Romeo and Juliet Actress, Olivia Hussey is Dead

• Olivia Hussey, famed for her role as Juliet in 1968’s Romeo and Juliet, has passed away at 73.
• She won a Golden Globe for Best New Actress but later sued Paramount over filming a nude scene at age 15.
• Hussey left a lasting impact with roles in Jesus of Nazareth, Black Christmas, and Psycho IV.

Olivia Hussey, the Argentinian-born actress celebrated for her role as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, has passed away at the age of 73.

A statement on her Instagram confirmed that she died on Friday, surrounded by her loved ones.

Eko Hot Blog reports that Hussey’s portrayal of Juliet earned her a Golden Globe for Best New Actress and international acclaim.

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However, years later, she and her co-star Leonard Whiting sued Paramount Pictures, alleging sexual exploitation over the film’s controversial nude scenes, which were filmed when she was just 15.

The lawsuit was dismissed last year, with a judge ruling the scenes were not “sufficiently sexually suggestive.”

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1951, Hussey moved to London at age seven and trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.

She was discovered by Zeffirelli at 15 while performing on stage opposite Vanessa Redgrave in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Zeffirelli cast her and 16-year-old Leonard Whiting in his vision of Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy, seeking actors young enough to authentically portray the star-crossed lovers.

The film became a critical and commercial success, earning Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Director.

While Hussey did not receive an Academy Award nomination, she won the Golden Globe for Best New Star in a year dominated by Barbra Streisand’s win for Funny Girl.

Hussey reunited with Zeffirelli in 1977 to portray the Virgin Mary in the TV miniseries Jesus of Nazareth.

She later appeared in Death on the Nile (1978) and earned recognition as a scream queen for her roles in the early slasher Black Christmas (1974) and Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990), where she played Norman Bates’s mother in a prequel storyline.

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In her later years, Hussey turned to voice acting, contributing to several video games, and reunited with her former Romeo, Leonard Whiting, in the 2015 film Social Suicide, a modern adaptation of Romeo and Juliet set in the social media era.

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

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