‘Romeo and Juliet’ actress Olivia Hussey dies at 73

Renowned actress Olivia Hussey, celebrated for her role as Juliet in the 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, has passed away at 73.

According to a statement shared on her Instagram account, the Argentinian-born actress, who spent her formative years in London, died on Friday surrounded by her loved ones.

“As we grieve this immense loss, we also celebrate Olivia’s enduring impact on our lives and the industry,” the statement read.

Hussey gained international fame as a teenager after being cast in Franco Zeffirelli’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic. The director discovered her when she was 15, performing on stage alongside Vanessa Redgrave in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

According to BBC, Zeffirelli was specifically searching for a young actress to authentically portray Juliet. Hussey starred opposite Leonard Whiting, a 16-year-old British actor who played Romeo.

The film received critical acclaim, earning Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Director, while Hussey won the Golden Globe for Best New Star. However, she missed out on an Oscar nomination in a competitive year dominated by Barbra Streisand’s win for Funny Girl.

Decades later, Hussey and Whiting sued Paramount Pictures, alleging that Zeffirelli had encouraged them to perform nude scenes despite prior assurances to the contrary. They sought damages exceeding $500 million (£417 million), citing emotional distress and the film’s financial success. However, the case was dismissed last year, with a judge ruling that the scene was not “sufficiently sexually suggestive.”

Hussey’s career extended beyond Romeo and Juliet. She reunited with Zeffirelli in 1977 to portray the Virgin Mary in the acclaimed miniseries Jesus of Nazareth and later appeared in the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. Her performances in the 1974 slasher film Black Christmas and the TV movie Psycho IV: The Beginning cemented her reputation as a “scream queen.”

In her later years, Hussey expanded into voice acting, frequently lending her talents to video games. She also shared the screen with her former Romeo co-star in the 2015 British film Social Suicide, a modern take on Romeo and Juliet set in the social media era.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1951, Hussey moved to London at age seven and studied drama at the Italia Conti Academy. Her illustrious career, marked by versatility and resilience, leaves behind a legacy cherished by fans and colleagues.

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