Olivia Hussey

Olivia Hussey (born April 17, 1951) is an actress best known for her role as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet. She was born Olivia Osuna in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the daughter of Joy Alma Hussey, an English legal secretary, and Andreas Osuna (aka Isvaldo Ribo), an Argentine opera and tango singer who divorced when she was two. Brought up as a Catholic, when she was seven years old, Hussey and her younger broth... more

Olivia Hussey (born April 17, 1951) is an actress best known for her role as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet. She was born Olivia Osuna in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the daughter of Joy Alma Hussey, an English legal secretary, and Andreas Osuna (aka Isvaldo Ribo), an Argentine opera and tango singer who divorced when she was two. Brought up as a Catholic, when she was seven years old, Hussey and her younger brother went with their mother to live in London, England, where she attended the Italia Conti Academy drama school for five years. Assuming her mother's maiden name as her stage name, Hussey appeared on the London stage as Jenny in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie opposite Vanessa Redgrave. It was during the run of this play that Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli first spotted her. Chosen out of 500 actresses, she appeared in her first starring (and star making) role, as Juliet in Zeffirelli's 1968 film version of Romeo and Juliet opposite... less