The parents of the future star Olivia Hussey, who was born in 1951, on April 17, were the Argentine opera singer, the famous tenor Andreas Osuna, and the British citizen Joy Hussey. They divorced when Olivia was very young, after which the mother took the child from Buenos Aires to England. From that moment, the father stopped playing any significant role in the formation of the daughter's personality.
Training
Hussey Olivia finished elementary school in Kent, and then moved to the London School of Dramatic Art. From childhood she dreamed of an acting career and subsequently admitted that the reason for this was, rather, a pure love of performance rather than the desire for recognition and approval. During the training, the girl managed to star in a couple of television shows and films such as “The Battle of Villa Fiorita” and “Fever Cup”.
"Romeo and Juliet"
By 1966, Hassi Olivia, a graceful, short, light-eyed brunette, had already become a theater actress in demand in London. Together with the brilliant Vanessa Redgrave, she played the role in the play "The Miss of the Miss Brody". It was then that the Italian cinema master, director Franco Zeffirelli, became interested in her direct manner of playing, looking for an actress for the role of tender Juliet for a film version of the immortal tragedy of William Shakespeare. The film "Romeo and Juliet" (1968) brought the young actress many awards, including Golden Globe and David Donatello. In the wake of the success of the picture, the number of speculation and gossip about the leading actors grew like mushrooms after the rain. It was said that Olivia and her filming partner Leonard Whiting (Romeo) could hardly bear each other's company. Olivia Hussey denied this fact, although she admitted that sometimes both actors, while filming the film “Romeo and Juliet” in 1968, behaved on the set like children.
Among the many film versions of the tragedy, the version of Franco Zeffirelli (1968) is considered the most successful, spectacular and historically convincing. The heroes were empathized with the audience of the whole world, and the picture suddenly became a classic of cinema. The director chose for the role of the famous lovers of the actors not the most experienced, but captivatingly young, and he did not lose. Seventeen-year-old Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey played so touching and artless that critics forgave them even some modern behavior that was not very appropriate in the historical film, as well as a frank (for those times) scene. Both ordinary and sophisticated viewers agreed that the picture is simply grandiose. Memorable music for the film was composed by composer Nino Roth. The shooting took place all over Italy, but not in the most famous cities, but in those that still retained the medieval spirit necessary to create the atmosphere of Verona during the family war era (by the way, Olivia visited Verona itself only by passage). In 1969, the picture was awarded two Oscars: for camera work and costume design, also did not go unnoticed by the public and Olivia Hassi. The filmography of the actress, it is worth noting, includes more than a dozen films.
Health problems
The shooting continued for several years, the schedule was tight, and after the release of the picture she had to be presented, and all these loads could not have a positive effect on the health of the actress. The tremendous popularity of the historical movie drama led to the fact that Olivia felt exhausted and devastated both physically and mentally. Indeed, now both the public and the movie bohemia perceived it exclusively as Juliet Montecca! This left an imprint on her future film career. The role in "Straw Dogs" by Sam Pekinpa could, according to Hassi herself, correct the situation, but she did not get the actress. Hassi Olivia retired to her mother’s house and rested for a year from fame and increased attention to her person. She felt depressed, vulnerable, and needed constant sedation.
She had great difficulty overpowering herself and returning to an active life. Mentor of the girl that year was Swami Muktanand, who accompanied Hussey in spiritual development for a long time and assumed the role of father Olivia.
Not all the films in which the young actress starred in that period aroused the sympathy of the public and became hits for hire. But the film “Summer is the time of the killings” can be called quite successful, as well as the film “The Lost Horizon”.
Personal life
In the early seventies, Olivia married an American Dean P. Martin, and in 1973 they had a child, who later became an actor. A few years later, a divorce followed, but good relations between the former spouses remained until Martin passed away.
Black Christmas
In 1974, viewers saw Olivia in the horror film "Black Christmas" in which she played the heroine Jessica Bradford. The plot of the film was not original: the inhabitants of the female dormitory completed preparations for the bright holiday, but then a mysterious call rang out, and in the morning one of the girls was missed, and this was only the beginning ...
"Jesus of Nazareth"
Three years later, Franco Zeffirelli released his new film, in which he again involved the actress, beloved by millions of viewers. Olivia Hussey played as much as the Virgin Mary. The film was called "Jesus of Nazareth." He was not religious in nature and was dedicated to the person of Jesus Christ as a mortal man. The picture traced the whole history of the life of the Son of God among people - from a wonderful birth to a painful death. With this film, the master Zeffirelli and his actors gained even greater fame. However, fierce criticism was not dispensed with, as is always the case with biblical themes.
The next picture in which Hassi Olivia showed herself was a detective from the series about the adventures of detective Poirot. Here she successfully fit into the brilliant cast led by Peter Ustinov. A little later, Hussey starred in "Cat and Canary" and "Pirate."
In 1980, the actress remarries, this time to Japanese singer Akira Fuse. They have a son, but even this does not protect the spouses from divorce nine years after the wedding. Due to this, many fans are becoming more interested in Olivia Hussey, whose biography is full of surprises.
"Turkey Hunt"
In 1981, Olivia had a chance to star in the disastrous film “Escape 2000”, which the actress subsequently preferred not to remember, but the following year brought her the main role in Trenchard-Smith's sci-fi film “Hunting Turkeys”. Its plot unfolds in a fictional dysfunctional country in which a military dictatorship reigns, and all those who are dissatisfied are sent to re-education in special camps, after which even the most proud become slaves. From time to time, important government officials come to camps, and for them the administration organizes a fierce "turkey hunt" in which prisoners play the role of defenseless "turkey". The fun continues until the potential victims are
prisoners Chris Walter (Olivia Hussey) and Paul Anders (Steve Railsback), disagreeing with his fate. Of course, they make the "hunters" regret their appearance in the camp.
And in the same year, a brilliant film adaptation of the classic knightly novel “Aivengo” about the return of the noble gentleman from the Crusade and the adventures that fall to his lot came out on the screens. In it, Olivia Hassi also played the role of Rebecca, remembered by the audience.
After that, the actress for a long time got episodic and not very prominent roles (for example, in the serial film “She wrote the murder” or “Corsican brothers”), but in 1989 she was offered the main role in the film “Jewelry Shop” based on the play Karol Wojtyla (at that time - already John Paul II).
Famous films with Olivia
Now Hussey played a lot, willingly and diligently, practically without giving up roles. Her track record is very diverse in style. In the early 90's, she starred in the horror films Psycho-4: The Beginning and It, and in 1995, in the comedy horror film Ice Cream. In Psycho, actress Olivia Hussey played Norma Bates, the mother of Norman Bates, who went crazy due to her obsession. Norman kills his mother, but her presence nearby continues to disturb him for many years and leads to new attacks of insanity. “It” is a film adaptation of the cult novel by Stephen King, dedicated to the demonic creature that appeared to the children in the guise of a terrible clown to devour them. Here Olivia Hussey brilliantly coped with the role of Odra. In addition to the above-mentioned paintings, among the works of the actress of this period, the films “The guy knows the world”, “Save! I beg you! ”,“ Vow of the Knights of Delta ”and“ Undeclared War ”.
In 1996, Olivia Hussey got, if not the main, but a vivid role in the fantasy story “Lord Protector” with magic, costumed extras, as well as sword fights. In the late 90s, the list of her film works was replenished with the tapes “Forgotten Memories” and “Dumb Scream”.
Work at the beginning of the century
The period of the two thousandth in the work of Hussey opened up with one of the significant roles in the film “Sacrifice of the Island”, which was based on the idea that any minor mistake made by a person could completely change his future life.
And in 2003, in the career of Olivia Hassi, the third famous role happened - the iconic figure of the 20th century, the nun Mother Teresa, who devoted herself to missionary work and helping the poor. The director of the two-part biopic “Mother Teresa of Calcutta” was Italian Fabrizio Costa.
I must say that Olivia Hussey, whose photo can be seen in this article, confidently went to this role almost from the very beginning of her career. The personality of Mother Teresa attracted and admired the actress, and she went headlong into creating a convincing, believable image. The efforts were evaluated at the highest level: her work was approved by the niece of Mother Teresa, and blessed by the then pontiff John Paul II. Olivia’s partners in the shooting were S. Somme (played the spiritual mentor of Theresa) and M. Mendel. The film was outstanding and was awarded the CAMIE Award.
Thriller Filming
In 2005, Olivia again starred in the thriller, which was called "The Secret of the Mind", in 2007 - in "Heavenly Tortilla." Her appearance on the screen never went unnoticed. She starred in a huge number of films of different quality and varying degrees of success. Olivia Hussey knew what she wanted, and the most important in her stellar career was personal growth, not box office from films in which she happened to star. But, as the actress has repeatedly noted in an interview, she would like faithful fans of her talent to remember first of all the most successful images created by her: the tender and passionate Olivia Hassi (“Romeo and Juliet”) in the role of Juliet Montecca, the sad Virgin Mary and merciful Mother Teresa.
Olivia Hussey today
The actress is now happily married to former rock singer David Glen Aisley; The year 1993 in the life of Olivia was marked by the birth of his daughter, India, Joy (in honor of Olivia's mother) Aisley. The family lives in Malibu, in a picturesque villa on a hill. Olivia is not against the new shootings, but she is grateful to fate for those roles that were in her life. It should be noted that Hassi’s rich creative biography is not limited to acting. Characters of several animated films speak her voice: “Superman”, “Batman of the future” and “Pinky and Brain”.