Lana Wood Biography

The younger sister of actress Natalie Wood, Lana Wood made her first film appearance at age ten, playing Natalie as a child in John Ford's classic Western The Searchers (1956). It would be nearly a decade before Lana began her performing career in earnest, co-starring in the 20th Century Fox TV series The Long, Hot Summer (1965) and Peyton Place (1966-1967 season) as, respectively, Eula Harker and Sandy Webber. Projecting a sexier image than sister Natalie, Lana was supremely suited for such film roles as Plenty O'Toole in the 1970 James Bond flick Diamonds Are Forever. She later essayed the more sedate characterization of middle-aged matron Fran Burke in the CBS daytime drama Capitol. In 1985, Lana Wood published the biographical Natalie: A Memoir. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi