Natalie Trundy, a fair, freckled, and lovely actress of Italian and Irish heritage, was born Natalie Campagna on August 5, 1940, in Boston, as the elder of two daughters. She began her career as a child model, taking dance classes and developing an early interest in acting, even before graduating from elementary school.
Natalie made her television debut as a singing and dancing "Little Red Riding Hood" in a Fred Waring live broadcast, and quickly transitioned to radio and commercial work. She made her Broadway debut at the age of 13, playing Janet Blair's daughter in the play "A Girl Can Tell." She continued to appear in various Broadway productions, including the musical "By the Beautiful Sea" alongside Shirley Booth and the short-lived play "Girls of Summer" with Shelley Winters.
At the age of 15, Natalie made her film debut in the Italian film "The Montecarlo Story" (1956),featuring Marlene Dietrich and Vittorio De Sica. She was introduced to producer Arthur P. Jacobs, who represented Ms. Dietrich at the time, and was subsequently cast in the film "The Careless Years" (1957),a troubled teen love story co-starring Dean Stockwell.
Natalie put her career on hold to attend New York's Briarcliff College, but was struck by a car in 1963 and suffered a serious back injury that ended her acting career. She was reintroduced to producer Jacobs a few years later and they married in London in 1968. Jacobs was producing the "Planet of the Apes" film series at the time, and Natalie made her return to film in the sequels, beginning with her role as "Albina" in "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" (1970).
Natalie's husband, Jacobs, died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 51 in 1973, while she was on location in Mississippi. Natalie went on to assume production duties of his film company, APJAC productions. She married five times, including a brief marriage to Gucci executive Carmine Roberto Foggia, with whom she had her daughter and son.
After her acting career, Natalie volunteered for years at Mother Theresa's hospice in Kolkata, India. She passed away on December 5, 2019, at the age of 79, due to natural causes.
