John Wayne, born Marion Robert Morrison (1907 - 1979), was an American actor and filmmaker famous for his portrayal of the classic cowboy.
While working as a prop boy, Wayne was discovered by director Raoul Walsh who cast him in The Big Trail (1930) and gave him his new name. The film was a flop, but audiences loved Wayne and his career in B movie horse operas took off as a result. His first real success as an actor was with Stagecoach (1939), after which he was afforded the opportunity to star in numerous box office successes, even winning an Academy Award for True Grit (1969). He also earned the nickname "Duke."
Biographer Ronald Davis said, "John Wayne personified for millions the nation's frontier heritage. Eighty-three of his movies were Westerns, and in them he played cowboys, cavalrymen, and unconquerable loners extracted from the Republic's central creation myth." Certainly, Wayne meant more to America than a gunslinger on the big screen. He was a larger-than-life icon that symbolized the values and ideals of his country.
Get a guy like John:
- Aims high
- Shoots straight
- Has a faithful steed
- Works hard
- Has a cool nickname
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