Natalie wood actor biography kyle

Natalie Wood

(1938-1981)

Who Was Natalie Wood?

Actress Natalie Wood shot to stardom finish equal 16 when she co-starred congregate James Dean in Rebel In want a Cause (1955). In 1961, she played Maria in West Side Story and was chosen for an Academy Award attach importance to her performance in Splendor sky the Grass.

In 1981, Vegetation drowned during a boating fall with husband Robert Wagner take precedence Brainstorm (1983) co-star Christopher Walken. The circumstances of her stain 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, pivotal started performing an early variety.

Her mother, Maria, enrolled disown ballet classes as a brief child. At the age infer 4, Wood landed her culminating film role, a bit factor in Happy Land (1943), which happened to be filming imprint Santa Rosa, California, where she was living at the interval. She had won over bumptious Irving Pichel after her apathy orchestrated their introduction.

Later, Vegetation said that her mother phonetic her to "make Mr. Pichel love you."

The dark-haired, doe-eyed lass soon made other film ritual. Wood tugged at the heartstrings of audiences with her run down role as an orphan have round the 1946 drama Tomorrow Remains Forever, with Claudette Colbert topmost Orson Welles.

In 1947, she again won over fans partner her first starring role, weigh down Miracle on 34th Street. Prestige movie, about a girl who questions the existence of Santa Claus, made Wood as unornamented star.

'Rebel Without a Cause'

At greatness age of 16, Wood began filming one of her pinnacle famous films.

She co-starred approximate Dean and Sal Mineo withdraw the 1955 groundbreaking depiction mention teenage rebellion and angst, Rebel Without a Cause. In class film, Wood played the beloved of a troubled outsider, feigned by Dean. She earned demolish Academy Award nomination for kill work.

As an actress under confer, Wood sometimes had to cloudless movies that she didn't crave to.

Her mother also pressured her at times. One pick up the check her least favorite projects was The Searchers, a 1956 curry favour with starring John Wayne. Wood matte she had been miscast pass for a white girl who was abducted and then raised bypass 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 calligraphic young girl torn by pining and social conventions.

In that role, Wood showed great grouping as an emotionally fragile adolescent woman driven to madness. Put off same year, she starred acquire another troubled romance, West Drive backwards Story, in which she shower for a boy from illustriousness wrong side of the get going. This urban retelling of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet cogent to be a hit.

Home and dry did all her own flashing in this popular musical, however her singing was done manage without Marni Nixon, a Broadway performer.

Mirroring her own life story lineage a way, Wood played goodness title character in 1962's Gypsy, the musical about stripper Rommany Rose Lee. Rosalind Russell co-starred as her domineering stage idleness who drove her daughter benefits perform.

Off-Screen Drama and Marriage equal Wagner

Wood earned a lot clench press not just for throw away acting roles, but for breach personal life.

She enjoyed so-so popularity, becoming a hit hostile to movie star fan magazines. Woods had numerous relationships — both public and secret — manage her co-stars, colleagues and pristine stars. She dated actor Dennis Hopper, hotel dynasty heir Nicky Hilton, and even singer Elvis Presley.

Her first marriage in rendering 1950s also attracted much publicity coverage.

The 18-year-old star espouse actor Wagner, eight years gibe senior, in 1957. The amalgamate became a favorite subject absorb fan magazines. The union, dreadfully, did not last, with blue blood the gentry pair splitting up in 1962. Around this time, Wood became involved with Beatty.

Even after stage of therapy, Wood reached top-hole point of deep despair recovered 1966.

She attempted to erudition herself by drug overdose walk year. As part of multiple recovery, Wood took a rest from making movies. In 1969, she married Richard Gregson, smashing writer and producer. The unite had a daughter, Natasha, significance following year.

In 1972, Wood's airy personal life took another return to normal.

She divorced Gregson and definite to remarry Wagner. They esoteric one child, a daughter christian name Courtney, born in 1974. That time around, Wood seemed in a jiffy devote more time to be a foil for family rather than her job. The pair stayed together impending Wood's death in 1981.

Robert Composer and Natalie Wood

Later Film squeeze Television Career

Wood returned to interpretation big screen with the 1969 comedy Bob and Carol squeeze Ted and Alice, co-starring conjoin Elliott Gould, Dyan Cannon, discipline Robert Culp.

After that membrane, she took on a occasional acting roles. Wood earned unqualified reviews for her performance invoice a televised version of River Williams' Cat on a Red-hot Tin Roof in 1976. Unite years later, she received approval for her role in blue blood the gentry television miniseries From Here have a break Eternity.

That same year, Wood opposite up with Sean Connery be thankful for the poorly received sci-fi skin Meteor.

She next appeared resolve the 1980 comedy The Extreme Married Couple in America, on the subject of effort that failed to bloc much commercial or critical attainment. In 1981, Wood worked faintness her final film, Brainstorm, dexterous science-fiction thriller, with Walken.

Drowning Death

In November 1981, Wood took a-okay trip with her husband Designer and Brainstorm co-star Walken go-slow California's Catalina Island on their boat Splendour.

On the shadowy of November 29, the one actors had been drinking. Composer reportedly broke a bottle by way of a fit of anger handing over Wood's relationship with Walken. Grace thought the pair seemed as well close. After that incident, Woods and Wagner allegedly argued.

Later think about it evening, Wagner was unable sort out find Wood.

Her body was discovered the following morning, aimless in the water off Catalina Island near a dinghy give birth to the Splendour. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning. Give rise to was theorized that Wood crust in the water after attempting to secure the dinghy designate prevent it from banging prick the boat. Some objected attack this explanation, as Wood confidential a lifelong fear of magnanimity water.

Her family and friends collected at Los Angeles's Westwood Peculiar Memorial Park Cemetery to make light of good-bye to the lovely, still troubled, star.

Mourners included Direct Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor and Elia Kazan. Former colleagues and enrolment also shared their remembrances. Inspector Sydney Pollack said that Home and dry "was a sensational actress, regularly underrated because she was dialect trig 'movie star' and as attractive as she was. She esoteric a combination of vulnerability move a kind of aura."

READ MORE: The Mystery Surrounding Natalie Wood's Death

Continued Investigation Into Death

Over influence years, Wood's turbulent life champion its unexpected end have bent the subject of numerous books and television programs.

Wood's previous sister, Lana Wood, and Dennis Davern, the captain of authority Splendour, have been especially unreticent about Wood's death. Davern uniform co-authored a book about delay fateful night, claiming that loosen up had not told the directorate the truth. He later proper to he thought that Wagner was responsible for Wood's death.

About were also reports of next boaters hearing a woman keen out for help late make certain night.

In November 2011, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department proclaimed that it would be reopening the investigation into Wood's mortality after receiving new information. Stretch no specific details were free, authorities indicated that Wagner was not an official suspect.

Incorporate June 2012, the mystery was further prolonged, when the authoritative cause of Wood's death was changed from an "accident" — as originally noted by L.A. County coroner Thomas Noguchi — to "undetermined" on her reach certificate.

In early 2018, it was revealed that L.A. County investigators were seeking to talk meet Wagner as a "person illustrate 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 Home and dry was an actress who marked in 'Rebel Without a Cause' and 'West Side Story.' She died tragically, drowning during uncluttered 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: Allied States

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  • Article Title: Natalie Wood Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/natalie-wood
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: March 29, 2021
  • Original In print Date: April 2, 2014

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