The Players in R + J 1968

Olivia Hussey

Well, I have had some wrong information on Olivia Hussey. A member of her family emailed me and gave me some corrections:


Olivia Hussey was born in Buenos Aires Argentina, on April 17th 1951. Olivia's mother is half English and half Argentine. In 1968, Olivia was only 17 when she starred as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's "Romeo & Juliet."

She married Dean Martin's son, Dean (Dino) Paul Martin, in 1969. With her husband, she had a child, Alex Martin, in 1970. Unfortuantely, they divorced in 1971. Her second husband was Japanese singer Akira Fuse. Together they had a son named Max Fuse in 1983. Due to work trouble's, they divorced. Her third marriage was to Rock Musician David Glen Eisley, whom she is currently still with. And recently (1993), she had a daughter named India Hussey Eisley.
She's a good actress, but in the Sexties it was very difficult to hold success, and for instance she prefered to be a mum than a diva. Other good movies of her: Jesus of Nazareth ( another Franco's great success. Very long but absolutely worth while) where she's played Maria, the Holy Virgin; a couple of BBC serials: The last days of Pompei and Ivanhoe - nice but too slowmotion; an US serial, from a Stephen King's novel, IT - very good and not so old.

Leonard Whiting

It's sad but we don't know where he is now! He disappeared in 1973, after a good angloamerican serial named "Frankestein, the true story", a great production stuffed with great actors; he was on his 22 ( Leo's age, oddly enough) and he was fine and sweet as ever, played a Victor Frankestein very intense and passionate. Then, puff! Vanished! It remains of him a couple of good movies, very difficult to find: The royal Hunt of the Sun (UK) and "Infanzia, vocazione e prime esperienze di Giacomo Casanova, veneziano" di Comencini, a great italian director.
Leonard is currently residing in London, single(??), and writes poetry, stories, and screenplays. He was in a production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat" as Joseph back in the 80's, and he hopes to return to film one day. "Frankenstein: The True Story" can be seen off the Sci/Fi channel. This is one of his really good, really weepy performances. It breaks your heart to see that man cry. He runs almost even with Leo for crying in movies but Leo wept a grand total of 6 times in William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet compared to Leonard's 2 times in Zeffirelli's version.

    According to the Tempest, Leonard Whiting is currently living in London with his wife, his youngest daughter, and a dog named Katie. He's working on getting financial backing for a musical play he's written, and is hard at work on another one. He's still as handsome as ever.

    Though, this information contradicts with this message I recently received: "I have a bit of an update on Leonard Whiting for you. In 1987 I read an article in People Magazine on the (then) up coming 20 year Anniversary of the film. It told about the romance that bloomed between Leonard and Olivia during the filming that lasted for quite awhile I understand. It also had a recent (well recent in 1987 anyway!) photo of Leonard. All I really remember was him standing in a tiny London flat holding a bicycle and looking just as boyishly handsome as he did in 1968." This information was given to my by Chris in North Carolina.


Other Players

Michael York

Michael York's latest role was in Austin Powers...! Well Michael York (Tybalt R&J 1968) plays Basil Exposition. Anyone care to find me a picture?

Michael York (Tybalt) and John McEnery (Mercutio) are both now Sirs; after a certain age all the english actors became sirs. Sir Michael York is one of the pilars of british cinema; seek for Bob Fosse's Cabaret and Richard Lester's The three musketeers ( so you can prepare yourself for "Man with the Iron Mask"..) Sir John McEnery is more a theatrical actor, maybe you can find cammeos of him in a couple of movies: Franco's Hamlet (he is Osric) and the american serial Anno Domini.

Sir Robert Stephens ( The Prince) alas died last year. He was an immense actor and his death is a great loss for british theatre.

Good news about Bruce Robinson (Benvolio); now he is a good scriptwriter - Oscar nomination for The Killing Fields, a painfull, very intellectual movie - and a nice director. His best movie is Jennifer 8, a thrilling with Andy Garcia and Uma Thurman, very good, but you can search for Whitnail and I, a british blockbuster of the 80.


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