Olivia Hussey | |
|---|---|
.png) Husseyc. 1978 | |
| Born | Olivia Osuna (1951-04-17)17 April 1951 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Died | 27 December 2024(2024-12-27) (aged 73) Los Angeles, California, US |
| Alma mater | Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1964–2018 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3, includingIndia Eisley |
| Father | Osvaldo Ribó |
| Website | oliviahussey |
Olivia Hussey (née Osuna; 17 April 1951 – 27 December 2024) was an Argentine and British actress. Her awards included aGolden Globe Award and aDavid di Donatello Award. The daughter of Argentine tango singer Osvaldo Ribó, Hussey was born inBuenos Aires but spent most of her early life in her mother's nativeEngland. She aspired to become an actress at a young age and studied drama for five years atItalia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London.
Hussey began acting professionally as an adolescent. She appeared in a 1966 London production ofThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, oppositeVanessa Redgrave; this led to her being scouted for the role ofJuliet inFranco Zeffirelli's 1968film adaptation ofRomeo and Juliet. Hussey received widespread acclaim and international recognition for her performance. In 1974, she appeared as the lead characterJess Bradford in the cultslasher filmBlack Christmas. Hussey reunited with Zeffirelli in the miniseriesJesus of Nazareth (1977) asMary and appeared as Rosalie Otterbourne inJohn Guillermin'sAgatha Christie adaptationDeath on the Nile (1978).
She appeared in several international productions throughout the 1980s, including the Japanese productionVirus (1980) and the Australian dystopian action filmTurkey Shoot (1982). In 1990, she appeared in two horror productions,Stephen King'sIt andPsycho IV: The Beginning, in which she portrayedNorman Bates's mother. She also worked as a voice actress, providing voice roles inStar Wars video games includingStar Wars: Rogue Squadron (1998),Star Wars: Force Commander (2000), andStar Wars: The Old Republic (2011).
Hussey was born Olivia Osuna on 17 April 1951[1] inBuenos Aires, Argentina,[2] the first child ofArgentine tango singer Andrés Osuna (stage nameOsvaldo Ribó) and Joy Hussey, alegal secretary.[3] Her mother was from England, of Scottish and English descent.[4] Her parents wereRoman Catholics, and she was raised in that faith.[5] Hussey recalled, "I grew up with a mini-altar at home that she had; a candle was always alight on it. She always had a great love for God, and she instilled that in me."[5] Hussey was fascinated by acting from a young age, and as a child, would dress up as anun.[6]
Aged seven, she moved with her mother and younger brother Andrew toLondon.[3] There, Hussey was accepted into theItalia Conti Academy drama school, which she attended for five years, taking modeling and walk-on parts to help pay her fees.[7] At 13, she began acting professionally on stage, assuming her mother's maiden name as her stage name. In 1964, she appeared in an episode of the television seriesDrama, followed by minor roles in two films the following year:The Battle of the Villa Fiorita andCup Fever.[8][3][9]
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Hussey appeared in aWest End production ofThe Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, playing Jenny oppositeVanessa Redgrave.[10] Italian film directorFranco Zeffirelli noticed her performance because "she was the only choice mature enough with experience and natural beauty to playJuliet while still looking 14."[11] She was chosen out of 500 actresses to star inZeffirelli'sRomeo and Juliet film, opposite 16-year-oldLeonard Whiting's Romeo.[12][13]
Derek Smith ofSlant said Hussey's performance "captures the passion and yearning of love-struck teens in a very contemporary manner".[14]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian agreed, and said Hussey "has an otherworldly purity".[15]Roger Ebert also gave her and Whiting high praise.[16] She won a specialDavid di Donatello Award and theGolden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress in 1969.[17]
Nude scene controversy
In an August 2018 interview forFox News to promote the release of her autobiographyGirl on the Balcony, Hussey discussed filming the controversial nude scene inRomeo and Juliet: "We shot it at the end of the film. So by that time...we've become one big family. It wasn't that big of a deal. And Leonard wasn't shy at all! In the middle of shooting I just completely forgot I didn't have clothes on."[18][19] In another 2018 interview withVariety, Hussey defended the nude scene, saying, "Nobody my age had done that before," adding that Zeffirelli shot it tastefully. "It was needed for the film. Everyone thinks they were so young they didn't realize what they were doing. But we were very aware. We both came from drama schools and when you work you take your work very seriously."[20][21]
On 30 December 2022, Hussey and Whiting filed a $500 million lawsuit againstParamount Pictures for sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, and fraud, regarding the scene. In their court filing, the two actors stated that they had suffered emotional damage and mental anguish for decades.[22][23] The complainants stated that director Franco Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, initially said they would wear flesh-coloured undergarments and be positioned in a way that would not show nudity, but that Whiting's bare buttocks and Hussey's bare breasts are nonetheless briefly shown during the scene, in violation ofCalifornia state and federal laws against indecency and the exploitation of children.[24] The case was dismissed inLos Angeles Superior Court on 25 May 2023.[25]
After the success ofRomeo and Juliet, Hollywood producerHal B. Wallis offered her the title role inAnne of the Thousand Days (1969) and the co-starring role withJohn Wayne inTrue Grit (1969).[26] In her 2018 memoir, Hussey recalled that she had "mumbled something about being interested inAnne of the Thousand Days" but that she "couldn't see herself with Wayne", concluding that this "adolescent and opinionated" remark ended her professional relationship with Wallis, who immediately withdrew his offer.[27]In 1971, Hussey appeared in the British dramaAll the Right Noises, followed byThe Summertime Killer (1972),[8] and the musicalLost Horizon.[28] In 1974, Hussey played the lead role ofJess Bradford in the Canadian horror filmBlack Christmas (1974), which became influential as a forerunner of theslasher film genre of horror films.[29] She playedMary, the mother of Jesus, in the 1977 television production ofJesus of Nazareth (her second work for directorZeffirelli).[30] In 1978, she played Rosalie Otterbourne inDeath on the Nile withPeter Ustinov,[2] and appeared inThe Cat and the Canary (1979).[31]
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She starred as Marit in the Japanese filmVirus (1980),[32] and playedRebecca of York in the 1982 remake ofIvanhoe (1982); the same year, she had a lead role in the Australian horror filmTurkey Shoot (1982).[33] In 1987, Hussey, along with several well-known actors, made a cameo appearance in a clip for theMichael Jackson video "Liberian Girl".[34]
She was offered the role of Alex Forrest inFatal Attraction. When she read the screenplay and came across the rabbit in the boiling pot sequence, she was so disturbed that she quickly turned the role down.
In 1990, Hussey playedNorma Bates, the mother ofNorman Bates, inPsycho IV: The Beginning, a prequel toAlfred Hitchcock'sPsycho (1960),[35][36] and appeared in the miniseriesIt, an adaptation of theStephen King novel.[37] These two roles along withBlack Christmas earned her the label ofscream queen.[38][39]
Hussey played the lead inMother Teresa of Calcutta (2003), a biographical film aboutMother Teresa, for which she was presented with a Character & Morality in Entertainment Award on 12 May 2007 in Hollywood.[2] She stated in an interview that it had been her dream to portray the role of Mother Teresa of Calcutta ever since she finished her role as theVirgin Mary inJesus of Nazareth.[40] Hussey later reunited with Whiting as on-screen partners in the filmSocial Suicide (2015), the only film that they both appeared in sinceRomeo and Juliet. In the project, Hussey's daughter, actressIndia Eisley, played their fictional daughter, Julia Coulson.[41]
Hussey also worked as avoice actress, and was nominated for "Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Television Production" at theAnnie Awards for her work in theDC Animated Universe asTalia al Ghul. She voiced the character ofKasan Moor in thePC/Nintendo 64 game,Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (1998)[42] and was also in themassively multiplayer online role-playing gameStar Wars: The Old Republic (2011) as Jedi Master Yuon Par.[43] She also lent her voice toStar Wars: Force Commander in 2000.[44]
Hussey was slated to reprise her role as Jess Bradford in theBlack Christmas fan filmIt's Me, Billy: Chapter 2, but withdrew from the project in November 2023 for health reasons.[45][46][47] She was replaced with Lisa Kovack.
Hussey hadagoraphobia, which was aggravated by the fame she achieved afterRomeo and Juliet.[3]
She briefly datedLeonard Whiting in 1968. They remained friends throughout her life, reportedly communicating "at least once every 10 days."[48]
Hussey also dated actorChristopher Jones in 1968 but ended the relationship due to his being abusive towards her. The following year, Jones allegedly attacked, raped, and impregnated Hussey, who underwent an abortion.[48][6]
Hussey began datingTerry Melcher at some point in 1969, while she lived at 10050 Cielo Drive in Los Angeles after theManson Murders.
In 1971, Hussey marriedDean Paul Martin, the son ofDean Martin. They had one child. They divorced in 1978 but remained friends.[49] Martin died in 1987 when theCalifornia Air National Guard F-4 Phantom jet fighter he was piloting crashed.[50]
From 1980 to 1989, Hussey was married to Japanese singerAkira Fuse. They also had one child.[51]
In 1991,[52] she married American musicianDavid Glen Eisley, the son of actorAnthony Eisley. They had one daughter, actressIndia Eisley.[53]
A memoir,The Girl on the Balcony: Olivia Hussey Finds Life After Romeo and Juliet, was published on 31 July 2018.[54]
Hussey was diagnosed withbreast cancer in 2008[55] and underwent adouble mastectomy.[55] After being in remission for nearly a decade, the breast cancer returned in 2017, with Hussey undergoingchemotherapy andradiation treatment to remove a smalltumour growing between her heart and lungs.[55]
Hussey died at her home in Los Angeles on 27 December 2024, aged 73.[56][57][58] Later that day, herRomeo and Juliet co-star Whiting released a statement: "Rest now, my beautiful Juliet. No injustices can hurt you now. And the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever".[59]
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| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | The Battle of the Villa Fiorita | Donna | |
| Cup Fever | Jinny (child) | ||
| 1968 | Romeo and Juliet | Juliet | [6] |
| 1971 | All the Right Noises | Val | |
| 1972 | The Summertime Killer | Tania Scarlotti | Also known asTarget Removed |
| 1973 | Lost Horizon | Maria | |
| 1974 | Black Christmas | Jessica 'Jess' Bradford | |
| 1976 | H-Bomb | Erica | Original title:Dtàt lìam pét |
| 1978 | Death on the Nile | Rosalie Otterbourne | |
| The Cat and the Canary | Cicily Young | ||
| 1980 | The Man with Bogart's Face | Elsa | |
| Virus | Marit | ||
| 1982 | Turkey Shoot | Chris Walters | |
| 1987 | Distortions | Amy Marks | |
| 1988 | The Jeweller's Shop | Thérèse | |
| 1990 | Undeclared War | Rebecca Ecke | |
| 1993 | Quest of the Delta Knights | The Mannerjay | Direct-to-video film |
| 1994 | Save Me | Gail | |
| 1995 | Ice Cream Man | Nurse Wharton | Direct-to-video film |
| Bad English I: Tales of a Son of a Brit | (unknown) | ||
| 1996 | The Lord Protector: The Riddle of the Chosen | The Voice of the Ancients | Alternative title:The Dark Mist |
| 1998 | The Gardener | Mrs. Carter | |
| Shame, Shame, Shame | The Therapist | ||
| 2000 | El grito | Laura Lago | Also known asBloody Proof |
| 2001 | Island Prey | Catherine Gaits | |
| 2005 | Headspace | Dr. Karen Murphy | |
| 2006 | Seven Days of Grace | Jewel | |
| 2007 | Tortilla Heaven | Petra | |
| 2008 | Three Priests | Rachel | |
| Chinaman's Chance: America's Other Slaves | Mrs. Duncan | Alternative title:I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell | |
| 2015 | Social Suicide | Mrs. Coulson (Julia's Mother) | Final on-screen role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Drama 61-67 | Mrs. Ken's Daughter | Series 4; episode 2: "Studio '64: The Crunch" |
| 1966 | Take a Sapphire | Child | Television film. Uncredited role |
| 1967 | Acting in the Sixties | Jenny | Series 1; episode 1: "Vanessa Redgrave" |
| 1977 | Jesus of Nazareth | Mary, Mother of Jesus | Miniseries; episodes 1–4[60] |
| 1978 | The Bastard | Alicia | Miniseries; episodes 1 & 2 |
| The Pirate | Leila | Television films | |
| 1979 | The Thirteenth Day: The Story of Esther | Esther | |
| 1982 | Ivanhoe | Rebecca | |
| 1984 | The Last Days of Pompeii | Ione | Miniseries; episodes 1–3 |
| 1985 | The Corsican Brothers | Annamarie de Giudice | Television film |
| Murder, She Wrote | Kitty Trumbull | Season 2; episode 5: "Sing a Song of Murder" | |
| 1990 | Psycho IV: The Beginning | Norma Bates | Television film |
| It | Audra Phillips Denbrough | Miniseries; episodes 1 & 2 | |
| 1994 | Lonesome Dove: The Series | Olivia Jessup | Miniseries; episodes 10, 11 & 13 |
| 1996 | Dead Man's Island | Rosie | Television film |
| 1997 | Boy Meets World | Aunt Prudence Curtis | Season 4; episode 17: "A Long Walk to Pittsburgh: Part 2" |
| 1998 | Pinky and the Brain | Queen Gertrude (voice) | Season 3; episode 25; segment: "Melancholy Brain"[61] |
| 1999 | Superman: The Animated Series | Talia al Ghul (voice) | Season 3; episode 11: "The Demon Reborn"[61] |
| 2000 | Batman Beyond | Season 3; episode 5: "Out of the Past"[61] | |
| 2003 | Mother Teresa of Calcutta | Mother Teresa | Television film[62] |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Star Wars: Rogue Squadron | Kasan Moor[61] |
| 2000 | Star Wars: Force Commander | AT-AA Driver, Abridon Refugee 2 |
| 2011 | Star Wars: The Old Republic | Jedi Master Yuon Par[61] |
| Year | Title | Role | Location | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie | Jenny | Wyndham's Theatre | [63] |
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