Natalie Wood

Wood appeared in 56 films for cinema and television. Following her death, Time magazine noted that although critical praise for Wood had been sparse throughout her career, "she always had work."

Biographer Suzanne Finstad writes that when Wood was 15, she had an affair with 38-year-old Frank Sinatra. Finstad also writes that at age 16, Wood had an affair with 43-year-old bisexual director Nicholas Ray in exchange for him casting her in the film Rebel Without a Cause. Wood was dating actor Dennis Hopper during the affair with Ray. She also went on studio-arranged "dates" with older men that included then-closeted homosexual actors Tab Hunter and Nick Adams. At age 17, Wood dated 38-year-old bisexual actor Raymond Burr.

Since the age of nine, Wood had had a crush on actor Robert Wagner, which she mentioned in various interviews. On her 18th birthday, she met the 26-year-old actor but did not pursue a relationship immediately. Read Less

Wood died by accidental drowning while on a weekend trip to Santa Catalina Island with her husband, Robert Wagner, actor Christopher Walken, and the boat's captain, Dennis Davern. Many facts surrounding her drowning are unknown, as no one saw how she entered the water. Los Angeles County coroner Thomas Noguchi ruled her death an accident by drowning and hypothermia following his investigation. According to the autopsy report, Wood had dozens of bruises on her body, including injuries to her face and arms. The autopsy found that her blood alcohol level was .14, and an examining doctor stated that it was higher when she went overboard. They also found two drugs in her bloodstream: Cyclivine, a sea-sickness pill, and Darvon, a painkiller, which they believed caused a "much more drunken state" when combined with alcohol. The case was reopened in late 2011 based on new witness statements, and after nearly two months of further investigation, no new evidence to contradict the original conclusion and cause of death was found.

Natalie Wood was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery. Scores of international media and photographers as well as the public tried to attend Wood's funeral at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery; however, all were required to remain outside the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery walls. Among the celebrity attendees were Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Fred Astaire, Rock Hudson, David Niven, Gregory Peck, Gene Kelly, Elia Kazan and Sir Laurence Olivier. Read Less