My mother used to tell me, No matter what they ask you, always say yes. You can learn later.

Early years
Wood was born Natalia Nikolaevna Zacharenko in San Francisco to Russian immigrant parents Nikolai Stepanovich Zakharenko and Maria Stepanovna (née Zudilova; 1912–1996). Wood also dated actors Michael Caine Steve McQueen Tony Curtis Warren Beatty Dennis Hopper singer Elvis Presley director Henry Jaglom and politician Jerry Brown. Wood said Natalie Wood had had a crush on Wagner since Natalie Wood was a child and on her 18th birthday Natalie Wood went on a studio-arranged date with the 26-year-old actor.

During her career from child actress to adult star her films represented a "coming of age" for both her and Hollywood films in general. As a teenager her performance in Rebel Without a Cause (1955) earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. After first working in films as a child Wood became a successful Hollywood star as a young adult receiving three Academy Award nominations before Natalie Wood was 25 years old.