Olivia Hussey, who rose to fame as a teenager in the 1968 Shakespeare adaptation Romeo and JulietAccording to a statement posted on her Instagram account, she has died. She was 73.

Hussey died Friday, Dec. 27, “peacefully at her home, surrounded by her loved ones,” the statement said.

“Olivia was a remarkable person whose warmth, wisdom and pure kindness touched the lives of everyone who knew her,” her family continued, later describing her life as “a life of passion, love and devotion to the arts, spirituality and… “. Kindness towards animals.”

Hussey is survived by her children Alex, Max and India; her husband, musician David Glen Eisley and her grandson Greyson.

“As we mourn this immense loss, we also celebrate Olivia’s lasting impact on our lives and the industry,” her family’s statement ended. “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.”

Hussey was born in Buenos Aires on April 17, 1951 and moved to London as a child. She began acting at the age of 13 and had small roles in films before being cast in director Franco Zeffirelli’s film Romeo and Juliet.

When the film was released in 1968, it became a box office sensation and was notable for featuring, for the first time in a film, actors close in age to Shakespeare’s doomed lovers. Hussey was 16 and her co-star Leonard Whiting was 17.

“So much happened so quickly,” Hussey told PEOPLE in July 2018 while promoting her memoir The girl on the balcony. “It was overnight superstardom and I wasn’t prepared for it.”

After Romeo and JulietHussey continued to act on stage and screen. In 1977, she played Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the all-star television miniseries Jesus of Nazareth. Hussey also starred in the 1974 horror film Black Christmas and the 1990 miniseries based on Stephen King It. She also starred in an episode of Boy meets world and played Norman Bates’ mother in it Psycho IV: The Beginning.

She retired from acting in 2016 after making her last film appearance in 2015 Social suicide.

Hussey was married to Dean Paul Martin, Dean Martin’s late son, from 1971 to 1979. She was married to Japanese singer Akira Fuse in the 1980s before marrying Eisley in 1991.

In 2008, Hussey was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a mastectomy it went away, but Hussey told Express In 2018, doctors discovered a new tumor.

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“I regret not developing more as an actress and not taking on more challenging roles,” she said Express. “But I took some time off to live my life and raise three children. At the time, that was more important than working on my career. Overall, I have played some roles that I am proud of and I am very happy with my life.”

India Eisley, who played the lead role The Secret Life of the American TeenagerShe told PEOPLE in 2018 that her mother was “wonderful and quaint” but “very resilient and strong.”

“She taught me and my brothers to have good self-confidence,” said 31-year-old India. “Because you can’t base everything, especially in this business, on what everyone thinks about you.”