Natalie Wood began her acting career at a young age, starting in television and then transitioning to feature films. Wood made her movie debut at the age of 8 in Tomorrow Is Forever and gained attention for her roles in films such as Miracle on 34th Street and Rebel Without a Cause, in which she starred alongside James Dean.
Sadly, Wood perished while on a boat trip to Santa Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California with husband Robert Wagner on November 29, 1981, at the age of 43. However, before her death, the actress was mother to two daughters, Natasha, whom she had with Richard Gregson, and Courtney Wagner, both of whom are now grown up.
Natasha Gregson Wagner says shares details about her childhood
Although she was only 11 years old when her mother passed away, Natasha had vivid memories of their time together. In her memoir, More Than Love, she shared some of her cherished memories stating that they both even shared the same name. “My mother named me Natasha. Before Hollywood renamed her Natalie Wood, she had been Natasha Gurdin,” Natasha wrote. “She was Big Natasha, and I was Little Natasha. We were Natasha. She was Mommie and I was her ‘Natooshie.’ She also called me ‘Natashinka,’ or her pet name for me, her ‘petunia.'”
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Also, in an interview with Backstage, Natasha shared that her upbringing was unique in the sense that she did not feel ashamed of her body, and topics surrounding sex were not considered taboo. She stated that this openness was fostered by the presence of two father figures in her life, who had a positive influence on her perspective. “My parents raised me quite liberally, and if you look at pictures of me as a child, I was always naked,” Natasha confessed. “I was lucky with my parents because we talked about sex, and it was never a dirty thing. It was always a beautiful, empowering thing. I want to share that view.”
Natalie Wood’s daughters have maintained a cordial relationship
Despite being half-sisters, Natasha and Courtney have continued to maintain a high level of closeness even after their mom’s death. In an interview with People, the 52-year-old revealed that despite the rumors surrounding her mother’s death, the family was closely knitted. “From as far back as I can remember,” she noted, “my family was so happy and engaged with each other.”
Also, in an interview with People magazine, Courtney stated that she was annoyed with the popular narrative that her dad, Robert Wagner, was responsible for her mother’s death. “My Dad and sisters experienced a true tragedy together and were each traumatized, but we had each other to make living bearable and found ways to move on,” she detailed. “Having gone through something like that together, I always felt especially bonded to my dad and Katie and Natasha. It made me feel especially angry for all the terrible things said about my father.”