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Who Was Natalie Wood?
Natalie Wood was a celebrated American actress who rose to fame at a young age and left an indelible mark on Hollywood. She achieved stardom at 16 after co-starring with James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955). Her role as Maria in West Side Story (1961) and her Academy Award-nominated performance in Splendor in the Grass (1961) further solidified her status as a Hollywood icon. Tragically, in 1981, Wood drowned during a boating trip with her husband Robert Wagner and co-star Christopher Walken. The circumstances surrounding her death remain the subject of controversy to this day.
Early Life and Career
Born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko on July 20, 1938, in San Francisco, California, Natalie Wood was the daughter of Russian immigrants. Encouraged by her mother, Wood began performing at a young age and made her first film appearance at age 4 in Happy Land (1943). She captured the attention of director Irving Pichel, paving the way for a blossoming career. Wood’s early roles, including Tomorrow Is Forever (1946) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947), established her as a child star.
Rise to Fame: Rebel Without a Cause
At 16, Wood co-starred in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), a film that defined her career. Playing the girlfriend of James Dean’s troubled character, her performance earned her an Academy Award nomination and solidified her status as one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars. Although her career flourished, Wood faced challenges, including pressure from her mother and roles she felt miscast in, such as The Searchers (1956).
Iconic Roles: Splendor in the Grass and West Side Story
In 1961, Wood delivered two of her most iconic performances. She starred alongside Warren Beatty in Splendor in the Grass, portraying a young woman grappling with desire and societal expectations. Her emotional depth in the role earned her critical acclaim. That same year, she played Maria in West Side Story, the film adaptation of the beloved musical. Although her singing was dubbed by Marni Nixon, Wood’s performance as Maria remains one of her most memorable roles.
Personal Life and Relationships
Wood’s personal life was often in the spotlight, with her relationships and marriages garnering significant media attention. At 18, she married actor Robert Wagner, and the couple became a favorite among Hollywood fan magazines. After their divorce in 1962, Wood dated several high-profile figures, including Warren Beatty and Elvis Presley. She later married producer Richard Gregson, with whom she had a daughter, Natasha. However, in 1972, Wood and Wagner rekindled their romance, remarrying and having a second daughter, Courtney. This second marriage lasted until her untimely death.
Tragic Death and Legacy
In 1981, Natalie Wood tragically drowned during a boating trip near Catalina Island, California, with her husband Robert Wagner and actor Christopher Walken. Her death was initially ruled an accident, but controversy and speculation have surrounded the event ever since. Despite the mystery surrounding her passing, Wood’s legacy as a talented and versatile actress endures, with her work continuing to captivate audiences worldwide.
Later Film and Television Career
In 1969, Natalie Wood made a notable return to the big screen with the comedy Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, co-starring alongside Elliott Gould, Dyan Cannon, and Robert Culp. Following this, she took on a few selective acting roles, earning praise for her performance in the 1976 televised version of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Three years later, Wood garnered further acclaim for her role in the television miniseries From Here to Eternity.
That same year, Wood starred alongside Sean Connery in the sci-fi film Meteor, though the movie was poorly received. She followed with a role in the 1980 comedy The Last Married Couple in America, which also failed to achieve commercial or critical success. In 1981, Wood began working on her final film, Brainstorm, a science-fiction thriller co-starring Christopher Walken.
Tragic Drowning Death
In November 1981, Wood embarked on a trip to Catalina Island, California, aboard the yacht Splendour, accompanied by her husband Robert Wagner and her Brainstorm co-star Christopher Walken. On the night of November 29, after an evening of drinking, Wagner reportedly became angry over what he perceived to be Wood’s closeness with Walken, allegedly leading to an argument between the couple.
Later that evening, Wood went missing. The next morning, her body was found floating in the waters near Catalina Island, alongside a dinghy from the yacht. Her death was initially ruled as an accidental drowning, with speculation that she had fallen into the water while attempting to secure the dinghy. However, doubts arose due to Wood’s well-known fear of water. Her funeral was held at Los Angeles’s Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, attended by family, friends, and Hollywood stars, including Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, and Elia Kazan. Director Sydney Pollack remembered her as “a sensational actress, often underrated because she was a ‘movie star’ and as pretty as she was, with a combination of vulnerability and an aura.”
Ongoing Investigation Into Death
Natalie Wood’s untimely death has been the subject of ongoing intrigue, with various books and television programs exploring the mystery. Her sister, Lana Wood, and Dennis Davern, the captain of Splendour, have been vocal in questioning the circumstances of her death. In fact, Davern co-authored a book about the incident, later suggesting that he had withheld information from authorities and implying Wagner’s possible involvement. There were also reports from other boaters who claimed to have heard a woman crying for help that night.
In November 2011, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reopened the investigation into Wood’s death after receiving new information. While details were sparse, officials stated that Wagner was not considered a suspect at that time. In 2012, the coroner amended the cause of death on Wood’s certificate from “accident” to “undetermined,” reigniting public interest in the case. By early 2018, Wagner was identified as a “person of interest,” as investigators sought to speak with him, once again placing the decades-old case in the spotlight.