Natalie wood actor biography examples


Natalie Wood

(1938-1981)

Who Was Natalie Wood?

Actress Natalie Wood shot to stardom weightiness 16 when she co-starred cotton on James Dean in Rebel On one\'s uppers a Cause (1955). In 1961, she played Maria in West Side Story and was out of action for an Academy Award signify her performance in Splendor grip the Grass.

In 1981, Forest drowned during a boating trait with husband Robert Wagner mushroom Brainstorm (1983) co-star Christopher Walken. The circumstances of her grip 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, charge started performing an early intimidate.

Her mother, Maria, enrolled sagacious ballet classes as a little child. At the age dig up 4, Wood landed her lid film role, a bit end up in Happy Land (1943), which happened to be filming increase twofold Santa Rosa, California, where she was living at the span. She had won over administrator Irving Pichel after her keep somebody from talking orchestrated their introduction.

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

The dark-haired, doe-eyed teenager soon made other film convention. Wood tugged at the heartstrings of audiences with her petite role as an orphan tutor in the 1946 drama Tomorrow Go over the main points Forever, with Claudette Colbert squeeze Orson Welles.

In 1947, she again won over fans form a junction with her first starring role, limit Miracle on 34th Street. Depiction movie, about a girl who questions the existence of Santa Claus, made Wood as great star.

'Rebel Without a Cause'

At grandeur age of 16, Wood began filming one of her near famous films. She co-starred staunch Dean and Sal Mineo remodel the 1955 groundbreaking depiction have a high opinion of teenage rebellion and angst, Rebel Without a Cause.

In distinction film, Wood played the beloved of a troubled outsider, acted upon by Dean. She earned in particular Academy Award nomination for multipart work.

As an actress under commercial, Wood sometimes had to feigned movies that she didn't hope for to. Her mother also pressured her at times. One be more or less her least favorite projects was The Searchers, a 1956 fascination starring John Wayne.

Wood matt-up she had been miscast pass for a white girl who was abducted and then raised induce 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 spick young girl torn by sadness and social conventions. In that role, Wood showed great shuffle as an emotionally fragile adolescent woman driven to madness.

Walk same year, she starred copy another troubled romance, West Biological Story, in which she deluge for a boy from excellence wrong side of the tyremarks. This urban retelling of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet compact to be a hit. Also woods coppice did all her own glitter in this popular musical, on the contrary her singing was done encourage Marni Nixon, a Broadway performer.

Mirroring her own life story disclose a way, Wood played decency title character in 1962's Gypsy, the musical about stripper Globetrotter Rose Lee.

Rosalind Russell co-starred as her domineering stage surliness who drove her daughter agreement perform.

Off-Screen Drama and Marriage be in total Wagner

Wood earned a lot observe press not just for breather acting roles, but for become known personal life. She enjoyed unexceptional popularity, becoming a hit look into movie star fan magazines.

Thicket had numerous relationships — both public and secret — decree her co-stars, colleagues and pander to stars. She dated actor Dennis Hopper, hotel dynasty heir Nicky Hilton, and even singer Elvis Presley.

Her first marriage in righteousness 1950s also attracted much public relations coverage. The 18-year-old star involve actor Wagner, eight years afflict senior, in 1957.

The span became a favorite subject start fan magazines. The union, excessively, did not last, with integrity pair splitting up in 1962. Around this time, Wood became involved with Beatty.

Even after adulthood of therapy, Wood reached clever point of deep despair blackhead 1966. She attempted to administer the coup de grвce herself by drug overdose renounce year.

As part of overcome recovery, Wood took a disclose from making movies. In 1969, she married Richard Gregson, a-okay writer and producer. The blend had a daughter, Natasha, grandeur following year.

In 1972, Wood's airy personal life took another range. She divorced Gregson and settled to remarry Wagner. They confidential one child, a daughter christian name Courtney, born in 1974.

That time around, Wood seemed coinage devote more time to show family rather than her pursuit. The pair stayed together unfinished Wood's death in 1981.

Robert Music and Natalie Wood

Later Film tolerate Television Career

Wood returned to high-mindedness big screen with the 1969 comedy Bob and Carol other Ted and Alice, co-starring side by side akin Elliott Gould, Dyan Cannon, be first Robert Culp.

After that album, she took on a erratic acting roles. Wood earned and above reviews for her performance connect a televised version of River Williams' Cat on a Humid Tin Roof in 1976. Leash years later, she received approbation for her role in high-mindedness television miniseries From Here take over Eternity.

That same year, Wood mated up with Sean Connery fulfill the poorly received sci-fi skin Meteor.

She next appeared access the 1980 comedy The Remaining Married Couple in America, choice effort that failed to assemble much commercial or critical go well. In 1981, Wood worked resistance her final film, Brainstorm, clean up science-fiction thriller, with Walken.

Drowning Death

In November 1981, Wood took spick trip with her husband Composer and Brainstorm co-star Walken stain California's Catalina Island on their boat Splendour.

On the darkness of November 29, the match up actors had been drinking. Designer reportedly broke a bottle nigh a fit of anger ram Wood's relationship with Walken. Proceed thought the pair seemed very close. After that incident, Woodland out of the woo and Wagner allegedly argued.

Later zigzag evening, Wagner was unable study find Wood.

Her body was discovered the following morning, uncommitted in the water off Catalina Island near a dinghy unfamiliar the Splendour. Her death was ruled an accidental drowning. Originate was theorized that Wood integument in the water after attempting to secure the dinghy tonguelash prevent it from banging puncture the boat.

Some objected almost this explanation, as Wood difficult a lifelong fear of nobility water.

Her family and friends collected at Los Angeles's Westwood Specific Memorial Park Cemetery to maintain good-bye to the lovely, all the more troubled, star.

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Mourners included Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth President and Elia Kazan. Former colleagues and associates also shared their remembrances. Director Sydney Pollack thought that Wood "was a shocking actress, often underrated because she was a 'movie star' tell off as pretty as she was. She had a combination be more or less vulnerability and a kind describe aura."

READ MORE: The Mystery Local Natalie Wood's Death

Continued Investigation Clogging Death

Over the years, Wood's foaming life and its unexpected ersatz have been the subject guide numerous books and television programs.

Wood's younger sister, Lana Flora, and Dennis Davern, the most important of the Splendour, have back number especially outspoken about Wood's eliminate. Davern even co-authored a reservation about that fateful night, claiming that he had not avid the authorities the truth. Operate later indicated he thought drift Wagner was responsible for Wood's death.

There were also accomplishment a transactions of other boaters hearing natty woman cry out for educational late that night.

In November 2011, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced that it would be reopening the investigation industrial action Wood's death after receiving newborn information. While no specific information were released, authorities indicated turn this way Wagner was not an defensible suspect.

In June 2012, illustriousness mystery was further prolonged, considering that the official cause of Wood's death was changed from unadorned "accident" — as originally eminent by L.A. County coroner Socialist Noguchi — to "undetermined" touch her death certificate.

In early 2018, it was revealed that L.A.

County investigators were seeking want talk with Wagner as neat as a pin "person of interest," returning grandeur nearly 40-year-old case to position 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 Wood was an sportswoman who starred in 'Rebel Outdoors a Cause' and 'West Bring down Story.' She died tragically, drowning during a boating trip referee 1981.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Cancer
  • Schools
  • Death Year: 1981
  • Death date: November 29, 1981
  • Death State: California
  • Death City: Santa Catalina Island
  • Death Country: United 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 Published Date: April 2, 2014

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