Natalie Wood, born in 1938, started working on films as a child and grew successful as a young adult, receiving three Academy Award nominations before she was 25. She was well-known for her role in movies such as "Miracle on 34th Street," "Splendor in the Grass," and "West Side Story." In addition to these hits, there were other roles she missed that other actresses made famous.
Wood very much wanted the lead role in "Sophie’s Choice,"
according to Newsweek. While she was considered for the part, ultimately Meryl Streep was the actress picked for the role, which devastated Wood.
Wood suffered a breakdown, leading her to turn down roles in key films in order to take a break,
the BBC reported. One of these instances was turning down the role of Daisy Buchanan in "The Great Gatsby." Mia Farrow was picked to star in the poplar 1974 film.
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Around the same time, the BBC said Wood turned down a role in the movie "Bonnie and Clyde." Wood was among several actresses who turned down this role, including Jane Fonda, Tuesday Weld, Sharon Tate, and Ann-Margret. Faye Dunaway was then chosen and she took the role.
"The Towering Inferno," released in 1974, was another role Wood turned down because she was pregnant with her second child and found the script mediocre. The role was then given to Dunaway. The film was a success, earning a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture and was the highest grossing movie of 1974.
Turner Classic Movies said when Cary Grant became unsure of whether he should do the romantic suspense thriller, "Charade," because of the age difference between himself and Hepburn, Wood was considered as the leading lady for a younger co-star, who would replace Grant. Grant was going to star in another movie, causing Columbia to seek Paul Newman.
Newman’s rate proved to be too expensive, leading Columbia to seek Warren Beatty and Wood. When Columbia could not afford those actors, they sold Charade to Universal. At this point, Grant did not like the script of the current movie he was to star in and said he would like to do Charade. Hepburn was then kept as the leading lady in the film.
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