8 Things You Didn’t Know About Natalie Wood

➡ Natalie Wood Biography

Natalie Wood was one of the few child actors to achieve adult fame after starring as “Susan Walker” in Miracle on 34th Street until her tragic death. Long before the tragic boating accident, the actress had been dealing with a number of dark clouds in her life. Natalie’s world was filled with unfortunate influences who took advantage of her beauty and talent from a young age, including members of her own family. Here are 8 interesting facts about Natalie Wood.

8 Things You Didn’t Know About Natalie Wood

1. Had An Overbearing Mother

Natalie began her career at the age of five, and she was frequently the victim of her overbearing mother’s attempts to fulfill her own dreams of stardom. According to Newsweek, her mother, Maria, even went so far as to prevent her daughter from reporting a sexual assault by a powerful producer when she was only 16 years old. ((News Week))

2. Covered Up Her Injury With Bracelets

A scene in 1949’s The Green Promise called for the young actress to run across a bridge that would then collapse. Natalie ended up with a broken arm as a result of the stunt not going as planned. Her wrist never healed properly, so she always wore large bracelets to hide a protruding bone.

3. Hated Her Stage Name

Natalie was born Natasha Nikolaevna Zacharenko on July 20, 1938, but as was common in the early days of her career, a studio executive changed her name to the one we see on her film credits. She once stated that she disliked her stage name.

4. Lost A Crucial Role

It’s difficult to argue with “Meryl Streep’s” casting in Sophie’s Choice, especially since she won one of her many Oscars for the role, but it devastated Natalie at the time. She was desperate to get back into the business, but she kept getting passed over for younger actresses, despite being in her early 40s.

5. Afraid Of Water

As Entertainment Weekly reported in 1992, one of the most enigmatic aspects of Natalie’s death was the location. “I’m scared to death of the water,” the actress said, quoting herself. I can swim a little bit, but I’m afraid of dark water.” Statements like this are what have kept rumors circulating since her death in 1981. ((Entertainment))

6. Self Conscious

Wood was extremely image-conscious at the height of her fame, and she went to terrifying lengths to maintain her perfection. According to some sources, she would never leave the house without putting on a full face of makeup, even if she was just going to get her mail.

7. Childhood Crush

For her 18th birthday, Wood received a disturbing “present”: a studio-arranged date with handsome 26-year-old actor Robert Wagner. As the actress admitted, she had a crush on the Hollywood heartthrob since she was a little girl.

8. Took Overdoses Of Sleeping Pills

She had to have her stomach pumped three times in four years due to sleeping pill overdoses all before she was 28 years old. As a result, she spent the majority of her late twenties and a significant portion of her thirties focusing on her mental health rather than her Hollywood stardom.