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Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood

Actor · Died November 29, 1981, aged 43 · San Francisco, California, USA

Natalie Wood (née Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring role at age 8 in Miracle on 34th Street (1947). As a teenager, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), followed by a role in John Ford's The Searchers (1956). Wood starred in the musical films West Side Story (1961) and Gypsy (1962) and received nominations for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in Splendor in the Grass (1961) and Love with the Proper Stranger (1963). Her career continued with films such as Sex and the Single Girl (1964), Inside Daisy Clover (1965), and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969). During the 1970s, Wood began a hiatus from film and had two daughters: one with her second husband Richard Gregson, and one with Robert Wagner, her first husband whom she married again after divorcing Gregson. She acted in only two feature films throughout the decade, but she appeared slightly more often in television productions, including a remake of From Here to Eternity (1979) for which she won a Golden Globe Award. Wood's films represented a "coming of age" for her and for Hollywood films in general. Critics have suggested that her cinematic career represents a portrait of modern American womanhood in transition, as she was one of the few to take both child roles and those of middle-aged characters. Wood died off the coast of Santa Catalina Island on November 29, 1981, at age 43, during a holiday break from the production of her would-be comeback film Brainstorm (1983) with Christopher Walken. The events surrounding her death have been the subject of conflicting witness statements, prompting the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, under the instruction of the coroner's office, to list her cause of death as "drowning and other undetermined factors" in 2012. Description above from the Wikipedia article Natalie Wood, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 20, 1938
Died
November 29, 1981 (aged 43)
From
San Francisco, California, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
47 on MovieCove · 81 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 2% in 30 days

What are Natalie Wood's films like?

Across their 42 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama18 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
38%
Self
27%
Society
12%
Morality
8%
Survival
7%
Ideas
4%
Power
4%
Family bonds17 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love12 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth8 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age6 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage4 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 42 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 19 · Serious 8 · Dark 15

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 23 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 16 · Charged 17 · Intense 9

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 17 · Shifting 22 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 24 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 9

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 23 · Even-paced 18 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 28 · Engaged 13 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 20 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 14

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 37 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

31 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 9 of 31 analyzed roles.

Hero
9 of 31
Ally
8 of 31
Shapeshifter
6 of 31
Herald
5 of 31
Trickster
3 of 31
Show the 31 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
25
Melancholic
16
Warm
12
Bittersweet
15
Romantic
12
Other
33

How their films linger

Bittersweet20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy19
  • Bittersweet19
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Natalie Wood's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 47 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Natalie Wood's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

81 credits, 47 with a MovieCove page; 36 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Proust Palimpsesto: Pastiches e Misturas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Debbie Edwards - Age 15 (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • Howard(2018)

    as Maria (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Natalie Wood: An American Murder Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Actor

  • Hollywood, No Sex Please!(2018)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1960's (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as (archive footage)

  • Death In Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Actor

  • Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as (archive footage)

  • Brainstorm(1983)

    as Karen Brace

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady(1982)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Memory of Eva Ryker(1980)

    as Eva Ryker / Claire Ryker

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Last Married Couple in America(1980)

    as Mari Thompson

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • From Here to Eternity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 12 episodes · as Karen Holmes

  • Meteor(1979)

    as Tatiana Donskaya

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Hart to Hart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Movie Star

  • The Cracker Factory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Cassie Barrett

  • From Here to Eternity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 3 episodes · as Karen Holmes

  • Cat on a Hot Tin Roof(1976)

    as Margaret

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Laurence Olivier Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Margaret

  • Peeper(1975)

    as Ellen Prendergast

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Switch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · as Cruise Ship Passenger (uncredited)

  • The Affair(1973)

    as Courtney Patterson

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Candidate(1972)

    as Natalie Wood

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice(1969)

    as Carol Sanders

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Penelope(1966)

    as Penelope

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • This Property Is Condemned(1966)

    as Alva Starr

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Inside Daisy Clover(1965)

    as Daisy Clover

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Great Race(1965)

    as Maggie Dubois

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Sex and the Single Girl(1964)

    as Helen Gurley Brown

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Love with the Proper Stranger(1963)

    as Angie Rossini

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Gypsy(1962)

    as Louise Hovick/Gypsy Rose Lee

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • West Side Story(1961)

    as Maria

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Splendor in the Grass(1961)

    as Wilma "Deanie" Loomis

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • All the Fine Young Cannibals(1960)

    as Sarah "Salome" Davis

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Cash McCall(1960)

    as Lory Austen

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Kings Go Forth(1958)

    as Monique Blair

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Marjorie Morningstar(1958)

    as Marjorie Morgenstern

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Bombers B-52(1957)

    as Lois Brennan

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Girl He Left Behind(1956)

    as Susan Daniels

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Burning Hills(1956)

    as Maria-Christina Colton

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • A Cry in the Night(1956)

    as Elizabeth

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Deadly Riddle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Lady Marian

  • The Searchers(1956)

    as Debbie Edwards

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Feathertop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Polly Gookin

  • Rebel Without a Cause(1955)

    as Judy

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Heidi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Klara Sesseman

  • Kings Row (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 2 episodes · as Renee Gyllinson

  • One Desire(1955)

    as Seely Dowder

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Too Old for Dolls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Polly Ramsay

  • The Wild Bunch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Louise

  • The Silver Chalice(1954)

    as Helena as a Girl

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Sherwood Anderson's I'm A Fool (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Lucy

  • Studio 57 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Return of the Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Renee Marchand

  • Playmates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Monica

  • Mayor of the Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 34 episodes · as Mayor's Niece

  • The Pride of the Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 39 episodes · as Ann Morrison

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Lucy · as Polly Gookin

  • The Star(1952)

    as Gretchen

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Just for You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Barbara Blake

  • Four Star Playhouse(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Louise

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • The Rose Bowl Story(1952)

    as Sally Burke

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Chevron Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 1 episode · as Monica Everton

  • The Blue Veil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Stephanie Rawlins

  • Dear Brat(1951)

    as Pauline Baxter

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Jackpot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Phyllis Lawrence

  • The Jack Benny Program (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Natalie Wood

  • Never a Dull Moment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Nan Hayward

  • Our Very Own (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Penny Macaulay

  • No Sad Songs for Me(1950)

    as Polly Scott

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Father Was a Fullback(1949)

    as Ellen Cooper

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Green Promise(1949)

    as Susan Matthews

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Chicken Every Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Ruth Hefferen

  • Studio One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Jen Potter

  • Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!(1948)

    as Eufraznee 'Bean' McGill

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Driftwood(1947)

    as Jenny Hollingsworth

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Miracle on 34th Street(1947)

    as Susan Walker

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Ghost and Mrs. Muir(1947)

    as Anna Muir as a Child

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Bride Wore Boots(1946)

    as Carol Warren

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Tomorrow Is Forever(1946)

    as Margaret Ludwig

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Happy Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Little Girl Dropping Ice Cream Cone (uncredited)

  • The Moon Is Down(1943)

    as Carrie (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 81 titles from 1943 to 2026; peak year 1961.

Biggest box office

West Side Story (1961)

$44M worldwide

Highest rated

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Sex and the Single Girl (1964)

Film career

19432026

Peak 1961 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 14 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting81 of 81: 81 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score61st

By decade

1940s12 · acting1950s35 · acting1960s12 · acting1970s10 · acting1980s5 · acting1990s2 · acting2000s1 · acting2010s3 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 32% of 19 roles
465666

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Natalie Wood's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 60th percentile, the median of all 46; across their 42 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 42

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 42

Reach · how many have seen their films

55thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 42

Midcredits score across 47 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up17
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

21 of their 47 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Crowd Pleaser21
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed15

Most divisive · actor

Hollywood, No Sex Please! (2018)

64th percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 40 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Natalie Wood's work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles5–51 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity11 titles7–51 · median 22 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles3–38 · median 16 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs7 titles24–42 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense9 titles4–58 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Natalie Wood work with?

People who share at least 2 of Natalie Wood's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jim Backus shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles