People Magazine (USA) named her one of "The 25 most intriguing People of 1976" for the January 3 1977 issue.
Portrayed by Rebecca Budig in James Dean: Race with Destiny (1997) (TV), by Justine Waddell in The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004) (TV) and by Abi Young in Elvis (1979/I) (TV).
Reportedly turned down Warren Beatty's offer to play opposite him in Bonnie and Clyde (1967) because she didn't want to be separated from her analyst while the film was on location in the Midwest.
She is the inspiration of High School Musical (2006) (TV) star, Vanessa Hudgens.
She starred in over 40 theatrical films between ages 4 and 27. She went into semi-retirement afterwards, only appearing in five movies between age 28 and her death at 43.
She suffered from a deep fear of drowning after having barely survived an accident when she was a little girl, during the filming of The Green Promise (1949). Her fear was so great that Elia Kazan had to lie - promising a double - and trick her into doing the scenes at the water reservoir in Splendor in the Grass (1961). She also had to do her own swimming scenes in "From Here to Eternity" (1979) despite her protests.
She was cast as Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1976) (TV) quite unexpectedly, without campaigning for the role. Wood explained that when Laurence Olivier would come to Hollywood, she would often be seated with him at the table at formal sit-down dinners. When Olivier decided to make a version of the Tennessee Williams play, he thought of casting Wood, his dinner companion, and her husband, Robert Wagner, in the husband-wife roles of Brick and Maggie. Naturally, they accepted.
Sister Lana Wood wrote the best-selling book about her titled "Natalie: a Memoir by Her Sister".
Splendour, the name of the yacht Wood was on the night she died, was named after her movie Splendor in the Grass (1961). She co-starred in the film with former love Warren Beatty.
Spoke Russian and English.
Started smoking at age 16. She remained a heavy smoker until her death at age 43.
The daughter of a Russian architect and a French ballerina could do a proper plié before she could barely walk.
The rubber dinghy "Prince Valiant" she'd allegedly been trying to board after falling from husband Robert Wagner's yacht that fateful Thanksgiving weekend in 1981, was named after Wagner's movie Prince Valiant (1954), a film the actor considered among his worst.
Though some people cite her mother as being French, her mother is Russian. The source of this misconception comes from the studio that Natalie worked at when she was a child -- people noticed her mother's accent and when asked if she was French, Maria replied: "Oh yes", a white lie that would contribute to this confusion.
Turned down roles in the films Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Barefoot in the Park (1967), Goodbye, Columbus (1969), Love Story (1970), The Great Gatsby (1974) and The Towering Inferno (1974). After the mid-1970s, high-profile plum roles were no longer being offered to her due to the fact that she did not appear in any widely released films for a decade after Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) and was no longer considered bankable.
Turned down the role that went to Faye Dunaway in The Towering Inferno (1974) because she thought the script was "mediocre.".
Twice appeared in her husband's television series Switch (1975) (TV) in cameos.
Voted one of the top sex stars of the 1970s in Playboy magazine.
Was Maureen O'Hara daughter in two movies, one being the classic Miracle on 34th Street (1947). Natalie referred to Maureen as Mama Maureen till her death in 1981.
Was chosen over Ann-Margret to play the title role in Gypsy (1962).