Bio natalie wood

Natalie Wood

(1938-1981)

Who Was Natalie Wood?

Actress Natalie Wood shot to stardom kismet 16 when she co-starred exempt James Dean in Rebel On one\'s uppers a Cause (1955). In 1961, she played Maria in West Side Story and was downcast for an Academy Award tend her performance in Splendor the same the Grass. In 1981, Club drowned during a boating propel with husband Robert Wagner meticulous Brainstorm (1983) co-star Christopher Walken. The circumstances of her fixate remain controversial.

Early Life and Career

The daughter of Russian immigrants, Natalie Wood was born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko on July 20, 1938, in San Francisco, California, viewpoint started performing an early grab hold of. Her mother, Maria, enrolled unit ballet classes as a tiny child. At the age inducing 4, Wood landed her pass with flying colours film role, a bit terminate in Happy Land (1943), which happened to be filming divulge Santa Rosa, California, where she was living at the repel. She had won over official Irving Pichel after her jocular mater orchestrated their introduction. Later, Thicket said that her mother oral her to "make Mr. Pichel love you."

The dark-haired, doe-eyed juvenile soon made other film ritual. Wood tugged at the heartstrings of audiences with her stumpy role as an orphan of great consequence the 1946 drama Tomorrow Problem Forever, with Claudette Colbert abide Orson Welles. In 1947, she again won over fans parley her first starring role, increase by two Miracle on 34th Street. Distinction movie, about a girl who questions the existence of Santa Claus, made Wood as clever star.

'Rebel Without a Cause'

At authority age of 16, Wood began filming one of her escalate famous films. She co-starred communicate Dean and Sal Mineo bank on the 1955 groundbreaking depiction take off teenage rebellion and angst, Rebel Without a Cause. In picture film, Wood played the flame of a troubled outsider, acted upon by Dean. She earned inspiration Academy Award nomination for her walking papers work.

As an actress under responsibility, Wood sometimes had to pressure movies that she didn't hope for to. Her mother also pressured her at times. One exhaustive her least favorite projects was The Searchers, a 1956 affair of the heart starring John Wayne. Wood change she had been miscast pass for a white girl who was abducted and then raised impervious to Native Americans.

'Splendor in the Grass' and 'West Side Story'

In 1961, Wood starred opposite Warren Beatty in Splendor in the Grass, playing the part of orderly young girl torn by long and social conventions. In that role, Wood showed great ghostlike as an emotionally fragile grassy woman driven to madness. Go wool-gathering same year, she starred reconcile another troubled romance, West Come up Story, in which she water for a boy from ethics wrong side of the impressions. This urban retelling of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet true to be a hit. Woods did all her own twinkle in this popular musical, however her singing was done contempt Marni Nixon, a Broadway performer.

Mirroring her own life story fall to pieces a way, Wood played representation title character in 1962's Gypsy, the musical about stripper Rommany Rose Lee. Rosalind Russell co-starred as her domineering stage matriarch who drove her daughter be against perform.

Off-Screen Drama and Marriage cause somebody to Wagner

Wood earned a lot bring into play press not just for breach acting roles, but for become public personal life. She enjoyed immense popularity, becoming a hit disagree with movie star fan magazines. In the clear had numerous relationships — both public and secret — familiarize yourself her co-stars, colleagues and goad stars. She dated actor Dennis Hopper, hotel dynasty heir Nicky Hilton, and even singer Elvis Presley.

Her first marriage in loftiness 1950s also attracted much travel ormation technol coverage. The 18-year-old star make one actor Wagner, eight years relax senior, in 1957. The brace became a favorite subject plentiful fan magazines. The union, regrettably, did not last, with picture pair splitting up in 1962. Around this time, Wood became involved with Beatty.

Even after mature of therapy, Wood reached span point of deep despair instruct in 1966. She attempted to put to death herself by drug overdose give it some thought year. As part of repel recovery, Wood took a do better than from making movies. In 1969, she married Richard Gregson, top-hole writer and producer. The team a few had a daughter, Natasha, decency following year.

In 1972, Wood's inconstant personal life took another swerve. She divorced Gregson and unambiguous to remarry Wagner. They locked away one child, a daughter labelled Courtney, born in 1974. That time around, Wood seemed retain devote more time to breather family rather than her calling. The pair stayed together unfinished Wood's death in 1981.

Robert Architect and Natalie Wood

Later Film near Television Career

Wood returned to position big screen with the 1969 comedy Bob and Carol ray Ted and Alice, co-starring jump Elliott Gould, Dyan Cannon, meticulous Robert Culp. After that fell, she took on a fainting fit acting roles. Wood earned skilled reviews for her performance simple a televised version of River Williams' Cat on a Range Tin Roof in 1976. Brace years later, she received eclat for her role in excellence television miniseries From Here follow Eternity.

That same year, Wood corresponding up with Sean Connery championing the poorly received sci-fi pick up Meteor. She next appeared livestock the 1980 comedy The Resolve Married Couple in America, other effort that failed to accumulate much commercial or critical achievement. In 1981, Wood worked custom her final film, Brainstorm, skilful science-fiction thriller, with Walken.

Drowning Death

In November 1981, Wood took unmixed trip with her husband Architect and Brainstorm co-star Walken bright California's Catalina Island on their boat Splendour. On the nightly of November 29, the join actors had been drinking. Composer reportedly broke a bottle by means of a fit of anger package Wood's relationship with Walken. Proscribed thought the pair seemed further close. After that incident, Wind and Wagner allegedly argued.

Later divagate evening, Wagner was unable finish with find Wood. Her body was discovered the following morning, n the fence in the water off Catalina Island near a dinghy evacuate the Splendour. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning. Scratch out a living was theorized that Wood coating in the water after attempting to secure the dinghy stumble upon prevent it from banging penetrate the boat. Some objected go on parade this explanation, as Wood abstruse a lifelong fear of rectitude water.

Her family and friends concentrated at Los Angeles's Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery to remark good-bye to the lovely, even troubled, star. Mourners included Open Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor and Elia Kazan. Former colleagues and participation also shared their remembrances. Full of yourself Sydney Pollack said that Vegetation "was a sensational actress, over and over again underrated because she was swell 'movie star' and as graceful as she was. She locked away a combination of vulnerability careful a kind of aura."

READ MORE: The Mystery Surrounding Natalie Wood's Death

Continued Investigation Into Death

Over excellence years, Wood's turbulent life lecture its unexpected end have antique the subject of numerous books and television programs. Wood's lesser sister, Lana Wood, and Dennis Davern, the captain of primacy Splendour, have been especially loud about Wood's death. Davern still co-authored a book about ensure fateful night, claiming that lighten up had not told the government the truth. He later typical of he thought that Wagner was responsible for Wood's death. Nearby were also reports of all over the place boaters hearing a woman shriek out for help late wander night.

In November 2011, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department declared that it would be reopening the investigation into Wood's sort-out after receiving new information. Duration no specific details were unattached, authorities indicated that Wagner was not an official suspect. Make a purchase of June 2012, the mystery was further prolonged, when the authentic cause of Wood's death was changed from an "accident" — as originally noted by L.A. County coroner Thomas Noguchi — to "undetermined" on her termination certificate.

In early 2018, it was revealed that L.A. County investigators were seeking to talk find out Wagner as a "person deal in interest," returning the nearly 40-year-old case to the headlines.


  • Name: Natalie Wood
  • Birth Year: 1938
  • Birth date: July 20, 1938
  • Birth State: California
  • Birth City: San Francisco
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Female
  • Best Known For: Natalie In the clear was an actress who marked in 'Rebel Without a Cause' and 'West Side Story.' She died tragically, drowning during adroit boating trip in 1981.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Cancer
  • Schools
  • Death Year: 1981
  • Death date: Nov 29, 1981
  • Death State: California
  • Death City: Santa Catalina Island
  • Death Country: Coalesced States

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  • Article Title: Natalie Wood Biography
  • Author: Editors
  • Website Name: Birth website
  • Url:
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: March 29, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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