Natalie Wood Height, Weight and Body Measurements

Natalie Wood was reported to stand about 5 ft 0 in / 152 cm, with a slight, petite frame that suited the roles she took in the 1950s and 60s. Studio-era biographies sometimes list her weight as roughly 100 to 110 lb (45 to 50 kg), but figures from that era are loose. She died in 1981 at age 43, and this article focuses on her work.

Quick facts

Petite on a big screen

Wood’s small stature was part of her screen identity. Studio publicity often described her as delicate, but her performances were anything but: she played headstrong teenagers, determined young women and, later, sophisticated leads with real emotional weight. Costume designers of the era favoured full skirts, nipped waists and soft colours that flattered her frame, and photographers loved her large, expressive eyes. Because Hollywood studios routinely adjusted the numbers they gave to the press, any exact height or weight from those years should be read as approximate.

A child on screen

Wood’s family was of Russian descent, and she began acting as a young girl. Her breakthrough came in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), in which she played Susan Walker opposite Maureen O’Hara and Edmund Gwenn. Few child performers of her time were as widely recognised, and the film remains a staple of holiday television. She went on to appear in a string of films through the late 1940s and early 50s, learning the craft in front of the camera.

Becoming an adult star

The transition many young actors fail to make came with Rebel Without a Cause (1955), opposite James Dean, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. At just 16 she had become a serious dramatic actress, and the film is still regarded as one of the defining portraits of teenage restlessness in American cinema. She followed with John Ford’s The Searchers (1956), where she played the older version of Debbie opposite John Wayne.

Peak years

The 1960s were her strongest decade. She was the lead in Splendor in the Grass (1961), West Side Story (1961) as Maria, Gypsy (1962) and Love with the Proper Stranger (1963), all of which brought acclaim. She was nominated for Oscars for Splendor in the Grass and Love with the Proper Stranger. Later came Inside Daisy Clover, This Property Is Condemned and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), plus television work.

West Side Story remains the film most people associate with her, and it won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It’s worth remembering that the singing in the film was largely dubbed, which was common studio practice at the time, but her acting as Maria is a large part of why the picture endures.

Marriages

She married actor Robert Wagner twice, in 1957 and again in 1972, and had a marriage to Richard Gregson in between. She remained a major star throughout.

Legacy

Her films are still screened, restored and discussed, and her work is a reference point for classic Hollywood style, in particular her elegant but approachable screen presence. Film students tend to start with Rebel Without a Cause and Splendor in the Grass, while casual viewers meet her through Miracle on 34th Street each December. Her career is unusual in that it spans childhood stardom, teen drama, musicals and adult romance with credibility in each.

What fans ask

People who search for her measurements are usually curious about how she fit the image of a 1960s leading lady. The most useful answer is that her appeal was never about size. She was petite, and casting directors often placed her opposite much taller actors, which made her expressive acting all the more noticeable.

Another frequent question is which film to watch first. For a sense of her range, Rebel Without a Cause shows her as a teenager finding her voice, West Side Story shows her in a lavish musical and Splendor in the Grass is often cited as her finest dramatic performance.

Fans also ask how she compares with other stars of the period. Her peers, such as Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn, had very different screen personas; Wood’s was more girl-next-door, giving her an accessible quality that audiences loved.

Frequently asked questions