Olivia Hussey Eisley, Star of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ Passes Away at 73

Olivia Hussey Eisley, star of the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet and the slasher classic Black Christmas, has died, a post on her Instagram page announced. She was 73.

“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,” the statement posted on her Instagram reads. “Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her.”

Romeo and Juliet was the British-Argentine actress’ breakout role, and she won a Golden Globe Award for her role as Juliet.

Franco Zeffirelli’s film adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic love story was not without controversy. In late 2022, Hussey Eisley and co-star Leonard Whiting filed a lawsuit against Paramount Studios, which produced the film, for allowing the release of a film that included scenes in which they appeared nude when they were minors. According to the complaint, Zeffirelli told Hussey Eisley and Whiting, who were 15 and 16 years old, respectively, that the film would fail if they did not perform nude. The lawsuit was dismissed in May 2023.

Hussey Eisley later starred in the 1974 horror film “Black Christmas” and in the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile. In 1977, she worked with Zeffirelli again, playing Maria in the television miniseries “Jesus of Nazareth.”

In the ’90s, Hussey Eisley starred in several horror films, including the miniseries “Psycho IV: The Beginning,” and “It,” both adaptations of Stephen King’s novels. Later, in the early 2000s, she appeared in the biopic Mother Teresa, the thriller “El Grito” and comedy “Tortilla Heaven.”

Olivia was born in Buenos Aires on April 17, 1951, and “Olivia lived a life full of passion, love, and dedication to the arts, spirituality, and kindness towards animals,” the statement said.

“Olivia leaves behind a loving family— her children, Alex, Max, and India, her husband of 35 years David Glen Eisley, and grandson, Greyson, and a legacy of love that will forever be cherished in our hearts,” the statement read.

“As we grieve this immense loss, we also celebrate Olivia’s enduring impact on our lives and the industry. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and ask for privacy as we mourn the loss of a truly special soul.”