History Creator / NatalieWood

She was also a relatively rare example of a Hollywood child star who avoided FormerChildStar status and became an A-lister in adulthood (Creator/ElizabethTaylor is another), earning three UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations (one for [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActressInASupportingRole Best Actress in a Supporting Role]] and two for [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActressInALeadingRole Best Actress in a Leading Role]]). Critics have theorized that the bulk of Wood's cinematic roles could represent a portrait of 20th-century American womanhood in transition. She married Creator/RobertWagner in 1957, they divorced in 1962, then remarried in 1972. She married and divorced British talent agent and producer Richard Gregson in the interim and had a daughter with him in 1970, Natasha Gregson Wagner, who became an actress. She had a second child in 1974, with Robert Wagner this time, Courtney Brooke Wagner, who also became an actress.

On November 29, 1981, Wood -- who had a self-admitted fear of water, and never learned to swim -- was found dead in the waters of Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of Southern California. She seemingly fell into the sea from her and Robert Wagner's yacht during a holiday break from the production of ''Film/{{Brainstorm}}'' with Creator/ChristopherWalken. Both Walken and Wagner were aboard the yacht when the tragedy happened, and Wagner was considered a "person of interest" in the case from 2018 to 2022.

On November 29, 1981, Wood -- who had a self-admitted fear of water, and never learned to swim -- was found dead in the waters of Santa Catalina Island, off the coasts of Southern California. She seemingly fell into the sea from her and Robert Wagner's yacht during a holiday break from the production of ''Film/{{Brainstorm}}'' with Creator/ChristopherWalken. Both Walken and Wagner were aboard the yacht when the tragedy happened, and Wagner was considered a "person of interest" in the case from 2018 to 2022.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3_natalie_wood_1960s_everett.jpg]]

She was born to Russian immigrant parents (who had fled the [[UsefulNotes/RedOctober Russian Civil War]]) in UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco. First appearing onscreen at the age of four and owing her "Wood" stage name to Creator/RKOPictures executives in reference to director Sam Wood, she had a career spanning across four decades, from ''Film/TheMoonIsDown'' (1943) to the posthumously-released ''Film/{{Brainstorm}}'' (1983). Her sister Creator/{{Lana|Wood}} also became an actress.

She was a relatively rare example of a Hollywood child star who avoided FormerChildStar status and became an A-lister in adulthood (Creator/ElizabethTaylor is another), earning three UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations (one for [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActressInASupportingRole Best Actress in a Supporting Role]] and two for [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActressInALeadingRole Best Actress in a Leading Role]]). Critics have theorized that the bulk of her cinematic roles represent a portrait of 20th-century American womanhood in transition. She married Creator/RobertWagner in 1957, they divorced in 1962, then remarried in 1972. She married and divorced British talent agent and producer Richard Gregson in the interim and had a daughter with him in 1970, Natasha Gregson Wagner, who became an actress. She had a second child in 1974, with Robert Wagner this time, Courtney Brooke Wagner, who also became an actress.

She was born to Russian immigrant parents in UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco. First appearing onscreen at the age of four and owing her "Wood" stage name to Creator/RKOPictures executives in reference to director Sam Wood, she had a career spanning across four decades, from ''Film/TheMoonIsDown'' (1943) to the posthumously-released ''Film/{{Brainstorm}}'' (1983). Her sister Creator/{{Lana|Wood}} also became an actress.

On November 29, 1981, Wood -- who had a self-admitted fear of water, and never learned to swim -- was found dead in the waters of Santa Catalina Island, off the coasts of Southern California. She seemingly fell into the sea from her and Robert Wagner's yacht during a holiday break from the production of ''Film/{{Brainstorm}}'' with Creator/ChristopherWalken. Both Walken and Wagner were aboard the yacht when the tragedy happened, and Wagner was named a "person of interest" in the case in 2018.

She was born to Russian immigrant parents in San Francisco. First appearing onscreen at the age of four and owing her "Wood" stage name to Creator/RKOPictures executives in reference to director Sam Wood, she had a career spanning across four decades, from ''Film/TheMoonIsDown'' (1943) to the posthumously-released ''Film/{{Brainstorm}}'' (1983). Her sister Creator/{{Lana|Wood}} also became an actress.

She was born to Russian immigrant parents in San Francisco. First appearing onscreen at the age of four and owing her "Wood" stage name to Creator/RKOPictures executives in reference to director Sam Wood, she had a career spanning across five decades, from ''Film/TheMoonIsDown'' (1943) to the posthumously-released ''Film/{{Brainstorm}}'' (1983). Her sister Creator/{{Lana|Wood}} also became an actress.

** She was also set to play in ''[[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/05/31/69/053169c9e2e9b60538dadcc37d3ea4d6.jpg Anastasia]]'', a stage play that would have opened on February 12, 1982 in Los Angeles. To twist the knife further, she said this shortly before her death:

** She attempted a second one after semi-retiring from the movie business in the late [[TheSixties 1960s]]-early [[TheSeventies 1970s]], both out of frustration with the studio system and to raise her children. She appeared in some high profile MiniSeries and both ''Brainstorm'' and the stage play ''Anastasia'' were meant to cement a return to form. Alas, she died before the former was fully completed and the latter never happened as a result.

* CareerResurrection: After ''Film/TheSearchers'', she appeared in a string of failed films. According to Creator/EliaKazan, by 1960, she was considered as "washed up" at just 22. He still cast her in ''Film/SplendorInTheGrass'', which came out in 1961, received critical acclaim and brought Wood her second Oscar nomination. Also in 1961, she starred in ''Film/{{West Side Story|1961}}'', which was the biggest hit of the year and won the Oscar for Best Picture. This shot her straight back to the A-list.

** Producer Creator/AaronSpelling originally wanted her to play Jennifer Hart in ''Series/HartToHart'' to add much publicity to the series since she was the wife of its main star Creator/RobertWagner. Natalie preferred focusing on her theatrical film career instead, although she still did a [[TheCameo cameo]] in the pilot.

** She opted to stay away from large theatrical film roles during TheSeventies to raise a family and played in some high profile TV productions. ''Brainstorm'' was supposed to be a 'comeback' theatrical role. Also, the stress of finishing the film after her death pushed director Creator/DouglasTrumbull away from moviemaking.

* ''Film/SplendorInTheGrass'' (1961) as Wilma Dean Loomis

** She opted to stay away from large theatrical film roles during TheSeventies to raise a family and played in some high profile TV productions. ''Brainstorm'' was supposed to be a 'comeback' theatrical role. Also, the stress of finishing the film after her death pushed director Douglas Trumbull away from moviemaking.

** She appeared alongside Creator/RobertRedford three times -- ''Film/InsideDaisyClover'', ''This Property Is Condemned'' and ''Film/TheCandidate''. While the first two pictures were not darlings with critics and she only had a [[TheCameo cameo]] [[AsHimself as herself]] in the third, Wood and Redford remained good friends. Redford was also the best man of Richard Gregson at his wedding with Wood in 1969.

** As adult Debbie Edwards in ''Film/TheSearchers'' (with her sister Lana as young Debbie).

* ''Theatre/{{Gypsy}}'' (1962) as Rose Louise Hovick aka "Gypsy Rose Lee"

She was a relatively rare example of a Hollywood child star who avoided FormerChildStar status and became an A-lister in adulthood (Creator/ElizabethTaylor is another), earning three nominations for the UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActressInALeadingRole. Critics have theorized that the bulk of her cinematic roles represent a portrait of 20th-century American womanhood in transition. She married Creator/RobertWagner in 1957, they divorced in 1962, then remarried in 1972. She married and divorced British talent agent and producer Richard Gregson in the interim and had a daughter with him in 1970, Natasha Gregson Wagner, who became an actress. She had a second child in 1974, with Robert Wagner this time, Courtney Brooke Wagner, who also became an actress.

* TimeShiftedActor: Did this twice when she was younger -- as young Anna Muir in ''Film/TheGhostAndMrsMuir'' (with Vanessa Brown as adult Anna) and as teen Helena in ''Film/TheSilverChalice'' (with Virginia Mayo as adult Helena).

She was a relatively rare example of a Hollywood child star who avoided FormerChildStar status and became an A-lister in adulthood (Creator/ElizabethTaylor is another), earning three nominations for the UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActressInALeadingRole. Critics have theorized that the bulk of her cinematic roles represent a portrait of 20th-century American womanhood in transition. She married Creator/RobertWagner in 1957, they divorced in 1962, then remarried in 1972. She married and divorced British talent agent and producer Richard Gregson in the interim and had a daughter with him in 1970, Natasha Gregson Wagner, who became an actress. Natalie had a second child in 1974, with Robert Wagner this time, Courtney Brooke Wagner, who also became an actress.

She was born to Russian immigrant parents in San Francisco. First appearing onscreen at the age of four and owing her "Wood" stage name to Creator/RKOPictures executives in reference to director Sam Wood, she had a career spanning across five decades, from ''Film/TheMoonIsDown'' (1943) to the posthumously-released ''Film/{{Brainstorm}}'' (1983).

She was a relatively rare example of a Hollywood child star who avoided FormerChildStar status and became an A-lister in adulthood (Creator/ElizabethTaylor is another), earning three nominations for the UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActressInALeadingRole. Critics have theorized that the bulk of her cinematic roles represent a portrait of 20th-century American womanhood in transition. She is the older sister of actress Creator/LanaWood and the mother of actress Natasha Gregson Wagner. She married Creator/RobertWagner in 1957, they divorced in 1962, then remarried in 1972. She married and divorced British talent agent and producer Richard Gregson in the interim.

She was a relatively rare example of a Hollywood child star who avoided FormerChildStar status and became an A-lister in adulthood (Creator/ElizabethTaylor is another). Critics have theorized that the bulk of her cinematic roles represent a portrait of 20th-century American womanhood in transition. She is the older sister of actress Creator/LanaWood and the mother of actress Natasha Gregson Wagner. She married Creator/RobertWagner in 1957, they divorced in 1962, then remarried in 1972. She married and divorced British talent agent and producer Richard Gregson in the interim.

** She's named in Music/GilScottHeron's [[SpokenWordInMusic poem-turned-song]] "Music/TheRevolutionWillNotBeTelevised":

** She's named in Music/GilScottHeron's [[SpokenWordInMusic poem-turned-song]] "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised":

** She's named in Music/GilScottHeron's poem-turned-song "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised":

And will not star Natalie Wood and Steve [=McQueen=] or Bullwinkle and Julia"''