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Natalie Wood

Acting 43 (deceased) years old San Francisco, California, USA ★ 1.4
Born: July 20, 1938
Died: November 29, 1981

Biography

Natalie Wood (née Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles.

Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring role at age 8 in Miracle on 34th Street (1947). As a teenager, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), followed by a role in John Ford's The Searchers (1956). Wood starred in the musical films West Side Story (1961) and Gypsy (1962) and received nominations for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in Splendor in the Grass (1961) and Love with the Proper Stranger (1963). Her career continued with films such as Sex and the Single Girl (1964), Inside Daisy Clover (1965), and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969).

During the 1970s, Wood began a hiatus from film and had two daughters: one with her second husband Richard Gregson, and one with Robert Wagner, her first husband whom she married again after divorcing Gregson. She acted in only two feature films throughout the decade, but she appeared slightly more often in television productions, including a remake of From Here to Eternity (1979) for which she won a Golden Globe Award. Wood's films represented a "coming of age" for her and for Hollywood films in general. Critics have suggested that her cinematic career represents a portrait of modern American womanhood in transition, as she was one of the few to take both child roles and those of middle-aged characters.

Wood died off the coast of Santa Catalina Island on November 29, 1981, at age 43, during a holiday break from the production of her would-be comeback film Brainstorm (1983) with Christopher Walken. The events surrounding her death have been the subject of conflicting witness statements, prompting the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, under the instruction of the coroner's office, to list her cause of death as "drowning and other undetermined factors" in 2012.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Natalie Wood, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

Sex and the Single Girl
Sex and the Single Girl Helen Gurley Brown 1964
The Searchers
The Searchers Debbie Edwards 1956
The Great Race
The Great Race Maggie Dubois 1965
West Side Story
West Side Story Maria 1961
Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street Susan Walker 1947

Filmography

Acting Credits (121)

Proust Palimpsesto: Pastiches e Misturas
Proust Palimpsesto: Pastiches e Misturas Debbie Edwards - Age 15 (archive footage) (uncredited) 2026
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind Self (archive footage) 2020
Trumbull Land
Trumbull Land Self (archive footage) 2018
Howard
Howard Maria (archive footage) 2018
Natalie Wood: An American Murder Mystery
Natalie Wood: An American Murder Mystery 2018
Hollywood: No Sex, Please!
Hollywood: No Sex, Please! 2018
The Fabulous Allan Carr
The Fabulous Allan Carr Self (archive) 2017
Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds
Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds Self (archive footage, uncredited) 2017
Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime
Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime Self (archive footage) 2016
Tab Hunter Confidential
Tab Hunter Confidential Self (archive) 2015
Too Young to Die
Too Young to Die Self (archive footage) 2012
Brunes et Blondes
Brunes et Blondes Self 2010
Glanz und Elend in Hollywood: Natalie Wood
Glanz und Elend in Hollywood: Natalie Wood Self (archive footage) 2009
Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1960's
Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1960's (archive footage) 2009
Dominick Dunne: After the Party
Dominick Dunne: After the Party Self (archive footage) 2008
Rebel Without a Cause: Defiant Innocents
Rebel Without a Cause: Defiant Innocents Herself (uncredited) 2005
How Real is 'The Star'?
How Real is 'The Star'? Self (archive footage) 2005
Rediscovering a Rebel
Rediscovering a Rebel Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1996
Intimate Portrait
Intimate Portrait Self (archive footage) 1993
Death In Hollywood
Death In Hollywood 1990
Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths
Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths (archive footage) 1990
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1988
Brainstorm
Brainstorm Karen Brace 1983
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady 1982
Hollywood’s Children
Hollywood’s Children Self (archive footage) 1982
Willie & Phil
Willie & Phil Herself 1980
The Memory of Eva Ryker
The Memory of Eva Ryker Eva Ryker / Claire Ryker 1980
The Last Married Couple in America
The Last Married Couple in America Mari Thompson 1980
From Here to Eternity
From Here to Eternity Karen Holmes 1980
Meteor
Meteor Tatiana Donskaya 1979
Hart to Hart
Hart to Hart Movie Star 1979
The Cracker Factory
The Cracker Factory Cassie Barrett 1979
From Here to Eternity
From Here to Eternity Karen Holmes 1979
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Margaret 1976
Laurence Olivier Presents
Laurence Olivier Presents Margaret 1976
Peeper
Peeper Ellen Prendergast 1975
James Dean: The First American Teenager
James Dean: The First American Teenager Self 1975
Switch
Switch Cruise Ship Passenger (uncredited) 1975
People's Choice Awards
People's Choice Awards Self - Presenter 1975
I'm a Stranger Here Myself
I'm a Stranger Here Myself Self 1975
Dinah!
Dinah! Self 1974
James Dean Remembered
James Dean Remembered Self 1974
The Affair
The Affair Courtney Patterson 1973
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
The American Film Institute Salute to ... Self 1973
The Candidate
The Candidate Natalie Wood 1972
Film '72
Film '72 Self 1971
V.I.P. Schaukel
V.I.P. Schaukel Self 1971
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice Carol Sanders 1969
The Dick Cavett Show
The Dick Cavett Show Self - Guest 1968
Penelope
Penelope Penelope 1966
This Property Is Condemned
This Property Is Condemned Alva Starr 1966
Inside Daisy Clover
Inside Daisy Clover Daisy Clover 1966
The Great Race
The Great Race Maggie Dubois 1965
Sex and the Single Girl
Sex and the Single Girl Helen Gurley Brown 1964
Love with the Proper Stranger
Love with the Proper Stranger Angie Rossini 1963
Gypsy
Gypsy Louise Hovick/Gypsy Rose Lee 1962
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show Self 1962
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Self (archive footage) 1962
West Side Story
West Side Story Maria 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show Self 1961
Splendor in the Grass
Splendor in the Grass Wilma "Deanie" Loomis 1961
All the Fine Young Cannibals
All the Fine Young Cannibals Sarah "Salome" Davis 1960
Cash McCall
Cash McCall Lory Austen 1960
Kings Go Forth
Kings Go Forth Monique Blair 1958
Marjorie Morningstar
Marjorie Morningstar Marjorie Morgenstern 1958
Bombers B-52
Bombers B-52 Lois Brennan 1957
The James Dean Story
The James Dean Story Self 1957
The Girl He Left Behind
The Girl He Left Behind Susan Daniels 1956
New York Premiere Telecast 'Giant'
New York Premiere Telecast 'Giant' Self 1956
The Burning Hills
The Burning Hills Maria-Christina Colton 1956
A Cry in the Night
A Cry in the Night Elizabeth 1956
The Deadly Riddle
The Deadly Riddle Lady Marian 1956
The Searchers
The Searchers Debbie Edwards 1956
Feathertop
Feathertop Polly Gookin 1955
Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause Judy 1955
Heidi
Heidi Klara Sesseman 1955
Kings Row
Kings Row Renee Gyllinson 1955
One Desire
One Desire Seely Dowder 1955
Too Old for Dolls
Too Old for Dolls Polly Ramsay 1955
The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch Louise 1955
The Silver Chalice
The Silver Chalice Helena as a Girl 1954
Sherwood Anderson's I'm A Fool
Sherwood Anderson's I'm A Fool Lucy 1954
Studio 57
Studio 57 1954
Return of the Dead
Return of the Dead Renee Marchand 1954
Playmates
Playmates Monica 1954
Mayor of the Town
Mayor of the Town Mayor's Niece 1954
The Pride of the Family
The Pride of the Family Ann Morrison 1953
The Oscars
The Oscars Self 1953
General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater Lucy 1953
General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater Polly Gookin 1953
The Star
The Star Gretchen 1952
Just for You
Just for You Barbara Blake 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Four Star Playhouse Louise 1952
The Rose Bowl Story
The Rose Bowl Story Sally Burke 1952
Chevron Theatre
Chevron Theatre Monica Everton 1952
The Blue Veil
The Blue Veil Stephanie Rawlins 1951
Dear Brat
Dear Brat Pauline Baxter 1951
The Jackpot
The Jackpot Phyllis Lawrence 1950
The Jack Benny Program
The Jack Benny Program Natalie Wood 1950
Never a Dull Moment
Never a Dull Moment Nan Hayward 1950
Our Very Own
Our Very Own Penny Macaulay 1950
No Sad Songs for Me
No Sad Songs for Me Polly Scott 1950
The Bob Hope Show
The Bob Hope Show Self 1950
What's My Line?
What's My Line? Self - Mystery Guest 1950
Father Was a Fullback
Father Was a Fullback Ellen Cooper 1949
The Green Promise
The Green Promise Susan Matthews 1949
Chicken Every Sunday
Chicken Every Sunday Ruth Hefferen 1949
Studio One
Studio One Jen Potter 1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show Self 1948
Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!
Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! Eufraznee 'Bean' McGill 1948
Driftwood
Driftwood Jenny Hollingsworth 1947
Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street Susan Walker 1947
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Anna Muir as a Child 1947
The Bride Wore Boots
The Bride Wore Boots Carol Warren 1946
Tomorrow Is Forever
Tomorrow Is Forever Margaret Ludwig 1946
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Nominee / Presenter 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Nominee 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self 1944
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards Self - Winner 1944
Happy Land
Happy Land Little Girl Dropping Ice Cream Cone (uncredited) 1943
The Moon Is Down
The Moon Is Down Carrie (uncredited) 1943

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