Ang buhay at kamatayan ni Olivia Hussey
PUMANAW na ang lead female star ng classic movie adaptation ng “Romeo and Juliet” na si Olivia Hussey nung nakaraang December 27, 2024 sa edad na 73.
Iniwan ni Olivia ang kanyang husband na si David Glen Eisley na kanyang pinakasalan nung 1991 at mga anak na sina Alex, Max at India at isang apo na si Greyson. She was formerly married to Dean Paul Martin, anak ng actor na si Dean Martin nung 1971 hanggang 1988. Naging mister din niya ang Japanese singer na si Akira Fuse nung 1980 to 1989.
Si Olivia ay panganay na anak ng Argentine tango singer na si Osvaldo Ribo (who’s Andres Osuna in real life) and her British mother na si Joy Hussey, isang legal secretary from England of Scottish and English descent. Siya’y ipinanganak sa Buenos Aires, Argentina but when she was seven, she moved with her mother and younger brother na si Andrew sa London.
Bata pa noon si Olivia ay mahilig na siya sa acting and she would take walk-on parts for extra money para makatulong sa kanyang pag-aaral. Limang taon siyang nag-aral sa Italian Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London and she started acting on stage in 1965. Nung 1966, naging bahagi siya ng London production ng “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” kung saan siya napanood ng Italian director and producer na si Franco Zeffirelli na naghahanap noon ng gagapanap sa papel na Juliet sa movie adaptation ng “Romeo and Juliet”.
Franco auditioned at least 500 teen-age girls to play Juliet pero wala siyang napusuan sa mga ito until she saw Olivia sa stage play ng “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” at doon niya nag-desisyon na kunin siya for the role of Juliet at makakapareha ni Leonard Whiting for the role of Romeo.
Nabuo ang pelikulang “Romeo and Juliet” at ipinalabas nung 1968 na siyang naging simula ng pagsikat pareho ng mga lead stars ng pelikula na sina Leonard Whiting at Olivia Hussey. Their roles as Romeo and Juliet earned for them David di Donatello Award and Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year.
Dahil sa malaking tagumpay ng “Romeo and Juliet” at the box office, agad inalok si Olivia ng Hollywood producer na si Hal B. Wallis para sa title role ng “Anne of the Thousand Days” in 1969. She also co-starred with John Wayne in “True Girl” on same year at magmula noon ay naging sunud-sunod na ang mga pelikula and even TV series na ginawa ni Olivia tulad ng British drama na “All the Right Noises,” “The Summertime Killer,” musical na “Lost Horizon,” the Canadian horror film na “Black Christmas,” “Death on the Nile,” “The Cat and the Canary,” the Japanese film “Virus,” “Ivanhoe,” Australian horror na “Turkey Shoot,” “Psycho IV: The Beginning” at marami pang iba. Nung 2003, she played the lead role in “Mother Teresa of Calcutta,” a biographical film about Mother Teresa kung saan siya pinarangalan ng Character and Morality in Entertainment Award nung May 12, 2007 in Hollywood. She also played the role of Mary the mother of Jesus in the 1977 TV production of “Jesus of Nazareth”. She also lent her voice sa “Star Wars” series video games.
Taong 2015 when she was reunited with her “Romeo and Juliet” leading man na si Leonard Whiting sa pelikulang “Social Suicide” kung saan gumanap na fictional daughter nila ang anak mismo ni Olivia na si India Eisley for the role of Julia Coulson.
Olivia also had a cameo appearance in a clip sa music video ni Michael Jackson ng “Liberian Girl”.
Olivia briefly dated her leading man sa “Romeo and Julie” na si Leonard Whiting nung 1968 pero nagkahiwalay din sila. Gayunman, nanatili silang magkaibigan up to the actress’ death. Nung nabubuhay pa si Olivia, madalas pa rin silang mag-communicate ni Leonard, at least once in every ten days. She also dated actor Christopher Jones matapos nilang mag-break ni Leonard. Pero hindi nagtagal ang kanilang relasyon dahil sa pagiging abusive ng actor sa kanya. Jones allegedly attacked, raped and impregnated her pero sumailalim siya ng abortion.
Nung 1971, pinakasalan ni Olivia si Dean Paul Martin, anak ng actor na si Dean Martin. Nagkaroon sila ng isang anak, ang writer-actor na si Alexander Gunther Martin na isinilang nung 1973. Pero ang relasyon ng dalawa ay nauwi sa divorce in 1976. Pero nanatili silang magkaibigan until Martin’s death in 1987 nang mag-crash ang pinalilipad nitong National Guard F-4 Phantom jet.
Nung 1980, muling nag-asawa si Olivia sa Japanese singer na si Akira Fuse at nagkaroon sila ng isang anak na lalake na si Maximillian Hussey Fuse na isinilang nung 1983 when his eldest son was 10. Ang relasyon ay nauwi rin sa divorce in 1989. Two years later, muling nagpakasal si Olivia sa American musician na si David Glen Eisley, anak ng actor na si Anthony Eisley. Nagkaroon sila ng isang anak na babae na si India Eisley.
Taong 2008 mag-diagnose si Olivia ng breast cancer at sumailalim siya ng double mastectomy. She was in remission for nearly a decade pero bumalik ang kanyang sakit nung 2017. Sumailalim siya ng chemotherapy and radiation treatment para matanggap ang maliit na tumor na tumubo sa pagitan ng kanyang heart at lungs. A year later on July 31, 2018 ay lumabas ang kanyang memoir na pinamagatang “The Girl On the Balcony: Olivia Hussey Finds Life After Romeo and Juliet”.
Olivia was supposed to reprise her role as Jess Bradford sa pelikulang “Black Christmas” film sa “It’s Me Billy Chapter” nung isang taon pero nag-beg off na ang Argentine-British actress dahil sa kanyang health condition.
Magmula nang gawin ni Olivia ang “Romeo and Juliet” ay nagkaroon na siya ng sakit na anxiety disorder.
Sa pagpanaw ni Olivia, naglabas ng statement ang kanyang “Romeo and Juliet” leading man na si Leonard Whiting:
“Rest now my beautiful Juliet. No injustices can hurt you now and the world will remember your beauty inside and out forever.”
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