The John Wayne Archetype Lives On in These Beloved Hollywood Stars

Often known as "The Duke," John Wayne forged a legendary career that spanned over five decades, leaving behind a cinematic legacy we still recall to this day. No matter what type of character he was playing, Wayne shaped an archetype of masculinity that audiences came to expect and admire, an archetype that feels rarer and rarer these days.

Though Hollywood has evolved, the influence of John Wayne's iconic style still lives on through a new generation of actors. Across genres and decades, the same traits emerge, ones that feel as if they're stepping into boots that Wayne once filled, whether consciously or not. But what actors best embody Wayne's iconic existence and how are they accomplishing this?

To compile this list of stars who embody the essence of John Wayne, 24/7 Tempo consulted entertainment and film sources, including ScreenRant, Rotten Tomatoes, and IMDb. Each featured actor channels "The Duke" in tone, character, or career trajectory, helping to keep his spirit alive for modern audiences.

This post was updated on August 6th, 2025, to reflect additional information.

John Wayne was known for starring in Westerns and his films showcased leadership that wasn't easily found elsewhere. While Chris Pratt hasn't brought his talents to any Western films over his career, he has given fans tons to cheer about for his performances in the MCU films he's in. The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is where Pratt gets the most screen time in any MCU movie.

Throughout the performances, Pratt's character, Star-Lord, is lauded as the group's leader. The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is one of the few MCU sections where each film has a group of heroes. Pratt always makes the decisions and tells his friends what to do. While they sometimes might seem odd, the decisions always work out. Nobody questions Pratt's leadership within the group, similar to how other characters looked up to Wayne.

Few modern Westerns compare to "The Duel." Liam Hemsworth's character, David Kingston, has to solve the disappearance of a Mexican girl in the late 1800s. There are seemingly different elements from John Wayne in nearly every scene Hemsworth is in. For starters, he works in law enforcement. He never backs down from a single challenge. And, most importantly, the movie is a Western. Wayne would have been perfect for the role himself.

However, this isn't the only genre where Hemsworth channels his inner Wayne. During the Hunger Games franchise, Hemsworth becomes known as a character willing to fight back against the people at the top. He does whatever it takes to keep his family and friends safe. While he is the reason why Primrose died, he did everything he could to get revenge.

Although Wayne and Eastwood had a notorious rivalry and didn't get along, they were more alike than they might have cared to admit. Over the years, Eastwood has made dozens of classic films where his characters take on the same macho roles that Wayne did during his career. Eastwood has a long list of Westerns like "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and "Hang 'Em High."

One stark difference between Eastwood and Wayne is that Eastwood takes on some characters who aren't heros. Eastwood also showcases his acting abilities in movies like "Letters From Iwo Jima" and "American Sniper." and enjoys telling factual stories in his films. Even as Eastwood has entered his 90s, he's still seen in different parts of the Hollywood industry.

Multiple children of Clint Eastwood have followed him in pursuing Hollywood careers. Arguably the most successful to follow his path is his son Scott Eastwood. He's known for having a charming appearance whenever he appears on screen. Audience members loved watching Eastwood in projects like "The Longest Ride" and "Snowden." Similar to movies John Wayne has appeared in, "The Longest Ride" is a Western classic that people fell in love with.

While he wasn't the main star of "Snowden," the film told the true story of Edward Snowden. Eastwood played Trevor James, who worked with Snowden at one point. He's also starred in multiple films in the Fast and Furious franchise.

Each actor has a unique trait that makes them recognizable by nearly everyone. For Sam Elliott, that trait is his deep voice. This trait has assisted Elliott in perfecting his roles in Westerns like "Tombstone" and the hit show "The Ranch." Perhaps John Wayne would have been thrilled to work with talent like Elliott during his career.

Elliott plays the father figure in the show "The Ranch," which takes place in a small Colorado town. His deep voice and intimidating presence are exactly what Wayne was known for during his career. Elliott's voice can be heard in various commercials as well for products like Coors Light, which would have fit in perfectly in Wayne's films.

Another actor who knows how to play someone in a strong, leadership role is Timothy Olyphant. Throughout his career, Olyphant has starred in countless productions. One of his most notable works also happens to be a neo-western, "Justified." That's where fans draw the parallel between him and John Wayne. The show follows Olyphant where he portrays a Deputy Marshall. While the show takes place in the modern day, it unequivocally draws inspiration from past Westerns.

Few shows have captivated the world like "Prison Break." Season one was especially memorable. Wentworth Miller played a structural engineer named Michael Scofield. He purposefully gets sent to help his brother, who's been wrongfully convicted of murder, break out of prison. While there, Scofield needed to learn how to navigate the different landscape that prison had compared to the outdoors.

During his escape mission, Scofield was undoubtedly the group leader. Nobody questioned what he did, and as John Wayne has done in countless movies and shows, Scofield asserted dominance and leadership over a large group of people.

One of the most memorable films John Wayne starred in was "True Grit." The original was released in 1969. Wayne played Rooster Cogburn, a veteran who continued his career working as a United States Marshall. The 1969 version of the film has gone down in history as arguably the greatest Western ever made.

Naturally, the movie was shot and made again in 2010. Jeff Bridges took on the role of Cogburn for the latest reboot. It makes sense to think about Bridges having to channel his inner Wayne. What's truly remarkable is what an outstanding job Bridges did with his character. He was nominated for countless awards for his performance, including an Academy Award.

Whenever John Wayne appeared on screen, he captivated everyone. Actors have to have a certain aura surrounding them to successfully do this. Kurt Russell is one of those actors, and demonstrated this well when he played Elvis Presley in the film "Elvis."The movie told the story of Presley's life and what fame was truly like for him.

Russell had the confidence to make everyone keep their eyes on him during the movie. Wayne also paved his own path, doing what he wanted. Russell followed this and paused his acting career to pursue baseball. While it didn't work out, fans can't knock Russell for not trying.

There's nothing like a villain to go along with a John Wayne movie. In fact, Josh Brolin played the murderer, Tom Chaney, in the 2010 remake of "True Grit." Wayne always needed a co-star who had the same passion and energy he did for films. Brolin delivered a masterpiece in the remake, but he's arguably more well-known for a different villain he played.

The MCU is one of the largest movie franchises in the world. Two of the most-hyped movies ever released were "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame." Brolin played villain Thanos and did so nearly perfectly. It takes a lot to stand on the other side of talent like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans in a superhero film and hold your own and Brolin accomplished just that.