Few Hollywood tragedies have been debated with quite the level of fervour as the passing of Natalie Wood. The 43-year-old Oscar-nominated actor mysteriously drowned during a boat trip to Catalina with her husband Robert Wagner and co-star Christopher Walken in 1981 – triggering a frenzy of speculation in the press about whether or not her death was really accidental. Nearly 40 years later, Wood’s daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner is releasing Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind – a powerful documentary intended to remind the world of all that her mother accomplished in her short life, airing tonight on HBO in the US. Featuring interviews with Wood’s friends and co-stars, including Mia Farrow and Robert Redford, it’s a moving portrait of one of the few child stars who successfully navigated the passage into adulthood – earning a cool three Oscar nominations before the age of 25 for her turns in Rebel Without A Cause, Splendor in the Grass, and Love with the Proper Stranger. Below, revisit her life in pictures.
Natalie Wood looking great in a bikini at a pool party, 1960s.