The Messed-Up Life and Death of Sue Lyon (Lolita)

When she was only 14 years old, Sue Lyon starred in Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita, based upon the Russian novel of the same name. The film followed a man that became romantically obsessed with his stepdaughter, portrayed by Sue. James Mason portrayed the stepfather. Despite the controversy, the film was a massive success. Many thought that Sue was going to be the next big Hollywood star. However, the impact that the film had on her life turned out to be much more negative than it was positive. ▬Contents of this video▬ 00:00 - Intro 00:32 - Body 08:12 - Outro Like this content? Subscribe here: Or, watch more videos here: Do you think you know a lot about TV? Try our quiz and enter to win $500! Click below to check the trivia question While the problematic relationship that Lolita depicted was meant to be ridiculed by audience members, producer James Harris was actually mirroring it behind the scenes of the film with its underage star. James and Sue became romantically involved sometime during the film’s production when Sue was somewhere between the ages of 14 and 16. The extent of James and Sue’s relationship has never been fully revealed, and the two never married. James went on to direct several feature films, and Sue continued starring in features up until retiring from acting in 1980. Although James and Sue never married, Sue did marry and divorce five times over the course of her life and had one daughter. Sue suffered from mental health problems during her life and blamed much of them on the experiences she had behind the scenes of Lolita. Most of her marriages only lasted a year, and she maintained a tumultuous relationship with her only daughter up until the time of her death in 2019. Sue was 73 years old when she died, and her health had apparently been suffering for many years. Join Facts Verse as we explore the tragic life and death of Sue Lyon. The Tragic Life and Death of Sue Lyon (Lolita)