Olivia Hussey Eisley, star of "Romeo and Juliet," dies at age 73

Olivia Hussey, who starred a teenage Juliet in the 1968 film "Romeo and Juliet" and the slasher classic "Black Christmas," has died, her family said on social media Saturday. 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."

 She was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008.

Hussey was just 15 years old when she played Romeo in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, facing 16-year-old British actor Leonard Whiting. Both were unknown. The Paramount-distributed film, which Zeffirelli co-wrote, was nominated for Best Picture and three other Academy Awards, and she was awarded the David di Donatello trophy and a Golden Globe.

Franco Zeffirelli's interpretation of Shakespeare's timeless love story was not without controversy. Hussey Eisley and co-star Leonard Whiting launched a complaint against Paramount Studios, the film's producer, in late 2022, accusing them of letting the film to be released with sequences showing them naked when they were juveniles. Zeffirelli allegedly informed Hussey Eisley and Whiting, who were 15 and 16 years old at the time, respectively, that "they must act in the nude or the picture would fail," according to the lawsuit. The suit was dismissed in May 2023.

Hussey Eisley went on to star in the 1974 horror film "Black Christmas" and the 1978 Agatha Christie adaption "Death on the Nile." She collaborated with Zeffirelli again in 1977, as Mary in the television miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth."

Hussey Eisley featured in many horror films during the 1990s, including "Psycho IV: The Beginning" and "It," a miniseries based on Stephen King's novel. Later, in the early 2000s, she appeared in the biographical picture Mother Teresa, the thriller El Grito, and the comedy Tortilla Heaven.

Hussey was born on April 17, 1951, in Bueno Aires, Argentina, and spent his childhood in London. She attended the Italia Conti Academy theater school.

“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.”