From Soap Star to Bond Girl: The Hollywood Rebel Who Defined 1970s Glamour
It’s 1971, and flashbulbs are firing across the Las Vegas strip. In the midst of it all stands a woman with a mischievous smile, auburn hair framing her face, her presence magnetic.
That woman was Lana Wood — a Californian actress, producer, and one of the unforgettable icons of early 1970s Hollywood. Best known for her turn as the bold, glamorous Plenty O’Toole in
Diamonds Are Forever, she embodied the charm, confidence, and energy of a new kind of screen siren.
Born Svetlana Nikolaevna Zakharenko on March 1, 1946, in Santa Monica, California, Lana was the younger sister of film legend Natalie Wood. Growing up in a Russian immigrant family, she and her sister were immersed in both culture and ambition.
While Natalie would become one of the most celebrated actresses of her generation, Lana was never content to live in anyone’s shadow. She had her own spark — fierce, playful, and determined to make her mark.
Her career began early. At just 12 years old, Lana appeared in John Ford’s The Searchers (1956), playing the younger version of Natalie’s character. It was a poetic start — the two sisters sharing the same role in a film that would go down as one of the great American Westerns.
But Lana’s ambitions soon grew beyond following her sister’s path. By her late teens, she was working steadily in television, appearing in popular series like The Fugitive, Bonanza, and
Mission: Impossible.
In 1966, her career took a major leap when she joined the cast of Peyton Place, the groundbreaking prime-time soap that captivated American audiences with its mix of scandal and sophistication.
As Betty Anderson, Lana became a household name, admired for her mix of beauty and fire. The series proved that she wasn’t just a pretty face — she could act, and she could hold her own in a show filled with stars.
Then came Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Cast as Plenty O’Toole opposite Sean Connery’s James Bond, Lana brought wit, glamour, and a spark of humor to the role. Her performance was brief but unforgettable — a perfect example of how charisma can make a small part shine like a diamond.
The same year, she posed for Playboy, a decision that generated headlines but also marked a declaration of independence. Lana wasn’t interested in being defined by Hollywood’s expectations. She was unapologetically herself — bold, modern, and free.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Lana continued to work steadily in film and television. She appeared in The Wild Wild West, Love, American Style, Starsky and Hutch, and
Fantasy Island, among many others.
Her versatility allowed her to move easily between drama, comedy, and adventure. Whether playing a sultry guest star or a strong supporting role, she brought warmth and energy to every performance.
Behind the scenes, however, life was not always as glamorous as the screen suggested. The death of her sister Natalie Wood in 1981 cast a long shadow over Lana’s life.
The tragedy not only affected her personally but became a decades-long pursuit of truth. Lana would go on to write a memoir, Natalie: A Memoir by Her Sister, offering both a tribute and a candid perspective on her family’s history.
Her determination to keep her sister’s story alive reflected her loyalty and strength — traits that defined her far more than any film role.
In later years, Lana transitioned toward producing and advocacy work, using her experience and name to help young actors navigate Hollywood’s challenges.
She also devoted herself to charity efforts, often participating in events supporting veterans, children’s hospitals, and animal welfare. Even when the spotlight faded, Lana’s generosity and resilience never dimmed.
Today, Lana Wood stands as a fascinating figure of classic Hollywood — a woman who lived through its golden years, carved her own space within it, and continued to evolve long after its heyday.
She is part of a rare generation of performers who bridged old-school glamour with modern independence, refusing to be typecast or silenced.
For audiences who remember her as Plenty O’Toole, she remains the embodiment of that 1970s blend of glamour and grit — stylish, sharp, and unforgettable. For those discovering her anew, she is a reminder of an era when movie stars were larger than life, yet still human, vulnerable, and fiercely determined.
From Peyton Place to Diamonds Are Forever, from the bright lights of the Bond franchise to the quieter triumphs of resilience and advocacy, Lana Wood’s story is one of courage — a woman who faced both fame and loss, and still found ways to create, inspire, and give back.
More than five decades after that photograph was taken in 1971, Lana’s legacy endures — not just as a Bond girl or a Hollywood beauty, but as a woman who refused to be defined by anyone else’s script. She may have entered the world’s stage as “Plenty O’Toole,” but in truth, she has always been plenty more.
