Olivia Hussey, the actress known for portraying Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 drama “Romeo and Juliet,” died surrounded by her loved ones at her home on Friday. She was 73.
No cause of death was not revealed.
“Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her,” a statement posted on Hussey’s social media page said. “Olivia lived a life full of passion, love, and dedication to the arts, spirituality, and kindness towards animals.”
Olivia Hussey died surrounded by her loved ones on Friday. AFP via Getty Images
The Argentinan-born actress skyrocketed to fame when she was 15 years old and starred in the controversial two-time Oscar-winning drama “Romeo and Juliet” opposite Leonard Whiting who portrayed Romeo.
Hussey won a Golden Globe for the Most Promising Female Newcomer in the role but she wasn’t happy with how production handled the sensitive scenes where Eisley and Whiting — who were 15 and 16 — were filmed nude.
According to a sex abuse lawsuit obtained by CNN, the co-stars claimed Zeffirelli told the then-teenagers that “they must act in the nude or the picture would fail.”
Over 55 years after the filming, the performers revived a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures and home-distribution company Criterion Collections for distributing the naked scene.
Hussey and Whiting suggested the two movie companies unlawfully spread their naked images featured in a bedroom scene while redistributing the award-winning romance. The lawsuit was dismissed in October.
Hussey is known for portraying Juliet with Leonard Whiting as Romeo in the 1968 drama “Romeo and Juliet.”
Whiting penned a tribute to his co-star, saying “Rest now my beautiful Juliet.”
“Olivia, We have shared so much since we were two sweet innocent children clinging onto each other for dear life as every photo of us attests to,” Whiting said in tribute. “You have never been frightened of fighting to fix everything wrong in this world.
“Rest now my beautiful Juliet no injustices can hurt you now. And the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever.”
Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey reunited on the red carpet during 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival. AFP via Getty Images
The film launched her acting career and she went on to appear in dozens of projects including 1978’s “Death on the Nile,” “The Cat and the Canary,” the television series “Murder, She Wrote” and voice acted for the “Star Wars: The Old Republic” video game.
The award-winning actress had a stint starring in a series of horror films in the 90s like “Psycho IV: The Beginning,” and a miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic novel “It.”
In 2008, the actress was diagnosed with breast cancer and it went into remission after she had a mastectomy but Hussey told Express that new tumor surfaced in 2018.
Hussey won a Golden Globe her role in “Romeo and Juliet.”
Clint Howard, who co-starred with Hussey in the 1995 comedy “Ice Cream Man,” shared his condolences on the Instagram post announcing her passing.
“Olivia, you are such a wonderful light. You will shine forever! RIP,” Howard wrote.
Hussey is survived by her longtime husband David Glen Eisley, her three children Alex, Max and India and grandson Greyson.
“As we grieve this immense loss, we also celebrate Olivia’s enduring impact on our lives and the industry,” Hussey’s statement concluded. “We thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and ask for privacy as we mourn the loss of a truly special soul.”
