Rita Odafe
Farewell to Olivia Hussey
Olivia Hussey, the iconic actress best known for her role as Juliet in the 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet directed by Franco Zeffirelli, has sadly passed away at the age of 73.
Her family shared the news on Instagram, honoring her as a “remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her.”
Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Hussey was only 15 when she starred alongside Leonard Whiting in the acclaimed film, which won an Academy Award. Her outstanding performance earned her a Golden Globe for “New Star of the Year,” solidifying her legacy in film history.
In addition to her iconic role in Romeo and Juliet, Hussey enjoyed a varied career in both film and television. She appeared in the 1974 horror film Black Christmas and the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile, among a host of other noteworthy projects.
In 2023, Hussey and Whiting initiated legal action against the producers of Romeo and Juliet, claiming child abuse due to a controversial nude scene they participated in as minors. Although the lawsuit was dismissed later, Husssey defended the scene in a 2018 Variety interview, stating, “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 shared reflections on their filming experience in 2023, emphasizing their supportive bond: “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 a father who was an Argentine opera singer and a mother who worked as a British legal secretary, Hussey relocated to London at the age of seven. She trained at the esteemed Italia Conti drama school and began her acting career as a teenager, eventually landing her signature role in Zeffirelli’s adaptation.
She leaves behind her husband, musician David Eisley, their three children, and a grandchild.
