Acknowledgments
My mum would always say if, when you are in the last stage of your life, you can count your real friends on one hand, then you are very lucky. I am a very lucky woman, indeed. I want to acknowledge the following handful and say how grateful I am for their support, friendship, and love.
Swami Muktananda; Howard Wills; Gurumayi Chidvi-lasananda; my brother, Andrew; his wife, Cate; and their children, Jack, Phoebe, and Leonora; Bob & Darlene Delellis; Leonard and Lynn Whiting; Linda Deverell; Bonnie Colodzin Moffet; Kevin Reid and Doug Lebelle; Kelsey and Kayte Grammer; Franco Zeffirelli and Pippo Corsi; Liberte Chan; Akira Fuse; Matilde Attene; Michael and Oriana Parks; Frank and Carole Blundo; Omar Sappietro; Elfi Roose and John Gueyikiam; Larry McCallister at Paramount Pictures; Brian St. August; Laura Mcintyre; Ciro A. Morales; Maureen and Greg Penn; Desi Arnaz Jr.; Jeanne Martin; Yuriko Reyes. My literary agent, Rob Kirkpatrick (thank you for taking a chance); Paul Horne at OliviaHussey.com; and all the great people at Kensington Publishing; my wellness team: Dr. Michael Castro, MD; Dr. Ari Gabayan, MD; and Dr. Soram Singh Khalsa, MD.
And a special thank you to Signe Hammer, whose patience, expertise, and clear-eyed judgment helped a first-time writer turn his scribblings into something his mother could be proud of.
David, Alex, Max, India, Megan, and Greyson. You are always in my heart and forever with me.
I live in gratitude and love every day because of all of you. Thank you and bless you.
My parents on their wedding day. Buenos Aires, 1950.
(Authors personal collection)
This picture captures so much of who I am. Ive always loved to eat. Buenos Aires, 1952.
(Authors personal collection)
My dear mum loved to cut my hair. She fancied herself quite the stylist, but strangely, I always seemed to end up with lopsided bangs. Buenos Aires, 1955.
(Authors personal collection)
Drew and me with Olive Hussey, our grandmother on our mums side. She may look stern, but she was a total softyagain with the bangs. Buenos Aires, 1955.
(Authors personal collection)
My father conferring with his mother. She was as stern as she looked.
(Authors personal collection)
My mum (far right) with my aunty Linni. They were so much alike.
(Authors personal collection)
Im not sure when this was taken. My father was considered one of the last old-style tango singers, although I never got to hear him sing.
(Authors personal collection)
My first professional headshot. I was 10 and the photo was for Spotlight magazine, which highlighted new actors in London. I thought I looked like a young Audrey Hepburn.
(Photo credit: Courtesy of Spotlight magazine)
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie , 1965, Wyndham Theatre. Forever afterwards I could say I worked with the great Vanessa Redgrave. I played Jennie, the pretty one.
(Copyright: Central Press/Hulton Archive)
The star-crossed loves. Leonard and me on the balcony. Oh, how we struggled with the scene.
( Paramount Pictures Corp. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures)
Haggling with an Italian shop owner in between shooting (I thought if I shopped in costume Id get a better price). Miss Mayfair, my Dark Cloud, hovers just behind me.
( Paramount Pictures Corp. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures)
Bicycling around Cinecitta Studios between takes.
( Paramount Pictures Corp. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures)
Leonard and me sharing a moment while filming the wedding scene.
( Paramount Pictures Corp. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures)
Leonard and me about to film our final exits (Im desperately trying to make him laugh).
( Paramount Pictures Corp. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures)
Franco directing. The only true genius Ive ever known.
( Paramount Pictures Corp. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures)
The love scene. Lord, I was nervous (of course, Leonard was anything but).
( Paramount Pictures Corp. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures)
Leonard and me behind the scenes, being artistic.