Natalie Wood
Biography
Natalie Wood, born Natalie Zacharenko on July 20, 1938, in San Francisco, California, was an American actress who began her career as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. She started acting at age four and secured a co-starring role at age eight in the film Miracle on 34th Street in 1947. As a teenager, she received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for Rebel Without a Cause in 1955, and subsequently appeared in John Ford's The Searchers in 1956. She starred in the musical films West Side Story in 1961 and Gypsy in 1962, and earned Academy Award for Best Actress nominations for Splendor in the Grass in 1961 and Love with the Proper Stranger. She died on November 29, 1981, at the age of 43.
Career overview
Natalie Wood, born Natalie Zacharenko on July 20, 1938, in San Francisco, California, was an American actress who began her film career as a child and successfully transitioned into young adult roles. She started acting at the age of four and secured a co-starring role at age eight in the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street.
As a teenager, Wood received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause. This was followed by an appearance in John Ford's 1956 film The Searchers. She later starred in the musical films West Side Story in 1961 and Gypsy in 1962. Additionally, she earned nominations for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in the 1961 film Splendor in the Grass and in Love with the Proper Stra.
Wood's career spanned numerous known credits in acting on film and television. She passed away on November 29, 1981, at the age of 43.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- Proust Palimpsesto: Pastiches e Misturas (2026) as Debbie Edwards - Age 15 (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Paul Newman: The Restless (2023) as Self
- Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (2020) as Self (archive footage)
- Natalie Wood: An American Murder Mystery (2018)
- Hollywood: No Sex, Please! (2018)
- Howard (2018) as Maria (archive footage)
- Trumbull Land (2018) as Self (archive footage)
- Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (2017) as Self (archive footage, uncredited)
- The Fabulous Allan Carr (2017) as Self (archive)
- Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime (2016) as Self (archive footage)
- Tab Hunter Confidential (2015) as Self (archive)
- Too Young to Die (2012) as Self (archive footage)
- Brunes et Blondes (2010) as Self
- Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1960's (2009) as (archive footage)
- Glanz und Elend in Hollywood: Natalie Wood (2009) as Self (archive footage)
- Dominick Dunne: After the Party (2008) as Self (archive footage)
- How Real is 'The Star'? (2005) as Self (archive footage)
- Rebel Without a Cause: Defiant Innocents (2005) as Herself (uncredited)
- Rediscovering a Rebel (1996) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Intimate Portrait (1993) as Self (archive footage)
- Death In Hollywood (1990)
- Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths (1990) as (archive footage)
- Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC (1988) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Brainstorm (1983) as Karen Brace
- Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady (1982)
- Hollywood’s Children (1982) as Self (archive footage)
- Willie & Phil (1980) as Herself
- The Last Married Couple in America (1980) as Mari Thompson
- From Here to Eternity (1980) as Karen Holmes
- The Memory of Eva Ryker (1980) as Eva Ryker / Claire Ryker
- Hart to Hart (1979) as Movie Star
- From Here to Eternity (1979) as Karen Holmes
- Meteor (1979) as Tatiana Donskaya
- The Cracker Factory (1979) as Cassie Barrett
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1976) as Margaret
- Laurence Olivier Presents (1976) as Margaret
- People's Choice Awards (1975) as Self - Presenter
- Switch (1975) as Cruise Ship Passenger (uncredited)
- Peeper (1975) as Ellen Prendergast
- I'm a Stranger Here Myself (1975) as Self
- James Dean: The First American Teenager (1975) as Self
- Dinah! (1974) as Self
- James Dean Remembered (1974) as Self
- The American Film Institute Salute to ... (1973) as Self
- The Affair (1973) as Courtney Patterson
- The Candidate (1972) as Natalie Wood
- Film '72 (1971) as Self
- V.I.P. Schaukel (1971) as Self
- Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) as Carol Sanders
- The Dick Cavett Show (1968) as Self - Guest
- This Property Is Condemned (1966) as Alva Starr
- Inside Daisy Clover (1966) as Daisy Clover
- Penelope (1966) as Penelope
- The Great Race (1965) as Maggie Dubois
- Sex and the Single Girl (1964) as Helen Gurley Brown
- Love with the Proper Stranger (1963) as Angie Rossini
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self (archive footage)
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- Gypsy (1962) as Louise Hovick/Gypsy Rose Lee
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- West Side Story (1961) as Maria
- Splendor in the Grass (1961) as Wilma "Deanie" Loomis
- All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960) as Sarah "Salome" Davis
- Cash McCall (1960) as Lory Austen
- Kings Go Forth (1958) as Monique Blair
- Marjorie Morningstar (1958) as Marjorie Morgenstern
- Bombers B-52 (1957) as Lois Brennan
- The James Dean Story (1957) as Self
- The Searchers (1956) as Debbie Edwards
- The Burning Hills (1956) as Maria-Christina Colton
- The Girl He Left Behind (1956) as Susan Daniels
- The Deadly Riddle (1956) as Lady Marian
- A Cry in the Night (1956) as Elizabeth
- New York Premiere Telecast 'Giant' (1956) as Self
- Rebel Without a Cause (1955) as Judy
- Feathertop (1955) as Polly Gookin
- One Desire (1955) as Seely Dowder
- The Wild Bunch (1955) as Louise
- Too Old for Dolls (1955) as Polly Ramsay
- Kings Row (1955) as Renee Gyllinson
- Heidi (1955) as Klara Sesseman
- Studio 57 (1954)
- The Silver Chalice (1954) as Helena as a Girl
- Playmates (1954) as Monica
- Sherwood Anderson's I'm A Fool (1954) as Lucy
- Return of the Dead (1954) as Renee Marchand
- Mayor of the Town (1954) as Mayor's Niece
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Lucy
- General Electric Theater (1953) as Polly Gookin
- The Pride of the Family (1953) as Ann Morrison
- Four Star Playhouse (1952) as Louise
- Chevron Theatre (1952) as Monica Everton
- The Rose Bowl Story (1952) as Sally Burke
- The Star (1952) as Gretchen
- Just for You (1952) as Barbara Blake
- The Blue Veil (1951) as Stephanie Rawlins
- Dear Brat (1951) as Pauline Baxter
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self - Mystery Guest
- The Bob Hope Show (1950) as Self
- The Jack Benny Program (1950) as Natalie Wood
- No Sad Songs for Me (1950) as Polly Scott
- The Jackpot (1950) as Phyllis Lawrence
- Never a Dull Moment (1950) as Nan Hayward
- Our Very Own (1950) as Penny Macaulay
- Father Was a Fullback (1949) as Ellen Cooper
- Chicken Every Sunday (1949) as Ruth Hefferen
- The Green Promise (1949) as Susan Matthews
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Studio One (1948) as Jen Potter
- Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948) as Eufraznee 'Bean' McGill
- Driftwood (1947) as Jenny Hollingsworth
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947) as Susan Walker
- The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) as Anna Muir as a Child
- Tomorrow Is Forever (1946) as Margaret Ludwig
- The Bride Wore Boots (1946) as Carol Warren
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Nominee / Presenter
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Nominee
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Winner
- The Moon Is Down (1943) as Carrie (uncredited)
- Happy Land (1943) as Little Girl Dropping Ice Cream Cone (uncredited)