Romeo And Juliet actor Leonard Whiting has paid tribute to his co-star Olivia Hussey following her death aged 73, saying “the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever”. The pair rose to fame as teenagers after starring in the 1968 film version of the Shakespearean tragedy, directed and co-written by the late Franco Zeffirelli.
Hussey died “peacefully” at home surrounded by her loved ones on Friday, a statement posted to her Instagram announced. “Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her,” it said. The statement added that the actress lived a “life full of passion, love, and dedication to the arts, spirituality, and kindness towards animals” and her loved ones will grieve the “immense loss” as well as celebrate her “enduring impact on our lives and the industry”.
Hussey and Whiting both won Golden Globes for best promising newcomers for their performances in Romeo And Juliet, with the film also picking up the best English-language foreign film gong at the award show. The film was also nominated for the best picture Oscar and Zeffirelli received a best director nod at the Oscars and Baftas.
Last year, Hussey and Whiting sued Paramount Pictures, alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud over a nude scene in the film shot when they were aged 15 and 16 respectively. The pair sought damages of more than 500 million dollars (£414 million), saying that they had initially been told by Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, that they would wear flesh-coloured undergarments in the bedroom scene.
