Honestly, if you were around in 1983, you couldn’t escape it. The Winds of War wasn’t just a TV show; it was a cultural monolith. 140 million people tuned in. That is a staggering number of eyeballs for a story about global catastrophe. But when people search for "The Winds of War actress," they are usually looking for one of three women who defined the series, and usually, they're looking for the one everyone loved to hate.
The Natalie Jastrow Controversy: Ali MacGraw
Ali MacGraw was the biggest name in the cast next to Robert Mitchum. She was the quintessential Winds of War actress, playing the brilliant, stubborn, and eventually imperiled Natalie Jastrow. But here is the thing: the critics absolutely savaged her.
They called her "wooden." They said she was too old for the part. In the book, Natalie is in her early 20s. MacGraw was in her early 40s during filming. You’ve probably noticed that Hollywood has a long history of casting 40-year-olds as ingenues, but in a production this massive, the gap was hard to ignore.
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People often forget how much pressure was on her. She had been away from the screen for years after her marriage to Steve McQueen. This was supposed to be her massive comeback. Instead, when the sequel War and Remembrance rolled around a few years later, she was famously replaced by Jane Seymour. It’s one of the most high-profile recasts in television history. Some say it was because the subject matter—Natalie’s journey into the heart of the Holocaust—required a different kind of gravitas. Others just think the network panicked after the reviews.
Why MacGraw’s performance actually works (kinda)
If you watch it today, she isn't actually that bad. She has this frantic, nervous energy that actually fits a woman trapped in fascist Italy. She looked like a 1940s fashion plate, which some complained looked too "modern," but it gave Natalie a specific, sharp edge.
The Heart of the Show: Victoria Tennant
While everyone was arguing about MacGraw, Victoria Tennant was quietly stealing the show as Pamela Tudsbury. If you're looking for the Winds of War actress who played the "other woman," it's her.
Pamela was the daughter of a British journalist, and she fell for the much older (and very married) Pug Henry.
- She brought a certain "cool" to the screen.
- Tennant actually received a Golden Globe nomination for the role.
- She stayed on for the sequel, providing the only continuity for Pug’s romantic interests.
It’s interesting to note that Tennant’s career took a very "Hollywood" turn shortly after. She met Steve Martin on the set of All of Me and ended up marrying him. She became a fixture of 80s and 90s cinema, but for many, she will always be the woman waiting for a naval officer in a London fog.
The Underrated Power of Polly Bergen
We have to talk about Polly Bergen. She played Rhoda Henry, Pug’s wife. In many ways, Rhoda is the most difficult character to like. She’s flighty, she’s bored, and she has an affair while her husband is literally trying to stop World War II.
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Bergen was incredible. She didn't play Rhoda as a villain; she played her as a woman who was deeply lonely and ill-equipped for the era she lived in. She snagged an Emmy nomination for it. Most people recognize Bergen from her later work—maybe you saw her as Lynette Scavo’s mother on Desperate Housewives or in The Sopranos. But The Winds of War was her mid-career masterpiece.
What happened to the cast?
Life after a 15-hour miniseries is weird.
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- Ali MacGraw basically left Hollywood. She moved to Santa Fe, got into yoga, and became a massive advocate for animal rights. She’s said in interviews that she did Dynasty later just for the money, but her heart wasn't in the "fame" game anymore.
- Victoria Tennant transitioned into writing and remained active in the industry, though she largely stepped away from the "leading lady" spotlight.
- Jane Seymour (who took over the Natalie role in the sequel) used that momentum to become the "Queen of the Miniseries" before her long run on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you are planning a rewatch or diving into this world for the first time, don't just watch the show. Read Herman Wouk’s book. It provides the internal monologues that MacGraw was trying (and sometimes failing) to project.
Also, keep an eye on the background. The production was so big they used real historical locations that don't look like that anymore. The "actress" in this series isn't just the women on screen; it's the period-accurate atmosphere that ABC spent $40 million to create.
Check out the remastered Blu-ray if you can find it. The old DVD transfers are grainy and don't do the cinematography justice. Seeing the expressions on Polly Bergen's face in high definition changes how you view the Henry marriage entirely.