her entire professional journey in the entertainment industry.
Throughout the 1970s, Hussey established an impressive career, undertaking challenging roles that demonstrated her versatility. Her role as Mary in Franco Zeffirelli’s “Jesus of Nazareth” (1977) was viewed by an estimated 380 million people worldwide. This was followed by roles in “Death on the Nile” (1978) and the horror film “Black Christmas” (1974), which eventually became a cult classic.
In 2023, controversy surrounding “Romeo and Juliet” was reignited when Hussey and her co-star Leonard Whiting filed a $500 million lawsuit against Paramount Pictures. Allegations of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and fraud over nude scenes in the film were made. They stated that they were initially informed they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in a bedroom scene. However, on the day of the shoot, Zeffirelli informed them they would only wear body makeup with the camera positioned to avoid showing nudity. The duo claimed this experience led to years of emotional distress, with Hussey later disclosing her struggles with agoraphobia and bulimia.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Alison Mackenzie dismissed the case in May 2023. She ruled that the film was protected by the First Amendment and that the statute of limitations had expired. The judge pointed out that both actors had defended the film’s artistic merit in numerous interviews over the years. Hussey’s career continued to progress despite this controversy. She ventured into voice acting, providing her voice for several animated films and video games. In the 1990s, she portrayed Mother Teresa in a biographical film shot in Sri Lanka and Italy, a role she found particularly challenging. Her other roles included “Psycho IV: The Beginning” (1990) and several independent films throughout the 2000s.
On the personal front, Hussey got married three times: first to Dean Paul Martin (son of Dean Martin) in 1971, then to Japanese singer Akira Fuse in 1980, and lastly to David Glen Eisley in 1991. She had three children: Alexander Martin, Max Fuse, and India Eisley, who followed her mother into the acting profession.
Hussey is survived by her husband, David Glen Eisley, her three children, and a grandson. At the time of her passing, she was working on her second memoir and was actively involved in numerous charitable endeavors.
