NATALIE WOOD'S DAUGHTER NATASHA GREGSON WAGNER TALKS WITH SHEILA GRAY

actress Natalie Wood starred in blockbuster films like West Side Story and rebel without a cause she was just 43 years old when she died and her life is the subject of a new documentary told by her daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner and directed by Laurent Boozer oh they're with us this morning to tell us about Natalie Wood what remains behind good morning to both of you thank you so much for taking time for us good morning thank you so much Sonia good morning Laurent Natasha let me start with you what are some of the new things that we will learn about your mom in this documentary Wow I think you'll learn so many things I mean you'll learn what a trail race trailblazer she was four women fighting for equal pay that she was on the forefront of equality for the LGBTQ community that she was a devoted mother to my sister Courtney and myself and a real family woman and you'll see the love story between she and my daddy Wagner you'll learn about her devotion to her friends her support for mental health and how much she regarded analysis I mean I think that you know she was somebody that was very very ahead of her time and very relevant to today's time Laura you've made many many documentaries and featurettes what stands out for you about this one well you know this was potentially the most emotional journey I've ever had as a filmmaker there was you know when we would do an interview I knew we were gonna be at some point talking about loss and I would each time get choked up I'm getting choked up right now because it and and as I was interviewing people and as I was getting emotional and and and talking about Natalie and and and all that I just realized that the audience would potentially feel the same way so I hope the emotions really come through for four people because this is a really powerful story and powerful journey and it was for me and I hope it's the same for viewers Natasha I I was reading a little bit about the the scenes in the documentary with you and you call him daddy Wagner your dad Robert Wagner what was it like to have to relive that on film well it was painful my daddy Wagner and I speak about the night that my mom died but you know it was also incredibly cathartic and I'm so grateful that I was able to give my father the space to speak about that night and share his experience of it you know he's been incredibly private as I have but we felt that this was the right time to do it and a safe place to do it you know together and I'm really really proud of of that scene and of my dad and you were also able to talk with a lot of people who knew your mother over the years whether they were in films with her or family friends how do you take all of that Laurent and focus it into one story when you have so much available to you well you know it's it takes a long time because we felt or I felt at least you know that I had this really beautiful young woman in Natasha to be my my through line and to be the point of view of that story and to sort of follow her in that journey was really sort of like my goal and so through her you discover all those different people all the people that have been meaningful in in Ali's life but it was you know my first cut for three hours long so to get down to an hour and 45 minutes was definitely a challenge because there's so much but I think we really know it's like being at a counter where you have all this perfume you know it was trying to find a one essence that really symbolized Natalie the best and Natasha I was extremely helpful and my editor and the whole team at and and it's Bo in in guiding those choices at times but I'm really proud of the beautiful bottle perfume that we've created together Natasha I've loved your mother my whole life and I can't wait to see the documentary thank you both were for sharing with us this morning thank you so much thank you be safe as well Natalie Wood what remains behind premieres on HBO tonight and we want to thank HBO for the satellite time today

Channel: Sheila Gray

Views: 29,483

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Id: Z5qnCDtyxfA

Length: 5min 0sec (300 seconds)

Published: Tue May 05 2020