A Definitive Guide to Every Actress Who Has Played Juliet in Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet

In 1936, the Canadian-American actress Norma Shearer played the role of Juliet in one of the earliest film productions of Romeo and Juliet, alongside the famed English actor Leslie Howard. The film stays faithful to Shakespeare's original play from the 16th century and features lavish sets and intricate costumes to do the play justice.

When Dame Judi Dench was just 23 years old, she played the title role of Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli's Old Vic production of Romeo and Juliet. She played the role in 1960 alongside John Stride. When discussing Shakespeare, the book the actress authored discussing each of the plays she's starred in throughout her career. The actress revealed that in one of her performances, she endured a few mishaps while playing the role. As per The Washington Post, she reportedly sneezed "while lying on her lover’s tomb" and in response to the line “Where is my father and my mother, nurse?” her father jokingly called out  “Here we are, darling, in row H.”

"There’s magic to be mined in mistakes," the actress said as she reminisced about the role.

The English-Argentine film star Olivia Hussey portrayed Juliet in one of the most famous on-screen adaptations of the play. While Franco Zeffirelli adapted the play for the theater, he is most known for his on-screen adaptation of the play. The film was a hit and is now known as a classic in the world of film, thus solidifying Hussey as a well-known face for the character, Juliet,for decades.

 In Baz Luhrmann's fairly untraditional version of Romeo and Juliet, Clare Danes played Juliet after the role went through a recast. The then 14-year-old Natalie Portman was reportedly picked first for the role but then had to be recast as Luhrmann thought Portman looked far too young beside Leonardo DiCaprio, who played Romeo.

In 2013, Condola Rashad took to Broadway to play Juliet in the then-theatrical production of Romeo and Juliet. Similar to the production Zegler is set to star in, this version of the Shakespeare play has been modernized, as the costume and prop features feature 21st-century clothing and motorcycles. The Tony-award nominee starred alongside Pirates of the Caribbean actor Orlando Bloom, who played Romeo.

In addition to Rashad's on-stage portrayal of the character, Hailee Steinfeld also played Juliet in the 2013 film adaptation of Romeo & Juliet. Directed by Carlo Carlei, the film stays true to the Elizabethan Era period the play is set in but doesn't use a lot of Shakespeare's original dialogue. Steinfeld starred alongside Douglas Booth as they played the star-crossed lovers.