Natalie Wood, the daughter of Russian Immigrants, was born Natalia Zakharenko on July 20, 1938. Natalie got her first role at the age of 4 in a movie called Happy Land. She continued playing the roles of young girls until the age of 17, where she landed the role of Judy in the legendary film Rebel Without a Cause. This role showed Hollywood and the world that she had grown up into a beautiful and very talented young woman. For this role, she was nominated for her first Academy Award. Natalie dated many big names in the entertainment business: James Dean Elvis Presley, Raymond Burr, and Dennis Hopper.

However, on December 28th, 1957, Natalie married the love of her life Robert Wagner (R.J. as Natalie called him). They divorced in 1962, later to remarry. Natalie once commented about their divorce saying they were both scared, insecure, and listened to others that their marriage wouldn't work. In the 1960s, Natalie's career boomed, and she was nominated for two more Academy Awards, (Splendor in the Grass and Love with the Proper Stranger. In 1969, Natalie married producer Richard Gregson and had a daughter, Natasha. She divorced Gregson after finding out he was having an affair. R.J. and Natalie remarried on June 16, 1972. In 1974, R.J. and Natalie had a daughter Courtney Brooke. They lived happily as husband and wife until tragically, while sailing on their yacht Splendour, Natalie had an accident trying to board the dinghy belonging to the boat, fell into the water, and, while trying to recover, drowned.



Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969): $250,000 + 10% of the net profits.
Penelope (1966): $750,000
Sex and the Single Girl (1964): $750,000
West Side Story (1961): $250,000
All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960): $150,000
Cash McCall (1960): $150,000
Just for You (1952): $6,500
Dear Brat (1951): $2,333

Her sister is Lana Wood. Her half-sister is Olga Viriapaeff. Named after director Sam Wood. She suffered from a deep fear of drowning after having barely survived an accident when she was a little girl, during the filming of The Green Promise (1949). Her fear was so great that Elia Kazan had to lie - promising a double - and trick her into doing the scenes at the water reservoir in Splendor in the Grass (1961). She also had to do her own swimming scenes in "From Here to Eternity" (1979) despite her protests. Was commonly listed as 5' 3" wearing heels in movie magazines, though her actual height was 5' 0". Reportedly turned down Warren Beatty's offer to play opposite him in Bonnie and Clyde (1967) because she didn't want to be separated from her analyst while the film was on location in the Midwest. An accident on a movie set (she fell into a river and almost drowned) when she was 9 years old left her with a permanently weakened left wrist and a slight bone protrusion, which, for the rest of her life, she hid with large bracelets. Regardless of the movie role, or anytime that she was out in public, she always wore a large bracelet on the left wrist. Had planned to produce as well as star in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977), but the leading role of Deborah went to Kathleen Quinlan by the time the film was made. Pallbearers at her funeral were Rock Hudson, Frank Sinatra, Laurence Olivier, Elia Kazan, Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Fred Astaire. Daughter: Natasha Gregson Wagner was born on Tuesday, September 29th, 1970. Natasha's father is Richard Gregson. Had a relationship with Elvis Presley when she was 17; Elvis wanted to marry her, but Gladys Presley did not personally like Natalie. The daughter of a Russian architect and a French ballerina could do a proper plié before she could barely walk. Spoke Russian and English. Younger sister Lana Wood made a ABC TV special on Natalie's life, The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004) (TV). Measurements: 32-20 1/2-32 (at age 18), 32B-22-33 (at age 24, "Parade" magazine December 1962), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine). Turned down the role of Judith Anderson in The Devil's Disciple (1959) because she didn't want to work with older actor Kirk Douglas for "personal" reasons. She was cast as Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1976) (TV) quite unexpectedly, without campaigning for the role. Wood explained that when Laurence Olivier would come to Hollywood, she would often be seated with him at the table at formal sit-down dinners. When Olivier decided to make a version of the Tennessee Williams play, he thought of casting Wood, his dinner companion, and her husband, Robert Wagner, in the husband-wife roles of Brick and Maggie. Naturally, they accepted. Both she and her sister Lana Wood have played the love interest of Richard Beymer in 2 separate films: she as Maria opposite Richard's Tony in West Side Story (1961), and Lana as Karen opposite Richard's Dean in Scream Free! (1969) (aka Free Grass). Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives." Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 889-890. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998. Entertainment Weekly placed her on the "100 greatest stars of all time" list, at #70. Called "The Most Beautiful Teenager in the World" by Life magazine in 1956. Her death was listed at number 24 on E! Televisions 101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment. Met Robert Redford at Van Nuys High School when she was a sophomore and he was a senior. Natalie was Redford's leading lady in his first starring role, in This Property Is Condemned (1966). "Eyes Like Natalie Wood" by Kathy Fleischmann, was written about her. Started smoking at age 16. She starred in over 40 theatrical films between ages 4 and 27. She went into semi-retirement afterwards, only appearing in five movies between age 28 and her death at 43. A niece, Evan Taylor Maldanado, born on Sunday, August 11th, 1974. Sister Lana Wood wrote the best-selling book about her titled "Natalie: a Memoir by Her Sister". Her best friends included actresses Stefanie Powers, Dyan Cannon and Carol Lynley. She was a childhood friend of her widower's current wife Jill St. John but they were not close as adults. Turned down the role that went to Faye Dunaway in The Towering Inferno (1974) because she thought the script was "mediocre.". Jane Fonda and Faye Dunaway turned down the role of Carol in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) before Natalie got the part. Natalie turned down Katharine Ross's role in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) so she could star in the film. According to a biographer, 43-year old Nicholas Ray wooed 16-year old Natalie by adorning a table with pink tablecloth and champagne, her preferred color and drink of choice. Was one of the many actresses considered for the title role in Norma Rae (1979) which went to Sally Field. Was Maureen O'Hara daughter in two movies, one being the classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947). Natalie referred to Maureen as Mama Maureen till her death in 1981. In March 2010, her sister Lana Wood spoke out about her death, announcing that she wants the case re-opened.