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| Olivia Hussey in the movie 'Romeo and Juliet' | Photo: IMDB |
British actress Olivia Hussey has died. The 73-year-old actress died on Friday. The news of her death was announced in a post on the actress's Instagram account.
Olivia rose to fame in 1968 when she starred in the film 'Romeo and Juliet'. She was only 15 years old when she shot for the film. The actress gained fame and awards for her role as 'Juliet'. That year, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best New Actress.
Olivia Hussey was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1951. She began studying at the drama school Italia Conti Academy at the age of seven before moving to London.
Director Franco Zeffirelli was looking for young people to play the two leading roles in his film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. One day, he went to a performance of Miss Joan Brody's play Prime, where Olivia Hussey played opposite Vanessa Redgrave. Zeffirelli was impressed by the actress's performance on stage. He immediately offered the role to 15-year-old Olivia Hussey.
British actor Leonard Whiting played the role of 'Romeo' in the film. The actor was 16 years old at the time. At the 1968 Oscars, 'Romeo and Juliet' was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Costume Design. The film won the Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design.
Although the film played a role in Olivia Hussey's career, it was not without controversy. Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting filed a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures. They claimed that they were pressured into performing nude scenes during the shooting of the film, which was released in 1968. That is why they went to court demanding $500 million in damages.
Actor Leonard Whiting claimed that Italian director Franco Zeffirelli forced him to perform the scene, but a judge dismissed the case last year, saying the scene was not "sufficiently sexually suggestive".
Regarding this issue, Pippo Zeffirelli, the son of the Oscar-winning director, claimed that the love of two lovers was shown in the movie 'Romeo and Juliet'. In his words, 'It is not appropriate to compare that scene with pornography at all. Because that scene only shows the expression of love. There is no profanity.'
Apart from 'Romeo and Juliet', Olivia played the role of 'Mother Mary' in the TV mini-series 'Jesus of Nazareth in 1977. She was last seen in the movie 'Suicide Squad' in 2015.