 Natalie Wood (I) (qv) was first considered too naive and wholesome  for the role of Judy. She began changing her looks and eventually  attracted the notice of director Nicholas Ray (qv), who began an  affair with her but still would not guarantee her the part, though  he eventually relented. Both Ray and Wood later claimed that he  changed his mind after she was in a car accident with  Dennis Hopper (qv) and someone in the hospital called her a  "goddamn juvenile delinquent".