CNN
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Olivia Hussey Eisley, star of the 1968 film “Romeo and Juliet” and the slasher classic “Black Christmas,” has died, according to a post on her Instagram page. She was 73 years old.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Olivia Hussey Eisley, who returned home peacefully surrounded by her loved ones on December 27,” we read in the press release published on her Instagram. “Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her.”
“Romeo and Juliet” was the great success of the Anglo-Argentine actress, which earned her a Golden Globe for her interpretation of Juliet.
Franco Zeffirelli’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic love story has not been 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 film to be released with scenes showing them naked when they were minors. According to the complaint, Zeffirelli told Hussey Eisley and Whiting — who were 15 and 16, respectively, at the time — that “they had to act naked or the photo would fail.” The suit was dismissed in May 2023.
Hussey Eisley later starred in the 1974 horror film “Black Christmas” and appeared in the 1978 Agatha Christie adaptation “Death on the Nile.” She also worked with Zeffirelli again in 1977, playing Mary in the television miniseries “Jesus of Nazareth.”
In the ’90s, Hussey Eisley starred in several horror films, including “Psycho IV: The Beginning” and “It,” a miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. Later, in the early 2000s, she starred in the biopic “Mother Teresa,” the thriller “El Grito,” and the comedy “Tortilla Heaven.”
Born April 17, 1951 in Buenos Aires, “Olivia lived a life full of passion, love and dedication to the arts, spirituality and kindness to 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 her grandson, Greyson, and a legacy of love that will forever be cherished in our hearts ”, we can read in the press release. .
“As we mourn this immense loss, we also celebrate Olivia’s lasting impact on our lives and on 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.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
