Olivia Hussey, 'Romeo and Juliet' star, dead at 73

Hussey died Friday, "peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones," a statement posted to her Instagram account said.

"Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom, and pure kindness touched the lives of all who knew her," the statement continued.

"We thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and ask for privacy as we mourn the loss of a truly special soul," the caption concluded. 

Hussey was born on April 17, 1951, in Bueno Aires, Argentina, and moved to London as a child.

Hussey became a movie star at age 15 when she was cast as the most infamous doomed lover in 1968's "Romeo and Juliet." She nabbed the sought-after role of Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's film, which became an international sensation.

She penned a memoir titled "Girl on the Balcony" about the many ups and downs she endured in Hollywood.

"It was actually very overwhelming," Hussey previously told Fox News Digital in 2018. "Even when we were shooting, we had reporters waiting for an interview during our lunch and tea breaks. And they had come from all over the world."

The film stirred headlines even before it was released in theaters. At age 16, Hussey stripped down for a love scene depicting her wedding night alongside her co-star Leonard Whiting [Romeo], who was also 16 when he took on the role.

Decades later Hussey and Whiting brought a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures alleging sexual abuse, sexual harassment and fraud over nude scenes in the film, according to the Associated Press.

They alleged that they were initially told they would wear flesh-colored undergarments in a bedroom scene, but on the day of the shoot Zeffirelli told the pair they would wear only body makeup and that the camera would be positioned in a way that would not show nudity. They alleged they were filmed in the nude without their knowledge.

She also starred as Mary, mother of Jesus, in the 1977 television series "Jesus of Nazareth," and in the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile."

Hussey is survived by her husband of 35 years, David Glen Eisley, her three children and a grandson.

Fox News Digital's Stephanie Nolasco and the Associated Press contributed to this report.