Olivia Hussey, who starred as a teenage Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film "Romeo and Juliet," garnering her a Golden Globe, died Friday at age 73, her family announced.
"Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her," her family said in a statement posted to her Instagram account.
Filmmaker Marc Huestis confirmed Olivia Hussey's passing to the San Francisco Chronicle, revealing she died of cancer. The news was also shared on the actor's official Instagram. Hussey had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, which recurred in 2018.
“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,” read the Instagram statement. “Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her. She lived a life full of passion, love, and dedication to the arts, spirituality, and kindness towards animals.”
Following the news of her demise, fans of the veteran actress took to Twitter to mourn her loss and honour her legacy.
Buenos Aires-born Hussey was 15 when she and her co-lead Leonard Whiting starred in the Oscar-winning adaptation of William Shakespeare's tragedy.
In 2023, the two actors filed a lawsuit against the studio alleging child abuse over a controversial nude scene featuring the pair, who were minors at the time. A judge dismissed the lawsuit later that year.
Hussey, who received a "New Star of the Year" Golden Globe for her performance, would later star in the 1974 slasher film "Black Christmas" and the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile," among other projects.
She is survived by her husband David Eisley, their three children and a grandchild.