John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison (born Marion Robert Morrison) (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed Duke, was an American actor and filmmaker. An Academy Award-winner for True Grit (1969), Wayne was among the top box office draws for three decades.
Born in Winterset, Iowa, Wayne grew up in Southern California. He was president of Glendale High class of 1925. He found work at local film studios when he lost his football scholarship to the University of South
Wayne's career took off in 1939, with John Ford's Stagecoach making him an instant star. He went on to star in 142 pictures. 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."
Wayne's other well-known Western roles include a cattleman driving his herd north on the Chisholm Trail in Red River (1948), a Civil War veteran whose young niece is abducted by a tribe of Comanches in The Searchers (1956), and a troubled rancher competing with a lawyer for a woman's hand in marriage in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). He is also remembered for his roles in The Quiet Man (1952), Rio Bravo (1959), and The Longest Day (1962). In his final screen performance, he starred as an aging gunfighter battling cancer in The Shootist (1976). He appeared with many important Hollywood stars of his era, and his last public appearance was at the Academy Awards ceremony on April 9, 1979.
Born
May 26, 1907
Winterset, Iowa, USA
Died
Jun 11, 1979
Known For
Acting
Movies
269 acting
23 crew
Popularity
2.7
Known For
The Searchers
1956
as Ethan Edwards
The Longest Day
1962
as Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort
Rio Bravo
1959
as Sheriff John T. Chance
Red River
1948
as Thomas Dunson
The Greatest Story Ever Told
1965
as Centurion at crucifixion
Sands of Iwo Jima
1950
as Sgt. John M. Stryker
True Grit
1969
as Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn
The Cowboys
1972
as Wil Andersen
El Dorado
1966
as Cole Thornton
How the West Was Won
1962
as William Sherman
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