Olivia Hussey: The star of “Romeo and Juliet” has died

The actress Olivia Hussey is dead. It was announced that the British actress died on December 27, 2024 “peacefully at home, surrounded by her loved ones” at the age of 73.

“Olivia was a remarkable human being whose warmth, wisdom and pure kindness touched the lives of everyone who knew her,” her family said in a statement. The actress, born on April 17, 1951 in Buenos Aires, led “a life full of passion, love and devotion to art, spirituality and kindness towards animals.”

Hussey celebrated her big breakthrough in 1968 as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s “Romeo and Juliet”. The film adaptation of the Shakespeare classic caused a stir because, for the first time, actors were chosen who were close to the actual age of Shakespeare’s characters. Hussey was just 16 years old at the time of filming.

“It all happened so quickly,” the actress recalled in 2018. “It was an overnight fame that I wasn’t prepared for.” Nevertheless, she remained loyal to acting and was seen in, among others, “Jesus of Nazareth” (1977) and Stephen King’s “It” (1990).

In 2008, Hussey was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a mastectomy, the disease initially went into remission, but in 2018 a new tumor was discovered. Despite these health setbacks, she remained optimistic and life-affirming until the end.

The actress leaves behind her husband David Glen Eisley, to whom she was married since 1991, her three children Alex, Max and India, and her grandson Greyson. “As we mourn this immense loss, we also celebrate Olivia’s lasting impact on our lives and the industry,” the family said in their statement.