The Girl on the Balcony: Olivia Hussey Finds Life After Romeo and Juliet - Paperback

by Olivia Hussey (Author)

In 1968, at only sixteen years old, Olivia Hussey became one of the most famous faces in the world, immortalized as the definitive Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo & Juliet. Now the iconic girl on the balcony shares the ups and downs of her truly remarkable life and
career . . .

The part was an opportunity of a lifetime for a simple girl from Buenos Aires, Argentina. But for Olivia, the role of movie star was hard to play, and harder still, to live up to. In this candid memoir, she tells her story--from being an "It Girl" in swinging 60s London and her enduring friendship with Romeo & Juliet co-star Leonard Whiting, through three tumultuous marriages--including one with Dean Martin's son, Dino--motherhood, stage-four breast cancer, debilitating agoraphobia, bankruptcy, and ultimately, a journey of self-discovery in India that led her on a path to fulfillment.

She brings readers intimately close to the legendary performers she knew, loved, worked with, and battled, including The Beatles, Vanessa Redgrave, Bette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Anthony Perkins, Christopher Reeve, Lawrence Olivier, Ingrid Bergman, and more. Olivia also finally reveals for the first time, the identity of the actor--a fellow young newcomer--who raped her, but who would not break her.

Featuring a foreword by her star-making director Franco Zeffirelli, Olivia Hussey's memoir shines with her luminous spirit--inspiring, surprising, and fascinating to read about.

Author Biography

Olivia Hussey (1951 - 2024) was a Golden Globe and David di Donatello Award-winning actress whose career spanned more than 50 years. Best known for her leading role in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, she appeared in over 2 dozen films, including Death on the Nile, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Black Christmas, as well as celebrated television series such as Jesus of Nazareth, The Bastard, Ivanhoe, The Last Days of Pompeii, and Lonesome Dove. She also appeared in Murder, She Wrote and Boy Meets World and did voice work for Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and the Star Wars video game franchise. The daughter of Argentine tango singer Andrés Osuna, Hussey was born in Buenos Aires but spent most of her early life in her mother's native England. She studied drama at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London. More information can be found online at OliviaHussey.com.

Alexander Martin, the son of Olivia Hussey and Dean Paul Martin Jr., moved to London after high school and attended the Central School of Speech and Drama with intention of taking up the family business. He appeared in the films Can't Hardly Wait, 21, and Josie and the Pussycats.