Tragic Loss: Olivia Hussey Eisley, Beloved ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Star, Dies at 73
Olivia Hussey Eisley passed away. She was most famous for her role as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 rendition of Romeo and Juliet. She was seventy-three.
On Friday, December 27, a post was uploaded on her official Instagram account to announce the news.
The statement said, “We regret to inform you of Olivia Hussey Eisley’s demise. She passed away quietly at home on December 27th, surrounded by her loved ones.” “Olivia was a fantastic individual who impacted everyone she came into contact with with her warmth, wisdom, and unadulterated goodness.”
Hussey Eisley “spent a life filled of passion, love, and dedication to the arts, spirituality, and charity towards animals,” the memorial continued.
Stars of 1968’s “Romeo and Juliet” File Second Lawsuit Against Paramount
Due to a naked scene in the 1968 Romeo and Juliet movie, the main performers are currently embroiled in a legal dispute with Paramount Pictures. In two different lawsuits, Romeo and Juliet actors Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey, respectively, have accused the studio of sexual assault and harassment.
“Olivia leaves behind a loving family— her husband of 35 years, David Glen Eisley, her grandson, Greyson, and her children, Alex, Max, and India—as well as a legacy of love that will always be treasured in our hearts,” the article went on. “We honor Olivia’s lasting influence on our lives and the industry even as we mourn this tremendous loss.
“We appreciate your prayers and thoughts at this trying time and ask for privacy as we grieve the passing of a really remarkable spirit,” the caption said at the end.
The actress, who was born in Argentina, costarred with Leonard Whiting as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet when she was barely 15 years old.
After being a box office hit when it was released in 1968, the highly regarded movie received four Oscar nominations and two wins in 1969 for Best Costume and Best Cinematography.
In commemoration of the film’s 50th anniversary, Hussey Eisley discussed her role in it with The Guardian in August 2018. She remarked, “I adored portraying Juliet,” at the time. “The PR was the only thing I did not enjoy. I was this crazy tiny thing, and it was exhausting.
But the movie was not without controversy. Due to the film’s nude scene, Hussey Einsley and Whiting were already involved in a legal dispute with Paramount Pictures.
Where Are the Cast Members of “Romeo and Juliet” Now?
With their contemporary adaptation of William Shakespeare’s most well-known play, Romeo and Juliet, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes captured the hearts of moviegoers. In the 1996 movie, which also starred John Leguizamo (Tybalt), Harold Perrineau (Mercutio), Dash Mihok (Benvolio), and Paul Rudd (Dave Paris), the Titanic star and the Homeland veteran played the titular doomed couple.
According to the Associated Press, the costars stated in their initial complaint, which was submitted in December 2022, that they were informed by the late filmmaker Zeffirelli that there would be no nudity in the film and that they would be wearing flesh-colored underwear for a bedroom scene.
In May 2023, a judge dismissed the case. In February 2024, Whiting and Hussey retaliated by suing Paramount a second time, alleging that the studio had digitally circulated the movie without their consent.
Other noteworthy parts in the actress’s career included Rosalie Otterbourne in Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile, which was directed by John Guillermin and published in 1978, and Mary in the 1977 miniseries Jesus of Nazareth.
