Her and co-star Richard Beymer's singing voices were both dubbed in West Side Story (1961). The woman who dubbed Natalie, Marni Nixon, also dubbed Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady (1964) and Deborah Kerr in The King and I (1956).
Her best friends included actresses Stefanie Powers, Dyan Cannon and Carol Lynley. She was a childhood friend of her widower's current wife Jill St. John but they were not close as adults.
Her death was kismet, as she always cited a fear of water.
Her death was listed at number 24 on E! Televisions 101 Most Shocking Moments in Entertainment.
Her father, Nick Gurdin, died of a heart attack on Tuesday, November 18th, 1980 at age 66.
Her mother, Maria Gurdin, died of pneumonia on January 6, 1998 at age 85.
Her mother, Maria, claimed that the family was closely related to the Romanov dynasty.
Her sister is Lana Wood. Her half-sister is Olga Viriapaeff.
Her sole niece, Evan Taylor Maldanado, born on Sunday, August 11th, 1974.
If she lived, she would have two grand-nephews, Nicholas (born 1998) and Max (born 2003), and a grand-niece, Daphne (born 2000). Their mother is Evan Maldanado, who is the daughter of Natalie's sister Lana Wood.
In March 2010, her sister Lana Wood spoke out about her death, announcing that she wants the case re-opened.
Interred at Westwood Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California, USA, Section D, #60. On her grave, marked Natalie Wood Wagner: Beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother & friend "more than love".
Measurements: 32-20 1/2-32 (at age 18), 32B-22-33 (at age 24, "Parade" magazine December 1962), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine).
Met Robert Redford at Van Nuys High School when she was a sophomore and he was a senior. Natalie was Redford's leading lady in his first starring role, in This Property Is Condemned (1966).
Mother of Natasha Gregson Wagner and Courtney Wagner.
Named after director Sam Wood.
Often played the love interest of a significantly older man (Frank Sinatra, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Gene Kelly and Tony Curtis) or one that was several years older (James Garner, James Dean, Michael Caine, Tab Hunter and Steve McQueen). With the exception of Dean and McQueen, all of these actors ultimately outlived her.
On Suturday, April 23rd, 1966, she made Harvard history when she became the first performer voted the year's worst by the Harvard Lampoon to show up and accept her citation.
Once interviewed Arnold Schwarzenegger, before his career took off, for the magazine "Hollywood Reporter" in 1979 two years before her her death. The article was entitled "The Body meets the Face".
Pallbearers at her funeral were Rock Hudson, Frank Sinatra, Laurence Olivier, Elia Kazan, Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Fred Astaire.