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Olivia Hussey, star of the 1968 film 'Romeo and Juliet,' dies at 73

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  • Olivia Hussey, star of the 1968 film 'Romeo and Juliet,' dies at 73
  • December 28, 2024
  • Article Body Text LONDON — <p>Olivia Hussey, the actor who starred as a teenage Juliet in the 1968 film &quot;Romeo and Juliet,&quot; has died, her family said on social media Saturday. She was 73. </p> <p>Hussey died on Friday, &quot;peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones,&quot; a statement posted to her Instagram account said. </p> <p>Hussey was 15 when director Franco Zeffirelli cast her in his adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy after spotting her onstage in the play &quot;The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,&quot; which also starred Vanessa Redgrave. </p> <p>&quot;Romeo and Juliet&quot; won two Oscars and Hussey won a Golden Globe for best new actress for her part as Juliet, opposite British actor Leonard Whiting, who was 16 at the time. </p> <p>Decades later, Hussey and Whiting brought a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud over nude scenes in the film. </p> <p>They alleged that they were initially told they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in a bedroom scene, but on the day of the shoot Zeffirelli told the pair they would wear only body makeup, and that the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity. They alleged they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge. </p> <p>The case was dismissed by a Los Angeles County judge in 2023, who found their depiction could not be considered child pornography and the pair filed their claim too late. </p> <p>Whiting was among those paying tribute to Hussey on Saturday. &quot;Rest now my beautiful Juliet no injustices can hurt you now. And the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever,&quot; he wrote. </p> <p>Hussey was born on April 17, 1951, in Bueno Aires, Argentina, and moved to London as a child. She studied at the Italia Conti Academy drama school. </p> <p>She also starred as Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the 1977 television series &quot;Jesus of Nazareth,&quot; as well as in the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie's &quot;Death on the Nile&quot; and horror movies &quot;Black Christmas&quot; and &quot;Psycho IV: The Beginning.&quot; </p> <p>She is survived by her husband, David Glen Eisley, her three children and a grandson. </p>
  • Content Type Text
  • Language English
  • NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
  • Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
  • Network VOA
  • Embargo Date December 28, 2024 18:34 EST
  • Byline Associated Press
  • Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English
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