John Wayne Biography

Fast Facts

• Awarded the Naval Heritage Award in 1998 for continued support of the military during his film career
• Ranked No․ 13 on the American Film Institute's "100 Years․․․ 100 Stars" list for Male Legends
• Awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1979 for his impact on American culture, in which Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Kirk Douglas and other celebrities testified before Congress on his behalf
• After losing his athletic scholarship to the University of Southern California, he began working at local film studios when actor Tom Mix found him a summer job in exchange for tickets to football games
• Quote: "When you think about the Western․․․ones I've made, for example․ 'Stagecoach,' 'Red River,' 'The Searchers,' a picture named 'Hondo' had a little depth to it․․․it's an American art form․ It represents what this country is about․"
• Known for including his slow speech pattern and distinct walk in characters he plays
• Known for portraying conservative men, mainly in Westerns and films that depict war
• Campaigned for the lead role in "Dirty Harry," but lost out to Clint Eastwood because studios felt he was too old to play the part
• Was paid in bourbon for his cameo appearance in an episode of "The Beverly Hillbillies․"
• Was told by Soviet politician Nikita Khrushchev in 1959 that Joseph Stalin had called for Wayne's assassination because of his iconic status as a symbol of American democracy
• Called "Little Duke" as a child because he took his dog "Duke" everywhere he went, a name he preferred to his own