Olivia Hussey has a special place in the hearts of Japanese of a certain age. She starred as Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's "Romeo and Juliet"; married Dean Martin's son who tragically died in an air crash but then found love with Japanese singer/actor Akira Fuse (below), had a child by him but divorced him in the late eighties. Cementing her place in Japanese male fantasies, Olivia Hussey played the role of Mary, mother of Jesus, in Zeffirelli's "Jesus of Nazareth" and has just completed the part of Mother Teresa in the newly released biopic. (see 'Mother Teresa,' the Movie Hollywood Couldn't Make) Her picture is all over the weeklies again as she is in Tokyo to promote it (pic below).
It's interesting that the media alludes to the fact that she skinned Fuse when they got divorced. I saw several star documentaries that showed her home in the states and one in Japan. The commentator asked in one "All paid for by Fuse?" to which she said "He's been very kind and loves his children".
I assume it was her as I don't think Fuse has been married that many times, but it had kind of a Joan Sheppard flavor to it.
Ain't grand?
"There are those that learn by reading. Then a few who learn by observation. The rest have to piss on an electric fence and find out for themselves!"- Will Rogers
FWIW, the movie in question was decent - I probably wouldn't sit through it again, but I was interested the first go round.
Not a Hallmark flick, the film did touch on the incorporation of MT's charity work and subsequent boardroom squabbles. Plus, there were no Hollywood-inspired 'revisions' or 'additions' (Last Temptation of Christ, anyone?) that I was aware of.
I'm kind of embarrased to mention that I didn't even recognize Olivia Hussey, who thanks to the film version of Romeo and Juliet made a definite impression on my pubescent psyche some years ago.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming...