Olivia Hussey, best known for starring in the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet, has died. She is 73 years old.
Hussey died on Friday, and a statement posted on her Instagram account said she was “peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones.”
“Olivia was an amazing person whose warmth, wisdom and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her,” the statement continued.
Olivia Hussey recalls controversial ‘Romeo and Juliet’ role at age 16 and reveals personal tragedy
“Romeo and Juliet” features a 1968 portrait of Olivia Hussey. (Screen File/Getty Images)
“Olivia’s life was filled with passion, love, devotion to art, spirituality and kindness to animals… As we mourn this great loss, we also celebrate Olivia’s lasting impact on our lives and our industry Influence.
The caption concluded: “We thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and ask that you all respect our privacy as we mourn the loss of a truly special soul.”
Hersey was born in Bueno Aires, Argentina on April 17, 1951, and moved to London when he was young.
Circa 1967: British actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting star in “Romeo and Juliet.” (Larry Ellis/The Express/Getty Images)
Hussey became a movie star at the age of 15, when she played the most notorious doomed lover in 1968’s “Romeo and Juliet.” She landed the popular role of Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s film, which became an international sensation.
She wrote a memoir called “Girl on the Balcony” about her many ups and downs in Hollywood.
Like what you’re reading? Click here for more entertainment news
“It was actually quite overwhelming,” Hussey told Fox News Digital in 2018. “Even while we were filming, there were reporters waiting to be interviewed during lunch and coffee breaks. They came from all over the world.”
“I celebrated my 16th birthday during filming… When the movie came out and we were all over the world, I couldn’t really spend my teenage years like other teenagers… Everyone would come up to us and ask for photos, sign.
Director Franco Zeffirelli (left), actors Olivia Hussey (centre) and Leonard Whiting after the premiere of the film “Romeo and Juliet” in Paris on September 25, 1968 . (AP Photo/Eostache Cardenas)
The film made headlines even before it was released in theaters. At 16, Hersey stripped naked and filmed a wedding night love scene with her partner Leonard Whiting [Romeo]He was also only 16 when he took over the role.
Despite being visibly topless in the epic drama, Hussey said at the time that she felt at ease on set.
Hollywood stars who died in 2024: photos
“I think it’s because it’s done very tastefully,” she explains. “In Europe, it’s very different. In America, it’s very taboo. But in Europe, a lot of movies have nudity. No one really takes that seriously. But it was because I was 16 that I was Lots of attention.
Romeo and Juliet went on to win two Academy Awards, with Hersey winning a Golden Globe for Best New Actress for her role as Juliet.
In 1968, Franco Zeffirelli directed Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet”, starring Leonard Whiting as Romeo Montague and Olivia Hussey as Juliet Kay Juliet Capulet. (Bateman)
Decades later, Hussey and Whiting filed a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures, alleging sexual abuse, harassment and fraud over nudity in the film, according to the Associated Press.
Click here to subscribe to the Entertainment Newsletter
They claim they were initially told to wear flesh-colored underwear for the bedroom scenes, but on the day of filming, Zeffirelli told the pair they would only wear body makeup and the camera would be positioned so as not to show nudity. They claim they were filmed naked without their knowledge.
In 2023, the case was dismissed by a Los Angeles County judge, who held that their descriptions could not be considered child pornography and that it was too late for the pair to file a claim.
Hussey is survived by her husband of 35 years, David Glen Eisley, her three children and one grandchild. (David Livingston/Getty Images)
She also played Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the 1977 television series Jesus of Nazareth and in the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel Death on the Nile.
Hussey is survived by her husband of 35 years, David Glen Eisley, her three children and one grandchild.
Click here to get the Fox News app
Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Nolasco and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
