Topline
Two actors who starred as teenagers in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet sued Paramount for over $500 million in damages, Variety reported Tuesday, accusing the studio of sexual exploitation over a nude scene they say was filmed without their knowledge.
Leonard Whiting plays Romeo Montague and Olivia Hussey plays Juliet Capulet in the 1968 production ... [+]
Key Facts
The suit was filed Friday in Santa Monica Superior Court, before a Saturday deadline ending the temporary suspension of the statute of limitations for claims of child sexual abuse.
Olivia Hussey, who was 15 at the time the movie was filmed, and Leonard Whiting, who was 16, claimed Zeffirelli, who died in 2019, told the actors there would be no nudity in the movie.
The actors were supposed to wear flesh-colored undergarments during the scene, though the suit says on the day of shooting, Zeffirelli urged the teens to be nude, “or the Picture would fail,” according to Variety.
Zeffirelli allegedly showed the actors where the camera would be angled and said no nudity would be captured—however, both Hussey’s breasts and Whiting’s buttocks appear in the film.
The actors said they have suffered diminished careers, as well as mental anguish and emotional distress, and are seeking damages “believed to be in excess of $500 million.”
Forbes has reached out to Paramount for comment.
Crucial Quote
“What they were told and what went on were two different things,” Tony Marinozzi, who manages both actors, told Variety. “At 16, as actors, they took [Zeffirelli’s] lead that he would not violate that trust they had. Franco was their friend, and frankly, at 16, what do they do? There are no options. There was no #MeToo.”
Contra
In a 2018 interview with Variety, Hussey commended the film’s nudity. “Nobody my age had done that before. It was needed for the film,” she said. “Everyone thinks they were so young they probably didn’t realize what they were doing. But we were very aware. We both came from drama schools and when you work, you take your work very seriously.”
Key Background
Zeffirelli’s film is one of the most popular movie adaptations of the Shakespear play, alongside Baz Lerman’s 1996 version. Hussey and Whiting are now in their 70s. After starring in Romeo and Juliet, Hussey appeared in Lost Horizon, Black Christmas and Death On The Nile, and Whiting appeared in War is War and Say Hello To Yesterday. Both acted in the 2015 film Social Suicide. Zeffirelli was nominated for an Oscar for Best Director for Romeo and Juliet. He also directed Taming of the Shrew, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and Hamlet, starring Glenn Close and Mel Gibson.
Further Reading
‘Romeo and Juliet’ Stars Sue Paramount for Child Abuse Over Nude Scene in 1968 Film (Variety)
‘Romeo and Juliet’ Child Stars Sue Paramount Over Sexual Exploitation, Seeking $500 Million in Damages (IndieWire)