Olivia Hussey, the iconic actress who captivated audiences as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, died on Friday at the age of 73.
Her family confirmed the news in a heartfelt statement on Instagram, calling her a “remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her.”
Hussey, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was just 15 years old when she starred opposite Leonard Whiting in the Oscar-winning adaptation of William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. Her performance earned her a Golden Globe for “New Star of the Year” and cemented her place in cinematic history.
Beyond her groundbreaking role in Romeo and Juliet, Hussey built a diverse career in film and television. She starred in the 1974 slasher film Black Christmas and the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile, among other notable projects.
In 2023, Hussey and Whiting filed a lawsuit against the studio behind Romeo and Juliet, alleging child abuse over a controversial nude scene in the film, which featured the underage actors. While a judge dismissed the lawsuit later that year, Hussey defended the scene in a 2018 interview with Variety, saying, “Everyone thinks they were so young they probably didn’t realize what they were doing. But we were very aware. We both came from drama schools and took our work very seriously.”
Whiting also reflected on the experience in 2023, recalling their mutual support during the filming process: “Olivia was very, very nervous and frightened as well, but we really were very fond of each other and helped each other get through the whole thing.”
Born in 1951 to an Argentine opera singer and a British legal secretary, Hussey moved to London at the age of seven. She trained at the prestigious Italia Conti drama school and began acting as a teenager before landing her career-defining role in Zeffirelli’s film.
She is survived by her husband, musician David Eisley, their three children, and a grandchild.