Romeo and Juliet actress Olivia Hussey, beloved by genre fans for her roles in It, Psycho IV, and Black Christmas, has died.
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Hussey passed away on Friday, Dec. 27, “peacefully at her home surrounded by her loved ones,” according to a statement posted on her Instagram.
“Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her,” her family added. They also described her life as one “full of passion, love, and dedication to the arts, spirituality, and kindness towards animals.”
A cause of death was not revealed. Hussey was 73.
Horror film auteur Mick Garris, who directed Hussey in 1990’s Psycho IV: The Beginning, also confirmed her passing in a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter).
“It is with a very heavy heart that I share the passing of the beautiful, talented, kind, and loving Olivia Hussey on December 27,” Garris wrote alongside an image of the actress as Norma Bates. “One of the loveliest people I’ve ever known, let alone had the honor and pleasure to work with. Condolences to daughter India Eisley and partner David.”
It is with a very heavy heart that I share the passing of the beautiful, talented, kind and loving Olivia Hussey on December 27. One of the loveliest people I’ve ever known, let alone had the honor and pleasure to work with. condolences to daughter India Eisley and partner David. pic.twitter.com/U6zjLyAfDl
— Mick Garris & The Post Mortem Podcast (@MickGarrisPM) December 28, 2024
Born on April 17, 1951, in Buenos Aires, Hussey relocated to London during her childhood. She began her acting career at the age of 13, appearing in minor film roles before landing the role of Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo & Juliet.
The film, released in 1968, became a box office hit and stood out as the first movie to feature actors close in age to Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers. Olivia Hussey was 16, and the film’s Romeo, Leonard Whiting, was 17.
Olivia Hussey Went on to Star in Three Seminal Horror Projects
However, the actress is perhaps most well-known for her work in the horror genre. In 1974, she starred in the hallmark slasher film Black Christmas. The film heavily influenced John Carpenter’s Halloween. Meanwhile, Black Christmas director Bob Clark famously went on to direct a holiday favorite of an altogether different sort… A Christmas Story.
The blackest Christmas. Rest easy, Olivia pic.twitter.com/PPrtpgUXQA
— Beyond Fest (@BeyondFest) December 28, 2024
In 1990, Hussey appeared in the miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s It. That same year, she also originated the role of Norma Bates, Norman Bates’ mother, in Psycho IV: The Beginning.
According to her IMDb profile, she retired from acting in 2016, following her final film role in the 2015 movie Social Suicide.
Meanwhile, Hussey was married to Dean Paul Martin, son of the legendary Dean Martin, from 1971 to 1979. In the 1980s, she wed Japanese singer Akira Fuse before marrying musician David Glen Eisley in 1991.
Hussey is survived by her children Alex, Max, and India; her husband David, and her grandson Greyson.