Natalie McNeil, named after Hollywood legend Natalie Wood, was born in Indiana. She moved to Texas at age 2 with mother, Eileen, and big-brother, William. She was uprooted again at age 10 to live in Michigan. There, Natalie joined a local theater production to lose her accent.
From that time forward, Natalie appeared in plays, comedy skits, and on local cable television. In high winds and freezing rains, she played trumpet in the marching band and danced with flags in the color guard. During her junior year, an agent approached Natalie about modeling and acting. Her mother refused. Natalie was heartbroken, but never gave up on her dream of performing.
Natalie planned to attend a performing/fine arts college after high school. But after earning a perfect score on the ACT in science, she received an onslaught of ivy-league interest. Natalie was determined to pursue all her interests, and looked further for a university offering strong science and drama programs located in a warm climate with ocean access for scuba diving and scientific research.
Natalie accepted a full academic scholarship to the University of Miami in Florida. There she immersed herself in formal drama training between pre-med exams, scientific expeditions, and working with exotic animals (tigers, primates, bears, etc. to place towards an International Wildlife Biologist certification). Since graduation, Natalie has traveled to Africa, tropical islands, Europe, and throughout the United States.
Natalie's recent casting in co-star role for feature film SPIDER-MAN 3, and supporting role in HBO new television pilot PAWN, is tribute to her talent and tenacity.
Natalie is best described as a quick wit with a gregarious personality and quirky (even outrageous) sense of humor. She enjoys travel and feels at home in a tent in the tropics, or a black tie event at Versace's on South Beach. Her influence on brother Ben (www.bentopping.com) is evident by his growing talent resume. Natalie currently resides in Los Angeles, California with her cat and pet rat.