Olivia Hussey, star of 1968 film ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ dies at 73
Olivia Hussey, star of 1968 film ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ dies at 73
www.nbcnews.com
Olivia Hussey, star of 1968 film ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ dies at 73
Summary
Olivia Hussey, best known for playing Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, has died at 73.
Hussey passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones. Cast at age 15, she earned a Golden Globe for her role in the Oscar-winning film.
Later in life, she and co-star Leonard Whiting sued Paramount over alleged abuse during nude scenes, but the case was dismissed in 2023.
Born in Argentina, Hussey also starred in Jesus of Nazareth and Death on the Nile. She is survived by her family.
What the fuck. Hollywood used to be a pretty messed up place back in the day.
WHAT THE FUCK
Someone was defending it in another thread. Saying it was "sex positive." And when I said it was child pornography, I got a bunch of downvotes.
And let's be clear: we are talking about a realistic sex scene between two teenagers in a movie.
Somehow child porn is okay because Shakespeare.
I am so fucking astounded.
Lemmy is a very weird place, man. Some parts weirder than others.
That was me. I think this discourse is important. Is every sex depiction necessarily porn? I don't think so. I think sex can be depicted in art and media for other than pornographic purposes and it's ok to do so. But it shouldn't be done by assholes like Zeffirelli, let's agree at least on that.
I never found the scene in R&J pornographic, it spoke to me in the way the narrative should go - young people fall in love and consume their relationship. I felt happy for them, but not turned on. If anyone IS turned on by some scenes, that's ok too, everyone has different triggers I guess, and it can't be helped. The fact that, let's say, a view of an actress's feet or an actor's arms turns some people on doesn't mean these things shouldn't be depicted.
Edit: whatever. Im not going to be villianized over something I never had any part in.
Back in the day? Still pretty fucked up tbh
It's messed up today. So is everywhere else where people aren't famous and have less voice.
It absolutely was. Another instance of how creepy it was is Brooke Shields' role in Pretty Baby where she played a preteen prostitute. She was only 12 and did a nude scene. One review I recall reading described her as pure sexual energy or something to that extent.
She also had a full-on spread of nude photos in Hustler while she was still a literal child.
I think the Blue Lagoon when she was ~14, too. I'm looking at the promos and stills on IMDb and they're doing everything but showing her naked.
Underage nudity wasn't even illegal in the 60s.
The not so distant movie American Beauty had a topless 16-17 year old Thora Birch if I remember. Keira knightly also did a topless scene around that age. I don't know how they still get away with it.
I remember Chloe Grace Moretz once mentioned auditioning or prepping for a movie when she was 15 and the producers discussing her boob size and wanting her in a push up or padded bra to make her chest bigger. She has an older, super protective brother who wasn't about that shit and put a stop to it, so it's likely why she kinda dropped off and stopped getting roles. Too many movies now have the most pointless nude scenes, just cause they wanna see that young actress topless
It took until 2017 for universally accepted for decades rapist Harvey Weinstein to even get fired. It took until 2018 before he was charged.
The contest of whether being a successful white man who doesn't rock the boat should enable you to do literally whatever you want, is still very much up in the air in this country. There have been a few victories and hooray, but it's not over, and we're about to have one hell of a setback for it.