Olivia Hussey,Romeo & JulietStar, Dies at 73

Mar. 15, 2025

Leonard Whiting (left) and Olivia Hussey (right) in ‘Romeo & Juliet’.Photo: Bettmann/Getty

Olivia Hussey, who shot to fame as a teenager in the 1968 adaptation of Shakespeare’sRomeo & Juliet, has died, according to astatement published on her Instagram account. She was 73.

“Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her,” her family continued, later describing her life as one “full of passion, love, and dedication to the arts, spirituality, and kindness towards animals.”

Olivia Hussey (left) and Leonard Whiting (right) in ‘Romeo & Juliet’.Courtesy Everett Collection

Courtesy Everett Collection

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

Hussey was born on April 17, 1951, in Buenos Aires and moved to London as a child. She started acting at 13 and had minor roles in films before she was cast in director Franco Zeffirelli’sRomeo & Juliet.

Once the film hit theaters in 1968, it became a box office sensation and was notable for being the first time a movie featured actors close to the ages of Shakespeare’s doomed lovers. Hussey was 16 and her costar, Leonard Whiting, was 17.

“So much happened so fast,“Hussey told PEOPLEin July 2018 when she was promoting her memoirThe Girl on the Balcony. “It was overnight superstardom and I wasn’t prepared for it.”

Olivia Hussey in 2008.John M. Heller/Getty

John M. Heller/Getty

She stepped back from acting in 2016 after making her final film appearance in 2015’sSocial Suicide.

Hussey was married to Dean Paul Martin, the late son of Dean Martin, from 1971 to 1979. She was married to Japanese singer Akira Fuse in the 1980s before she married Eisley in 1991.

In 2008, Hussey was diagnosed with breast cancer. It went into remission after she had a mastectomy, but Hussey toldExpressin 2018 doctors found a new tumor.

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“I regret that I didn’t stretch myself more as an actress, take on meatier roles,” she toldExpress. “But I took time off to live my life and raise three children. At the time that was more important than working on my career. Overall I’ve done a couple of roles I’m proud of and I’m very happy in my life.”

India Eisley, who starred inThe Secret Life of the American Teenager,told PEOPLE in 2018that her mother is “wonderful and quaint,” but “very resilient and strong.”

“She instilled in myself and my brothers… having a good sense of self,” India, 31, said. “Because you can’t really base everything, especially in this business… on what everyone thinks of you.”

source: people.com