Today is November 29. On this day in history in 1981, off Catalina Island, California, Natalie Wood died in a boating accident. She fell off a boat and drowned according to the official accounts.

She was born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko in San Francisco, California, to Russian Orthodox immigrants. She started as a child actor and moved easily into adult roles.

She is one of only nine former child actors to have been nominated for an Oscar, and she won it for best support actress in "Rebel Without a Cause" in 1955.

She also won a couple of Golden Globes and other foreign awards.

I read her biography. How sad that woman as beautiful and as talanted as she was, had to live in fear and torment from her mother, from her future, from her fame. I agree with some of you, her eyes were the magnet, she had such an emotion and vulnaribility about her, she was a true classical actress. So sad that she had to go so young...

natalie wood was enchanting and i had a huge crush on her for about ten years. i cried when she died.

Those engaging eyes were the first thing that set Natalie Wood apart from all other actresses for me. When I first saw her in West Side Story I knew that Natalie was special. She held so much compassion in her eyes that I knew immediately she had a story to tell. I found 'Natalie Wood' the actress to be brilliant and a delight to watch on screen, but 'Natasha' the person to be a truly remarkable yet helpless figure. When I see great talent I'm always eager to know more about them personally. After reading and watching biographies and learning more and more about 'Natasha' I learned that her surroundings controlled her. Deep down she was yearning to be herself, whomever that was. At times her 'Natalie Wood' persona overpowered her inner self, but throughout Natalie's life she became more aware of who she was. I believe that Natalie was a generous person with whom one would have been honored to be in her presence. Unfortunately, her presence is no longer with us and that deeply saddens me. She had so much life left to live and so much more to accomplish, but hopefully now she is at peace. I will always remember 'Natasha' and think of her fondly. May she rest in peace.

In my opinion one of the most beautiful and talented actresses, EVER. Splendor in the Grass still makes me cry. She had the most expressive eyes.

A very charming and endearing actress whop displayed depth and versatility. Great looking, too. However, she was miscast in a number of her roles (Gypsy, The Searchers, West Side Story) and the roles dried up for her by the time she was 30. Too bad. At about that time, movies in general started their long descent toward the level of unmitigated crap that they're in today, and a talent as rare and precious as Wood's had no place in the gathering tripe of post-code Hollywood. She was wonderful in Splendor in the Grass, Rebel Without a Cause, Love With The Proper Stranger. A shame she died at an age when more mature roles might have been available to her.

Know her mostly for West Side Story. But I did see her in Gypsy and she was fantastic.

Was very believable in her role as the sad sheltered Maria in West Side Story.

I Always liked her movies.

Amazing person, I'll always remember her last lines from Splendor in the Grass.

splendor in the grass!! what a role, what a soulful actress, beautiful beautiful sweet person, taken too early

Natalie was a very cute girl and so tallented. She became very beautiful and ended up in so many different things. It is so sad that she ended up dying at such a young age.

Natalie Wood is one of my favorite actresses next to Debbie Reynolds, Vivien Leigh and June Allyson. I remember when she died Thanksgiving weekend of 1981. So very sad and tragic. She was so beautiful and talented. I really love Splendor in the Grass, West Side Story, Gypsy and Rebel Without a Cause.

Such a gorgeous girl! More than that: a very fine actress. See "Splendor in the grass", "Love with the proper stranger" and "This property is condemned" : you sure will agree with me! Nat, we shall always remember and love you.

Natalie is my all-time favorite actress. She's one of the few who remained successful from the time she was a child all the way until her death. How could you NOT love her in Miracle on 34th Street, Splendor in the Grass (the best movie ever...), Rebel Without a Cause, West Side Story, and so many more? I wish she were still alive, but she will forever remain a legend.

My favorite actress. I want to BE Natalie Wood! No, I take that back... I want to be Gypsy Rose Lee. However, it is her "top name" films that get all the credit. I must say "Love with a Perfect Stranger" was simply some of her best work, and it was such an avant guarde film (for its time).

I have no idea how good her acting was. When I looked at Natalie Wood, I just wanted to look at Natalie Wood (ahem!). Those big dark soulful, yet innocent eyes...she deserved a fine looking man like Robert Wagner for a husband. How's this for a sophisticated rating? Ha! (I'll take Natasha Gurgin over Natasha Fatale any day.)

She was a great child actress and as she grew older she became sort of the girl next door - with perhaps a slightly rebellious edge. Whatever the case, she was just an all round good actress, not to mention very attractive.

I love her , I think she was so pretty and really a good actress.

I liked Natalie Wood in a lot of the movies she did. She was adorable in Miracle on 34th street. She was good in West Side Story. and I liked her in Gypsy.She is not my favorite actress but I have liked her work in some of her movies.

She's had a few good movies, and some of them she did really well in, but she also had some really stupid movies, like that Penelope movie in 1960.

Charming and talented actress who died way too young. Showed great love and devotion by vowing to spend maximum time with her daughters, setting her movie career aside.

A rare beauty and talent. Her remarkable performance as a child in Miracle on 34th Street will never be forgotten. Her beauty was so rare and natural, unlike most of today's stars, she had charisma and class. She was as beautiful and talented as an adult as she was as a child.

We need more people rating Natalie Wood. She wasn't my favorite actress but she was good and I always enjoyed watching her in Miracle On 34th St.

Natalie is still one of my all-time favorites. Spectacularly good in Miracle on 34th Street, Rebel Without a Cause, Splendor in the Grass, West Side Story, Gypsy, Love with the Proper Stranger, The Great Race, and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.