Olivia Hussey: 5 Things About The Star Of ‘Romeo & Juliet’ At 15 Who’s Suing for $500M Over Nude Scene

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Robert Milazzo/© American Broadcasting Company /Courtesy Everett Collection

Olivia Hussey (b. Apr. 17. 1951) is an English actress.
She appeared arsenic Juliet successful Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.
In 2023, she and her costar, Leonard Whiting, sued Paramount for much than $500 cardinal implicit the film’s nude scene.

Olivia Hussey received captious acclaim and the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year for her relation successful 1968’s Romeo and Juliet. However, 55 years aft she starred other Leonard Whiting in Franco Zeffirelli’s film adaptation of the William Shakespeare play, Olivia, 71, and Leonard, 72, filed a suit successful Los Angeles County Superior Court implicit the film’s nude scene, alleging intersexual abuse, intersexual harassment, and fraud, per the Associated Press.

Olivia, 15 astatine the clip of Romeo and Juliet’s filming, and Leonard, who was 16, assertion that manager Zeffirelli assured them that they would beryllium nary nudity successful the movie and that they’d deterioration flesh-covered undergarments. But successful the last days of filming, the manager – who died successful 2019 – allegedly pressed for them to bash the chamber country successful the nude with assemblage makeup, “or the Picture would fail,” per Variety. Zeffirelli allegedly showed them however the camera would beryllium positioned, assuring them that nary nudity would beryllium recorded oregon released successful the film. However, the movie’s last chopped showed Whiting’s buttocks and Hussey’s bare breasts.

According to Variety, Hussey and Whiting assertion they’ve endured “mental anguish and affectional distress” successful the half-century since the film’s merchandise and that they’ve mislaid retired connected occupation opportunities. They’re seeking damages “believed to beryllium successful excess of $500 million.” The lawsuit, per Variety, relies successful portion connected a California instrumentality that temporarily suspended the statute of limitations for older claims of kid intersexual abuse.”

As the courts fig this out, here’s what you request to cognize astir Olivia.

She Is The Daughter Of An Opera Singer

Olivia Hussey (neée Osuna) was calved successful Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is the archetypal kid of Argentine opera vocalist Andrés Osuna (aka Osvaldo Ribó) and Joy Hussey, an English ineligible secretary. Her parents separated erstwhile she was two, and she grew up successful her mother’s autochthonal land. In the precocious 1960s, she began acting and rapidly recovered success.

She’s Played Mary and Mother Teresa

Olivia’s breakout show was successful 1968’s Romeo and Juliet. Following that, she appeared successful astir 50 much roles implicit the adjacent half-century. She played Mary successful the 1977 tv mini-series Jesus of Nazareth, appearing successful 4 episodes, per IMDB. She would represent different spiritual icon successful 2003, taking connected the main relation of Mother Teresa successful a TV movie of the aforesaid name.

As of 2023, her past relation was successful 2015’s Social Suicide.

Olivia Has Some Serious Horror Credentials

Horror fans cognize Olivia Hussey’s sanction due to the fact that the slasher genre mightiness not beryllium without her. Olivia played Jess successful 1974’s Black Christmas, fundamentally becoming the archetypal modern “Final Girl.” She besides appeared successful 1979’s The Cat and the Canary and 1995’s Ice Cream Man. However, Olivia’s astir notable contributions to the fearfulness genre came successful 1990 – erstwhile she played Norma Bates successful Psycho IV: The Beginning and Audra Phillips Denbrough successful the Tim Curry-led tv adaptation of Stephen King’s It.

“For immoderate reason, IT was not a precise bully acquisition for me,” she said successful an interview published connected Morbidly Beautiful. “I changeable Psycho IV successful Florida, wherever I was treated precise well, and everybody was truthful kind. Mick was a pleasance to enactment with. I changeable 2 to 3 weeks there, and past I flew instantly to Vancouver to sprout on IT. That was a precise acold set, and I didn’t bask it astatine all. Tim Curry was a doll. He was precise sweet, and each the actors were lovely.”

She Has Worked In A Galaxy Far, Far Away

Olivia has besides worked arsenic a dependable actress, lending her talents to a fewer DC cartoon bid (Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond) and a brace of Star Wars video games. Olivia voiced Master Yuon Par successful Star Wars: The Old Republic and a brace of characters successful 2000’s Star Wars: Force Commander.

“It’s wholly different,” she told Morbidly Beautiful about dependable acting. “I wouldn’t accidental I’m truly a large voiceover actor. Because determination are immoderate who bash voiceover enactment that is conscionable wholly amazing. Some usage antithetic accents and tones. I mean, it’s incredible. You know, radical similar Hank Azaria who does truthful galore voices connected The Simpsons. And he’s large successful 1 of my all-time favourite movies The Birdcage. I’d accidental helium is simply a large voiceover talent, arsenic good arsenic a large actor.”

She Defended The Nude Scene In 2018

As Variety pointed retired erstwhile archetypal reporting astir Olivia and Leonard’s lawsuit, she defended the nude country successful a 2018 interrogation with the publication. “Nobody my property had done that before,” said Olivia. Variety noted that nudity was “commonplace successful European films,” but the nude country was frowned upon by immoderate successful the U.S. ”

“It was needed for the film,” she said. “Everyone thinks they were truthful young they astir apt didn’t recognize what they were doing. But we were precise aware. We some came from play schools, and erstwhile you work, you instrumentality your enactment precise seriously.”

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