Olivia Hussey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Olivia Hussey
Hussey in the 1970s
Born	Olivia Osuna (1951-04-17)17 April 1951 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died	28 December 2024(2024-12-28) (aged 73) Burbank, California, US
Alma mater	Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1964–2018
Spouse(s)	Dean Paul Martin ​ ​ (m. 1971; div. 1978)​ Akira Fuse ​ ​ (m. 1980; div. 1989)​ David Glen Eisley ​ ​ (m. 1991)​
Children	3, including India Eisley
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Olivia Hussey (born Osuna; 17 April 1951 – 28 December 2024) was a British actress. She won a Golden Globe Award and a David di Donatello Award for her acting. Olivia was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her father was a tango singer. She spent most of her childhood in England, her mother's home country. From a young age, Olivia wanted to be an actress. She studied drama for five years at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London.

Olivia started acting professionally when she was a teenager. In 1966, she appeared in a play called The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in London. This role helped her get noticed for a big part. She was chosen to play Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film Romeo and Juliet. Her performance was highly praised around the world. Later, in 1974, she starred as Jess Bradford in the horror film Black Christmas. She also appeared in other horror movies like Psycho IV: The Beginning and Stephen King's It (both from 1990). These roles earned her the nickname "scream queen."

Hussey worked with director Zeffirelli again in the TV series Jesus of Nazareth (1977), where she played Mary. She also appeared in the Agatha Christie mystery film Death on the Nile (1978). Throughout the 1980s, she acted in many international films. These included the Japanese movie Virus (1980) and the Australian action film Turkey Shoot (1982). Olivia also used her voice for characters in Star Wars video games. Some of these games were Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (1998) and Star Wars: The Old Republic (2011).

Early Life and Acting Start

Olivia Osuna was born on April 17, 1951, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her father, Andrés Osuna, was a famous tango singer. Her mother, Joy Hussey, was from England. Olivia's parents were both Catholic, and she grew up in that faith. She remembered having a small altar at home where a candle was always lit. Her mother taught her to love God. When Olivia was two years old, her parents separated. Olivia loved acting from a very young age. As a child, she even enjoyed dressing up as a nun.

At age seven, Olivia moved to London with her mother and younger brother. There, she was accepted into the Italia Conti Academy drama school. She studied there for five years. To help pay for her classes, she took on modeling jobs and small acting parts. When she was 13, she started acting professionally on stage. She began using her mother's maiden name, Hussey, as her stage name. In 1964, she appeared in a TV show called Drama. The next year, she had small roles in two films: The Battle of the Villa Fiorita and Cup Fever.

Career Highlights

Becoming Juliet in Romeo and Juliet

Hussey in 1968

Olivia Hussey acted in a play called The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in London's West End. She played the character Jenny. Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli saw her performance. He felt she was the perfect choice to play Juliet in his film. He said she was "mature enough with experience and natural beauty" but still looked like a 14-year-old. Olivia was chosen from 500 actresses for the role. She starred opposite 16-year-old Leonard Whiting, who played Romeo. Her performance earned her a special David di Donatello Award and a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress in 1969.

After the huge success of Romeo and Juliet, a Hollywood producer named Hal B. Wallis offered her two big roles. She was offered the main part in Anne of the Thousand Days (1969). She was also offered a co-starring role with John Wayne in True Grit (1969). Olivia later wrote in her memoir that she was interested in Anne of the Thousand Days. However, she felt she "couldn't see herself with Wayne." This comment, which she called "adolescent and opinionated," ended her working relationship with Wallis. He immediately took back his offers.

Later Film and Voice Roles

Hussey in 1979

In 1971, Olivia Hussey appeared in the British drama All the Right Noises. She then starred in The Summertime Killer (1972) and the musical Lost Horizon (1973). In 1974, Hussey played the main character, Jess Bradford, in the Canadian horror film Black Christmas. This movie became very important in the history of slasher films.

In 1977, she played Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the TV show Jesus of Nazareth. This was her second time working with director Franco Zeffirelli. In 1978, she played Rosalie Otterbourne in Death on the Nile, starring with Peter Ustinov. She also appeared in The Cat and the Canary (1979).

Olivia starred as Marit in the Japanese film Virus (1980). She played Rebecca of York in the 1982 TV remake of Ivanhoe. In the same year, she had a main role in the Australian horror film Turkey Shoot. In 1987, Hussey made a quick appearance in the music video for Michael Jackson's song Liberian Girl.

In 1990, Hussey played Norma Bates in Psycho IV: The Beginning. This film was a prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's famous movie Psycho (1960). She also appeared in the TV miniseries It, based on the Stephen King novel. These two roles helped her become known as a "scream queen."

Hussey in 2008

Hussey played the lead role in Mother Teresa of Calcutta (2003). This was a movie about Mother Teresa. For this role, she received a special award in Hollywood in 2007. Olivia said in an interview that playing Mother Teresa had been her dream. She had wanted to do it ever since she played the Virgin Mary in Jesus of Nazareth.

Olivia Hussey also worked as a voice actress. She was nominated for an award for her voice work as Talia al Ghul in the DC Animated Universe. She voiced the character of Kasan Moor in the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (1998) video game. She also voiced Jedi Master Yuon Par in the game Star Wars: The Old Republic (2011). In 2000, she lent her voice to Star Wars: Force Commander.

Personal Life and Passing

Olivia Hussey experienced agoraphobia, which is a type of anxiety. This was made worse by the huge fame she gained after Romeo and Juliet. She briefly dated her Romeo and Juliet co-star Leonard Whiting in 1968. They remained close friends throughout her life.

In 1971, Olivia married Dean Paul Martin, who was the son of famous singer Dean Martin. They had one son, Alexander Gunther Martin, born in 1973. They divorced in 1978 but stayed friends. Dean Paul Martin sadly passed away in 1987 in a plane crash.

From 1980 to 1989, Olivia was married to Japanese singer Akira Fuse. They had one son, Maximillian Hussey Fuse, born in 1983. In 1991, she married American musician David Glen Eisley. They had one daughter, actress India Eisley.

Olivia Hussey faced health challenges. She passed away on December 28, 2024, at the age of 73. Her family announced her passing. After her death, her Romeo and Juliet co-star Leonard Whiting shared a message. He said, "Rest now my beautiful Juliet no injustices can hurt you now. And the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever."

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Stage

See also

In Spanish: Olivia Hussey para niños