Natalie Wood

Photo of Natalie Wood

Biography

A doe-eyed, brunette beauty, Natalie Wood was one of Hollywood's brightest stars and a legend both on and off the silver screen. Born to Russian immigrants, Wood found herself in the spotlight as a child, capturing audience's hearts in the holiday classic, "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947). Maintaining a successful career as an adult, she went on to turn in Oscar-nominated performances in the films "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) and "Splendor in …
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Job Title

Actor, Music

Born

Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko on July 20, 1938 in San Francisco, California, USA

Career Milestones

1983

Final film appearance, opposite Christopher Walken in "Brainstorm"; released posthumously

1980

Shot her final film in its entirety, "The Last Married Couple in America" opposite George Segal

1979

Appeared opposite Sean Connery in the Cold War-era sci-fi film "Meteor"

1979

Cast in NBC miniseries version of "From Here to Eternity"; won a Golden Globe for Best TV Actress - Drama

1976

Starred as Maggie opposite husband Robert Wagner in televised adaptation of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (NBC)

1969

After several box office misses, saw a career resurgence in Paul Mazursky's critically acclaimed "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice"

1963

Earned third Oscar-nominated performance, for Best Actress in a Leading Role, in "Love with the Proper Stranger"

1962

Portrayed burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee in "Gypsy"

1961

Landed starring role of Maria in the Leonard Bernstein musical "West Side Story"; Wood signed on to do her own singing, but the studio later dubbed over her voice with that of Marni Nixon

1961

Co-starred with Warren Beatty in Elia Kazan's "Splendor in the Grass"; received second Oscar nomination, for Best Actress in a Leading Role

1958

Cast as a Hollywood actress in "Marjorie Morningstar" opposite Gene Kelly

1955

Breakthrough film role, playing rebellious teenager Judy opposite James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause"; earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role

1952

Made TV debut on ABC's "Gruen Guild Theater"

1947

Acted in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" and the holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street"

1946

Feature acting debut, opposite Orson Welles and Claudette Colbert in "Tomorrow Is Forever"

1943

First film appearance, a bit part in "Happy Land"

Awards

1979

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama in From Here to Eternity

1966

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in This Property Is Condemned

1965

Golden Globe Award for Henrietta Award (World Film Favorites)

1965

Golden Globe Award for Actress in a Leading Role - Musical Or Comedy in Inside Daisy Clover

1963

Academy Award for Actress in Love With the Proper Stranger

1963

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Love With the Proper Stranger

1962

Golden Globe Award for Actress in a Leading Role - Musical Or Comedy in Gypsy

1961

Academy Award for Actress in Splendor in the Grass

1961

Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Splendor in the Grass

1956

Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year - Actress

1955

Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Rebel Without a Cause