John Wayne: 7 amazing facts you should know about him
10/16/2017
18,378 views
Do you remember John Wayne? A man of outstanding personality, one of the most famous screen cowboys of all time or just the Duke, he still remains one of the USA's favorite actors. Here are some little-known facts about John Wayne.
#1: He was an avid chess player
Wayne played almost everywhere, often taking his miniature chess board with him.
#2: His real name was Marion Mitchell Morrison and Wayne didn't like it as he thought it to be feminine-sounding
His first nickname was "Duke", the same as his favorite dog's name. Starting his acting career, John Wayne choose his new name together with the Fox Studios team. Anyway, John always preferred to be called "Duke". He said John Wayne was only his TV personality.
#3: John Wayne became an actor by accident
As a USC student, he used to be a surfer for a long time, but quit after sustaining a serious shoulder injury. Marion Morrison lost his football scholarship and found a job as a property-man at Fox Studios. Three years after he got his first leading role.
#4: John Wayne as a bookworm
He adored Agatha Christie's works, but his two favorite novels were The White Company (1891) and Sir Nigel (1906) by Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle.
#5: He was once a sports journalist
Being a student, John was a talented sportsman. But he also made good progress in his classes. Young John Wayne wrote sports reports for a school newspaper and was the president of the Latin Society! By the way, he wrote his articles under the pen-name M.M.M.
#6: Joseph Stalin once ordered to assassinate John Wayne for his anti-communist position
The man hired to kill the actor was intercepted by the FBI.
#7: He was actually bald
John Wayne's hair started to come off at the beginning of the 1940s, so he started wearing a hairpiece from 1948. He never denied it. “It’s not phony. It’s real hair. Of course, it’s not mine, but it’s real” he said.
Was this information new for you? Do you have any other interesting facts about the famous actor to share with us?
Do you like Wayne's works? Which one is your favorite?
We are waiting for your comments!
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265 Comments
Carolyn Mclay
The Quiet Man was one of my favourites.
Barbara Bruce Nurick
Liked John Wayne no matter what!
Mary Walker
Always loved John Wayne great actor .xxx
mouthy
Love watching John Wayne movies. My favorites are The Quiet Man and McLintock. Maureen O' Hara and him were great together.
houghtom
He was humble and treated people in a way that would turn them into fans if they weren't fans when they met him. The Horse Soldiers was shot in my home town . While I was an infant at the time my older friends talk about sitting in his lap for a picture. At one time in my life I had a friend who lived in John Wayne's neighborhood. Wayne turned his swimming pool into the gathering place for the neighborhood children. They didn't just admire him, they very personally loved him. Most celebrities today seem to be too self centered to cultivate that kind of affection from their fans.
Conrado De Leon
He was on board a ship filming a pirates movie near Santa Catalina Island as a mere stage hand, when the female star fell off the ship. She couldn't swim and while everybody watched, Wayne took off his boots and plunged into de ocean and rescued the girl. The film director said that was the kind of REAL heroes the movies needed, and eventually made him a movie actor (not a star, that would come later).
Caroline Weis
Derrick Brain, only one was not the best and that was The Conqueror, where he portrayed Genghis Khan.
Betty Perfetti
I loved all movies John Wayne was in.
Betty Perfetti
John Wayne is one of my favorite actors! Love all his movies!
lhreese
I and my Dad knew John Wayne very well and the two women he also married. Since my Dad was in charge of movies and writing daily news paper and Hollywood reports John had him come to his home and then the airport was named after him too.
Dianne Gillett
Yes the quite man was a great movie, also a favourite! 💋💋💋
Dianne Gillett
My absolute favourite Actor! 💜💜
John Holden
The searchers ,best western ever made
Roger Maynard
An actor that you couldn't get sick of any of his movies the way he walked with that swagger and the saying "That'll Be the Day" also in his movies they all weren't action a lot had comical touch like McLintock Rooster Cogburn,Hatari,North To Alaska, that one is one of favourites
konrad
He was working as a propertuy man in a pirate's movie filmed near Santa Catalina island,. when the leading lady fell overboard. While all the xcast watches in awe, he dived and brought her up to be rescued. Director Raouls Walsh said that the movies needed REAL heroes, like him and not pansies. He made "Stagecoach" but then filmed lots of two-reelers before becoming a real movie star.
tsnchz
He got that bracelet, he wore frequently, from the people of Vietnam while filming or shortly after filming the "Green Berets". It was a gift to him & he valved it highly. He can be seen wearing it in many of his films.
Derrick Brain
He was a great actor ,he was a patriot who loved his country I don’t think he ever made a bad movie
David Mccann
He was born in Winterset Iowa.
Ian Kaye
This brilliant Actor was always my favourite I will never understand why the Alamo although wasn’t the complete true story which he produced directed and starred in was not a box office hit must have seen the film lots and lots of times nether the less the man is a legend R I P
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