Famous actress Olivia Hussey died on December 27 at the age of 73, according to a statement from her family. Hussey was known for her monumental roles in movies such as Franco Zeffirelli’s critically acclaimed Romeo and Juliet in 1968. She has also been praised for her role in Zefirelli’s 1977 show Jesus of Nazareth, in which she played the Virgin Mary. Hussey had been battling breast cancer, originally being diagnosed with the disease in 2008.
Olivia Hussey Eisley’s Instagram shared a message announcing the actress’ death. “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Olivia Hussey Eisley, who went peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones on December 27th. Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her,” the post read.
The statement continued, “Born on April 17th, 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Olivia lived a life full of passion, love, and dedication to the arts, spirituality, and kindness towards animals. Olivia leaves behind a loving family— her children, Alex, Max, and India, her husband of 35 years David Glen Eisley, and grandson, Greyson, and a legacy of love that will forever be cherished in our hearts. As we grieve this immense loss, we also celebrate Olivia’s enduring impact on our lives and the industry.”
“We thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and ask for privacy as we mourn the loss of a truly special soul,” the message concluded. Hussey’s death sparked an outpouring of mourning messages from other figures in Hollywood. “I’m heartbroken and saddened by the loss of my dear sister-in-law, Olivia Hussey, a talented actress with a kind soul. She will be greatly missed. Let us keep David, Alex, Max, and India Joy in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” singer and actor Deana Martin, the daughter of Dean Martin, wrote.
Hussey recounted the challenging demands of her role in “Jesus of Nazareth” during a 2016 interview. “It was very hard on me, but Morocco and Tunisia were not places to take a 3-year-old boy, especially when I had to work 14 hours a day,” she said, while simultaneously acknowledging the experience of playing Mary was powerful.
“I remember the crucifixion scene in particular. I had always thought it was going to be moving but I didn’t realize it was going to have the effect it had on me,” she said, illustrating the power of the crucifixion story. “It was a very profound experience; it was almost too much for me to bear. I can’t imagine how Jesus could have died for our sins on the cross that way.”
“I’m in God’s hands, really,” she said in past comments. “Every day I say, ‘Thy will be done, God. Whatever is my destiny, whatever’s meant to be.’ My friends come to my house and say, ‘Your house looks like a church!’ I just love spiritual things. So I give my life to God every day. I try to love God above everything and the rest will unfold.”
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Featured image credit: Alan Light, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Olivia_Hussey_1979_crop.jpg