Natalie Wood Biography Quotes 32 Report mistakes

Early Life and Family
Natalie Wood was born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko on July 20, 1938, in San Francisco, California, to Russian immigrant parents Maria and Nikolai Zakharenko, who later anglicized the family name to Gurdin. Her mother, often called Maria Gurdin, was a strong influence on her early career, while her father, Nicholas Gurdin, worked a series of jobs to support the family. Natalie grew up with a younger sister, Lana Wood, who would also become an actress. Discovered as a child by director Irving Pichel while he was shooting on location in Northern California, Natalie was soon brought to Hollywood and given a new professional name: Natalie Wood.

Child Stardom
Wood made her screen debut in Tomorrow Is Forever (1946), acting opposite Orson Welles and Claudette Colbert, and quickly became one of the era's most recognizable child performers. Her breakout as Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street (1947) established her naturalism, poise, and ability to convey sincerity beyond her years. Through the late 1940s and early 1950s she worked steadily in studio films, learning the craft on sets and developing a work ethic that would sustain her through the transition to adult roles. Though the industry often typecast child actors, Wood demonstrated range in family dramas, light comedies, and adventure stories, laying the groundwork for a career that would extend far beyond childhood fame.

Transition to Adult Roles
The mid-1950s marked a pivotal shift. At 17, she starred in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), directed by Nicholas Ray and co-starring James Dean and Sal Mineo. Her portrayal of Judy brought Wood her first Academy Award nomination, for Best Supporting Actress, and announced her arrival as a serious young performer. She continued to push past her child-star image with The Searchers (1956), directed by John Ford and co-starring John Wayne, taking on darker, psychologically complex material that hinted at her capacity for emotional intensity and resilience on screen.

Peak Stardom and Acclaimed Performances
The early 1960s were Wood's peak years as a leading actress. She earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for Splendor in the Grass (1961), directed by Elia Kazan and co-starring Warren Beatty, delivering a searing portrait of a young woman constrained by social expectations. In the same year she starred in West Side Story (1961), directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, playing Maria in a film that became a cultural touchstone and a massive box office success; her singing was dubbed by Marni Nixon, a common practice of the time. Wood followed with Gypsy (1962), co-starring Rosalind Russell and Karl Malden, in which she captured the transformation of Louise into Gypsy Rose Lee with wit and vulnerability.

She received a third Oscar nomination for Love with the Proper Stranger (1963), opposite Steve McQueen, confirming her standing as a versatile performer capable of romantic drama and modern realism. Subsequent roles explored the changing moods of 1960s Hollywood: Inside Daisy Clover (1965), directed by Robert Mulligan and co-starring Robert Redford, examined the pressures of stardom; This Property Is Condemned (1966), directed by Sydney Pollack, again paired her with Redford in a Southern Gothic drama. By decade's end, Wood pivoted to contemporary comedy with Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), directed by Paul Mazursky, engaging with the era's evolving attitudes about relationships and intimacy.

Personal Life
Wood's personal life was interwoven with Hollywood's creative community. She married actor Robert Wagner in 1957, a union that made them one of the industry's most watched couples; they divorced in 1962. In 1969 she married British producer and talent agent Richard Gregson, with whom she had a daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, before divorcing in 1972. Later that year she remarried Wagner, and the couple had another daughter, Courtney Wagner. Her sister, Lana Wood, remained a close presence in both her personal and professional life, and her mother, Maria, continued to be a figure of profound influence. Although surrounded by intense public attention, Wood maintained a reputation for professionalism, generosity with colleagues, and a thoughtful approach to the roles she chose.

Later Career and Television Work
In the 1970s Wood reduced her on-screen appearances, focusing on family and becoming more selective about projects. She made a well-regarded return to television with the 1979 miniseries From Here to Eternity, earning a Golden Globe for her performance as Karen Holmes. She returned to film in The Last Married Couple in America (1980), opposite George Segal, exploring contemporary marital dynamics with humor and empathy. At the time of her death she was working on Brainstorm, directed by Douglas Trumbull and co-starring Christopher Walken, a science-fiction drama that would be completed and released in 1983. Even with fewer roles, Wood remained a marquee name, illustrating her enduring appeal across genres and mediums.

Death and Aftermath
On November 29, 1981, Wood died by drowning near Santa Catalina Island, California, at age 43. She had been aboard the yacht Splendour with her husband Robert Wagner, her Brainstorm co-star Christopher Walken, and the boat's captain, Dennis Davern. The initial investigation ruled the death an accidental drowning, but unanswered questions and conflicting accounts kept public interest alive for decades. In 2012, authorities amended the cause of death to drowning and other undetermined factors, reflecting lingering uncertainties about the circumstances. The case has continued to draw attention, though no charges have been filed. Wood's death, coming at a moment when she seemed poised for a new phase of work, added a poignant coda to a life lived largely in the public eye.

Legacy
Natalie Wood's legacy rests on her rare passage from precocious child actor to adult star of depth and range, a trajectory few have navigated so successfully. She earned three Academy Award nominations, headlined landmark films of the 1950s and 1960s, and proved equally adept in drama, musical, and comedy. Her collaborations with artists such as James Dean, Elia Kazan, Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins, John Ford, Steve McQueen, Robert Redford, and Paul Mazursky place her at the center of multiple eras of American filmmaking. Beyond accolades, including honors such as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, audiences remember her for performances that balanced vulnerability and strength. Through films like Rebel Without a Cause, Splendor in the Grass, West Side Story, and Gypsy, Wood left a body of work that continues to resonate, ensuring her place among the defining American actresses of the 20th century.

Our collection contains 32 quotes who is written by Natalie, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Friendship - Mother - Parenting - Work Ethic.

Other people realated to Natalie: Maureen O'Hara (Actress), Dyan Cannon (Actress), Tab Hunter (Actor), George Chakiris (Dancer), Rosalind Russell (Actress), Barry Watson (Actor), Edith Head (Designer), Herman Wouk (Novelist), Allan Dwan (Director), Edmund H. North (Writer)