Olivia Hussey, 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Black Christmas' Star, Dies at 73

[ificandream]

Last edited Tue Dec 31, 2024, 12:06 AM - Edit history (5)

Source: Variety

Olivia Hussey Eisley, a British-Argentine actor who was scouted to lead Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet" and went on to star in the slasher classic "Black Christmas" and the 1978 "Death on the Nile," died Friday. She was 73.

Hussey's death was confirmed to the San Francisco Chronicle by filmmaker Marc Huestis and announced on the actor's Instagram.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Olivia Hussey Eisley, who went peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on December 27th," reads the social media statement. "Olivia was a remarkable 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 and kindness towards animals."

Hussey is survived by her husband, David Glen Eisley; her children, Alex, Max, and India; and her grandson, Greyson.

Read more: https://variety.com/2024/film/obituaries-people-news/olivia-hussey-dead-romeo-and-juliet-black-christmas-1236261093/

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From Jesus of Nazareth:



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Everett Collection

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I feel very old all of a sudden. And that picture of her and Leonard Whiting on the movie poster ... I had a crush on her back then.

[FakeNoose]

1. She will always be the young and lovely Juliet to me

Rest in peace, Olivia Hussey ...

[Grins]

24. Yup! That's how I remember her.

From that movie. Not glamorous but truly a beautiful woman. (Although I think she was a teen at the time it was made.)

[3catwoman3]

2. Sheesh - me, too.

I'm also 73.

My mom made it to 98, and I intend to get there and more.

[electric_blue68]

6. My mom only made it to 86 bc of a set of freak medical occurances, but 2 of her bros and 1 sister made it to...

93 - 94, or 95. All w their facalties.

My dad got injured, and didn't heal well, then was in a wheelchair. He had a brain bleed from blood thinners, and ended up w dementia, and he still made it to 90.

I'd like get to 95 in better physical shape still mentally sharp, and still doing some kind of art. So I can celebrate my only sib, my 🩷 sis 's 90 B-Day.
We'll see.

[dflprincess]

17. Sounds like my mom

Her older sister made it to 96, her younger one to 98. A year or so before she died my younger aunt asked me how old mom was whe she died and when I said "88", she sighed and said "Only a girl." (she was joking, lest you think she was losing it). That Mom made it to 88, given that she never took care of herself, speaks well of the family genetics.)

I wouldn't mind 95 either, if I could age like my aunts. After that, though, things seem to go down hill pretty fast.

[electric_blue68]

27. Good luck to us! 👍 🙂

[electric_blue68]

3. RIP, Olivia.

[cilla4progress]

4. She was lovely as Juliet!

I remember seeing it at age 13-14 in '68.

[WheelWalker]

10. Perfect for the role.

[UpInArms]

18. My grandmother took me to see it when I was 12

She (Olivia) was so lovely …

Rest well, lovely Olivia

[electric_blue68]

28. I was 15.

[3catwoman3]

5. She was first married to Dean Martin, Jr...

...who later married Dorothy Hamill.

[Talitha]

7. ...

[OAITW r.2.0]

8. That's a kick in the pants.

[WheelWalker]

9. ... and the wheel turns.

[dem4decades]

11. She made quite an impression on a 15 year old me when i saw her as Juliet.

Her death makes an impression on me now too.

[CanonRay]

12. Oh what a crush I had on her

We are the same age.

[Aristus]

13. I grew up seeing her image as Juliet everywhere.

My mother and my sister were huge fans of the film, and my mother owned the soundtrack album, which included spoken-word excerpts from the Shakespeare text.

I was entranced by Hussey’s beauty. When I learned later that she was British-Argentine, I thought: What could be more perfect for the portrayal of a medieval northern-Italian teenaged girl?

I can’t remember the last time I saw the Zeffirelli film. It’s too hard to watch, knowing that all that pain and death is coming.

[Ziggysmom]

14. Google her daughter, India Eisley. She is gorgeous like mom. Whenever I read Shakespeare I

think of Olivia as Juliet. RIP my Dear.

[wendyb-NC]

15. R.I.P. Olivia

[area51]

16. RIP.

[Rhiannon12866]

19. Oh no! I saw that at the movies with my friend when we were kids!

That was a "must see" movie for girls my age.

[tanyev]

20. I enjoyed reading her memoir, The Girl on the Balcony.

She went through some things, but wrote about finding happiness with her husband and family.

[paulkienitz]

21. I'm at the age where the people who are dying are folks I remember as icons of youthfulness.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. During the era of the spectacular "all star cast" TV miniseries events during the '70s

I recall her impact in "Jesus of Nazareth" (1977) -

She battled the cancer that took her but has left a legacy of her wondrous acting. R.I.P.

[zanana1]

23. This movie came out when I was in high school.

We all wanted to be her.

[Mr.Bill]

25. The movie Romeo and Juliet

came out when I was in high school. The faculty had basically given up on trying to get us to read the story and threw in the towel, put us all on busses and took us to see the movie. I've never forgotten it and it did make me read it. RIP, Olivia.

[NickB79]

26. We watched Romeo and Juliet in high school 1994

We needed a permission slip from our parents because our English teacher warned us there were boobs 🤣

[electric_blue68]

29. I loved that red & gold dress!