Olivia Osuna Olivia Osuna Hussey
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At age 15, Olivia Hussey was cast as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet 1968, a role that won her the Golden Globe and two Donatello Awards. She later appeared in Death on the Nile 1978, Jesus of Nazareth 1977, and Black Christmas 1974. Born in Buenos Aires and trained at the Italia Conti Academy, she became a versatile actress in film and television. Hussey died in Los Angeles in 2024 after a battle with breast cancer.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Olivia Hussey — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Olivia Hussey by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Olivia Hussey — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
When Olivia Hussey was seven years old, she moved from Buenos Aires to England with her mother and younger brother. Her father, Osvaldo Ribó, was a renowned Argentine tango singer, and her mother Joy Alma Hussey encouraged her early interest in the performing arts. She attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, where she trained for five years before making her stage debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
At age 15, Franco Zeffirelli cast Olivia Hussey as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet 1968 after auditioning over 500 actresses. Her performance earned her a Golden Globe and two Donatello Awards, making her an international star. She followed with roles in Lost Horizon 1973, the horror classic Black Christmas 1974, and the television miniseries Jesus of Nazareth 1977, where she played the Virgin Mary. In Death on the Nile 1978, she acted alongside Bette Davis and Peter Ustinov. In 1990, she starred as Norma Bates in Psycho IV: The Beginning and appeared in the television adaptation of Stephen King’s IT. She voiced Talia al Ghul in Batman Beyond and Superman: The Animated Series.
Olivia Hussey married three times. First to Dean Paul Martin, son of Dean Martin, in 1971; they divorced in 1979. She then married Japanese singer Akira Fuse in 1980; they divorced in 1989. In 1991, she married actor David Glen Eisley, with whom she had daughter India Eisley. She had sons Alexander Martin with Martin and Maximillian Fuse. Hussey was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, underwent a double mastectomy, and after remission, the cancer returned in 2017. She died from the disease in 2024. She suffered from agoraphobia and treated it with meditation.
Olivia Hussey’s Juliet in Romeo and Juliet 1968 set a standard for Shakespearean film adaptations. She was the first actress to portray Norma Bates on-screen in the Psycho franchise. Her roles in Black Christmas 1974 and Jesus of Nazareth 1977 demonstrated her range. Hussey’s performance as Juliet remains a touchstone in film history, inspiring generations of actresses.
Browse the complete filmography of Olivia Hussey — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
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A wall of memorable lines from Olivia Hussey — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
Have the Confidence to Be Your Own Person.
Performers Are the Neediest People in the World. Unless You’ve Been in That Goldfish Bowl. Nobody Can Judge Unless They’ve Worn Those Shoes.
Little-known facts about Olivia Hussey — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Her three children each arrived a decade apart: Alexander in 1973, Maximillian in 1983, and India in 1993.
In 1985, her son nearly drowned in a backyard swimming pool; a 911 operator talked her and her husband through the rescue.
Her parents considered naming her Victoria after her father’s birthplace, but decided on Olivia after seeing a poster of Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress 1949.
Her father, Andreas Osuna, was a tango singer; she took her mother’s maiden name Hussey. Her parents divorced when she was two.
She turned down the role of Alex in Fatal Attraction 1987 after reading the scene with the rabbit in boiling water, as she is an animal-rights activist.
Francis Ford Coppola initially wanted her for the role of Apollonia in The Godfather 1972.
She suffered from agoraphobia and treated it with meditation rather than medication.
Five weeks after the Manson murders, she moved into the house where the killings occurred.
In Jesus of Nazareth 1977, she played the mother of Robert Powell, who was actually seven years her senior.
Director Franco Zeffirelli obtained special permission to show her topless for one scene in Romeo and Juliet 1968.
Her favorite horror movie is Psycho 1960; she later played Norma Bates in Psycho IV: The Beginning 1990.
She clashed with Bette Davis on the set of Death on the Nile 1978 after Davis complained about her playing East Indian chants on her stereo at 6 a.m.; they did not speak for the rest of filming.
She has one daughter with David Glen Eisley: India Eisley.
She cut her trademark waist-length black hair into a 1920s flapper style for her role in Death on the Nile 1978.
She was named after Olivia de Havilland.
She has one son with Dean Paul Martin: Alexander Martin.
She has one son with Akira Fuse: Maximillian Fuse born 1983.
Roald Dahl wanted her for the role of the Grand High Witch in The Witches 1990, but Anjelica Huston got the part.
She was chosen out of 500 applicants to play Juliet in Romeo and Juliet 1968.
Hussey was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, underwent a double mastectomy, and after nearly a decade in remission, the cancer returned in 2017, requiring chemotherapy and radiation for a tumor between her heart and lungs.
She was an avid animal-rights activist.
She was offered the role of Al Pacino’s on-screen sister in Scarface 1983, but production delays and her pregnancy prevented her from taking it.
She was under consideration for the role of Tess McGill in Working Girl 1988, which went to Melanie Griffith.
Her agoraphobia was aggravated by the fame after Romeo and Juliet.
Actress Lynne Frederick has often been compared to Hussey, though they never met; Frederick was described as the Olivia Hussey of her day in an obituary.
She was the daughter-in-law of Anthony Eisley.
She was sister-in-law to Jonathan Erickson Eisley, Nan R. Eisley, and Amanda Eisley.
She was the first actress to portray Norma Bates on-screen in the Psycho franchise, in Psycho IV: The Beginning 1990.
In 1987, she made a cameo in Michael Jackson’s music video for Liberian Girl.
In December 1968, it was announced she would star in A Wife’s Vengeance, though the project did not materialize.
John Schlesinger wanted her for Faye Greener in The Day of the Locust 1975, but scheduling conflicts prevented it.
Her brother Andrew was born in 1952.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Olivia Hussey.
Celebrities similar to Olivia Hussey — same craft, ranked by reach.
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