John Wayne, the iconic actor known for epitomizing the American West, was born as Marion Robert Morrison in Winterset, Iowa on May 26, 1907. At the age of six, his family moved to Glendale, California. As a teen, he delivered newspapers in the mornings, played football, and made deliveries for local stores after school. While living in Glendale, he acquired the nickname Duke, which stuck with him throughout his career. Despite hoping to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, Wayne accepted a full scholarship to play football at the University of Southern California after being rejected by the Academy.
In the summer of 1926, Wayne’s football coach set him up with a job as an assistant prop man on a movie set directed by John Ford. Ford began to use Wayne as an extra, eventually trusting him with larger roles. Wayne’s breakthrough came when Ford recommended him for the epic Western film “The Big Trail” in 1930, which led to more prominent roles in Hollywood. Wayne starred in over 60 low-budget movies in the following years, mostly in roles as cowboys and soldiers. His career took off when Ford cast him as the “Ringo Kid” in the classic western film “Stagecoach” in 1939, establishing his place in American cinema.
Throughout his career, Wayne became known for embodying the cowboy values of decency, honesty, and integrity in films such as “Tall in the Saddle,” “Red River,” “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” and “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” In the late 1960s, Wayne had successes and failures, starring in films like “El Dorado” and winning his first Academy Award for Best Actor for “True Grit.” His pro-Vietnam War film “The Green Berets” received mixed feedback but was successful at the box office. Wayne’s final film was “The Shootist” in 1976.
Wayne was married three times and had seven children from his marriages. He also had over 15 grandchildren. Throughout his career, he received numerous awards and honors, including The Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures and recognition from the U.S. Marine Corps, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and American Legion. He passed away on June 11, 1979, at the age of 72 from stomach cancer in Los Angeles, California. Various public locations have been named in his memory, including John Wayne Airport in Orange County, John Wayne Elementary School in Brooklyn, and the John Wayne Pioneer Trail in Washington.
