Robert Wagner shared a rare photograph with daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner to mark her birthday, inviting followers to celebrate alongside the family.
The 96-year-old actor is known for Hart to Hart, It Takes a Thief and his role as Number Two in the Austin Powers movies.
Natasha is the daughter of the late actress Natalie Wood and British producer Richard Gregson.
Wagner included birthday wishes from his wife, actress Jill St. John, whom he married in 1990, in the message accompanying the picture.
A Restaurant Selfie and a Message From Robert and Jill
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Wagner posted the photograph on Sept. 29, when Natasha turned 56. The selfie shows them seated beside each other at a restaurant, both smiling toward the camera, according to PEOPLE.
“Jill and I are so proud of the woman you are,” Wagner wrote, thanking Natasha for the happiness and affection she brings into their lives. He addressed her as his “wonderful daughter” and closed by sending the couple’s love and wishes for a happy birthday, Page Six reported.
Natasha Grew Up With Two Fathers
Wood remarried Wagner in 1972, when Natasha was still a toddler. The couple had first married in 1957 before divorcing five years later.
After Wood died in 1981, Wagner raised Natasha alongside Courtney, his daughter with Wood, and Katie, his daughter with actress Marion Marshall.
Gregson remained involved in Natasha’s life, and she has used the names Daddy Gregson and Daddy Wagner when speaking about the two men. In a 2016 interview with PEOPLE, Natasha credited both fathers with helping her through the loss.
She said Wagner took on the responsibilities of both parents, deepening their relationship as the family worked through its grief in therapy. “We’ve hung on to each other throughout the years and she means the world and all to me,” Wagner said in the same interview.
Wagner Was There When Natasha Became a Mother
“He was literally in the room when I gave birth,” Natasha told PEOPLE in June, referring to the arrival of daughter Clover, whom she shares with husband Barry Watson.
She also described asking him each year what it feels like to reach his latest birthday. Wagner teases her for repeating the question, but Natasha said she still finds his age difficult to comprehend.
Natasha said his voice remains strong and familiar, although he has become “a little more delicate on his feet.” She also said she finds it difficult to imagine life without him.
She said Watson and Wagner get along so well that she believes they would have become friends even if they had met through work. She joked that the similarities between them might help explain why she chose her husband.
Natasha’s Birthday Tribute Showed Wagner With His Grandchildren
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For Wagner’s birthday on Feb. 10, Natasha shared a carousel of family photographs taken over the years, including one showing his grandchildren painting his toenails.
Other images captured him with Natasha and Watson on a garden porch and spending time with family at home, according to PEOPLE. Natasha praised his youthful outlook, wisdom and humor, describing him as “funny as hell and as good as they get.”
On April 23, Wagner celebrated Watson’s 52nd birthday with a selfie featuring his son-in-law and Clover. Wagner wore aviator sunglasses, Watson sported a mustache and Clover appeared behind them, Entertainment Weekly reported. Natasha responded in the comments: “All my favorites in one photo!”