Olivia Hussey Eisley, the Anglo-Argentine actress who became famous as a teenager playing Juliet in the 1968 adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” by Franco Zeffirelli, has died. The news was confirmed to the San Francisco Chronicle by director Marc Huestis, who declared that the death occurred following a serious illness. The death was later confirmed by a post on Hussey’s Instagram profile.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Olivia Hussey Eisley, who passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on December 27,” it read. “Olivia was an extraordinary person whose warmth, wisdom and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her. Olivia lived a life full of passion, love and dedication to the arts, spirituality. Olivia leaves behind a loving family – her children, Alex, Max and India, husband David Glen Eisley and grandson Greyson – and a legacy of love that will forever remain in our hearts. As we mourn this immense loss, we also celebrate Olivia’s lasting impact on our lives. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and ask that you maintain privacy as we mourn the loss of a truly special soul.”
Born in Buenos Aires, Olivia Hussey was 15 years old when, together with her partner Leonard Whiting, then 16, she played Juliet in the Oscar-winning adaptation of William Olivia Hussey’s tragedy, Zeffirelli’s ‘Juliet’. In 2023, the two actors filed a lawsuit against the studio Paramount Pictures for a non-consensual nude scene.
An American judge then rejected the case, ruling in favor of the film company. Olivia Hussey won the Golden Globe for “New Star of the Year”, and went on to star in, among others, films such as 1974’s Black Christmas and the 1978 adaptation of ‘Death on the Nile’, based on a book by Agatha Christie.