Little-Known Facts About John Wayne That Will Surprise You

No one epitomized the role of the cowboy more than John Wayne. Considered an American icon, Wayne was a tried-and-true cowboy – he even owned a ranch – and portrayed this heroic Western character so well, that many people believed he won the West himself. His persona of rugged masculinity, pioneering spirit, and moral values were present in his 50-plus-year film career encompassing more than 175 films. But who was the real John Wayne? Here are little-known factions about John Wayne that will surprise you.

To create a list of Little-known facts about John Wayne that will surprise you., 24/7 Tempo consulted multiple outlets, some of which included the official John Wayne website and biographies on the Duke. Wayne was one of the most popular movie stars of all time, and remains so, ranking third as America's most popular movie star. It's easy to see how he solidified his place as an American icon. (Take a look at his best and worst movies that were not Westerns.)

American actor John Wayne (1907 - 1979), circa 1950. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images)

Like many actors in Hollywood, John Wayne adopted a different moniker for his screen name. Born on May 30, 1907, he was given the name Marion Robert Morrison, and went by his nickname, Duke Morrison, during his early acting years. It wasn't until he starred in "The Big Trail" that he started using the screen name.

Wayne was the oldest of two children born to Clyde and Mary Morrison. On average, babies weigh between five and eight pounds when they are born. However, at birth, Wayne weighed almost double, reaching 13 pounds.

Author Scott Eyman wrote the book "John Wayne: The Life and Legend," where he wrote that Wayne and his mother did not have a close relationship. Many people around them seemed to think Mary preferred spending time with her younger son and once claimed to a neighbor that she didn't care about Wayne.

The book also noted that when her second son was born, she "took" the middle name she initially gave to Wayne and gave it to her second son instead, giving Wayne the middle name Mitchell.

During his life, Wayne used the nickname "Duke" and while it makes sense to think that the name derived from some old Western nostalgia, the origin of his nickname has nothing to do with the Old West. As a young boy, he had an Airedale Terrier named Duke that he was very close to, walking to school together every day.

In town, a local fireman took a liking to Wayne and his dog. This fireman began calling the dog "Big Duke" and Wayne "Little Duke." From there, the nickname stuck because Wayne liked it better than Marion. When he starred in his first movie, Wayne went by the screen name Duke Morrison until it was eventually changed to John Wayne.

Wayne was very active in high school, having played on the Varsity football teams as a guard and written sports articles for the school newspaper. Since he excelled in both academia and football, he earned a football scholarship to the University of Southern California (USC). However, Wayne reportedly broke his collarbone during a bodysurfing accident, leading the college to remove the scholarship.

1969: John Wayne, in his Oscar winning performance as Rooster Cogburn, in scene from the movie 'True Grit' directed by Henry Hathaway in 1969. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Wayne was married three times but it was his second marriage to Esperanza Baur Diaz, which was said to be his most challenging. After his first marriage ended, Wayne married Baur in 1946 and stated that their marriage was riddled with drama from the start. Allegedly, one night, Baur was drunk and furious at Wayne, accusing him of cheating with Gail Russel.

Both Gail and Wayne denied the allegations, but that didn't stop Bauer from shooting at Wayne when he walked into his home. The two divorced a few years later.

By the time Clint Eastwood arrived on the scene, Wayne was well into his acting persona in the Western genre but in the 1960s, this genre began to make spaghetti Westerns, which were produced on a rather cheap budget. Wayne wasn't a fan of these Westerns or Eastwood's role in the grittiness the genre was taking. He believed that spaghetti Westerns negated the old romanticized view of Westerns.

Larry Cohen wanted Wanye and Eastwood to star together in "The Hostiles." Wayne declined to star with Eastwood, noting that the film goes against what he believed a Western should be. He also wasn't impressed with Eastwood's debut in "High Plains Drifter."

Wayne's college football coach helped him find a job as a prop man in 1926, which is when Wayne began working with director John Ford, who took a liking to him. Throughout the next several years, Wayne began starring as an extra in several of Ford's movies. Finally, in 1930, he starred in "The Big Trail," his first big film.

The first time Wayne starred in a movie as the leading role, with his iconic screen name John Wayne, it flopped, by no fault of his own. "The Big Trail" simply aired at the wrong time. This film was one of the first big-budget sound movies, and with this era came the need for a 70 mm widescreen. However, many theaters refused to buy the equipment to screen the movie, which resulted in failure.

Since his first film did so poorly, Wayne spent much time starring in lower-quality movies, learning the filmmaking industry inside and out. When the film "Stagecoach" was released, Wayne was ready for his fast launch to legendary status.

Before becoming the iconic cowboy he was later in life, Wayne was a singing cowboy. While he starred as a singing cowboy in three movies, his most popular character was Sandy Saunders. In these roles, Wayne would ride his house, strum on his guitar, and sing songs like "The Desert Song." It was a role he reportedly was not proud of because he couldn't sing or play the guitar. His voice had to be dubbed, which embarrassed him.

Wayne was a stark patriot and anti-communist who bled the embodiment of the American spirit. So, for him to be labeled a "draft dodger" during WWII seems a bit odd. Yet, when the U.S. entered WWII, several actors quickly enlisted to serve in the military. Wayne wasn't on that list, which caused quite a stir and controversy.

At first, he was exempt because of his age and an old injury. Later, Republic Studios disapproved of him enlisting. Critics claim Wayne didn't join because he loved his lavish lifestyle too much. No one, except for him, truly knows whether he was a draft dodger or not.

The OSS (Office of Strategic Services), shut down during WWII and later became the CIA. Although Wayne did not serve in the military, he is thought to have helped the OSS during the war. He applied for the OSS but did not officially work there.

However, when he passed away, it has been stated that a document from William Donovan, who created the agency, was found thanking Wayne for his help during the war. Whether he was a spy, and in what capacity he assisted the OSS is something we'll never know.

Wayne was outspoken about his patriotic spirit, actively working with the USO, and made multiple visits to the troops. He was also very outspoken about his anti-communism beliefs. Since he was such a famous actor with a strong voice, it has been rumored that Joseph Stalin wanted Wayne assassinated. Allegedly, Stalin did order a hit on Wayne.

However, it was also mentioned that it may have just been a dark, humorous order. Yakima Canutt, Wayne's stuntman, seemingly corroborated this story with a fascinating tale, stating that the FBI, Wayne, and a friend were able to stop the hit men from completing their mission.

Wayne is a well-known actor for good reason. Throughout his career, he appeared in more than 175 films, starring in a majority of these motion pictures, including B-movies he starred in before his career launched him to stardom.

Maureen O'Hara and Wayne were big names in Hollywood. They starred together in five movies, and during this time, the two grew close, becoming best friends, and remaining so, for 39 years. Wayne described her as his "only female friend" and "his kind of woman." Their relationship remained so close through the years that O'Hara testified in honor of John Wayne right before his death, asking the President to give Wayne a Congressional Gold Medal.

John Wayne was a family man who was married three times and had seven children from those marriages. Several of his children followed in his footsteps and worked in the film industry. His second son, Patrick, entered the film industry by starring in many films with his dad, including 40 movies and several television shows. He was also a host on "Tic-Tac-Dough," a game show.

Apart from being an actor and strong patriot, Wayne was also a rancher. He owned a purebred Hereford cattle ranch in Arizona that stretched for 39 miles. Wayne owned this ranch, called the 26 Bar Ranch, with his friend Louis Johnson.

DURANGO MEXICO - 1973: L-R Ben Johnson, Christopher George, Rod Taylor, Ann-Margret and John Wayne on the set of 'The Train Robbers' directed by Burt Kennedy in 1973 in Durango, Mexico. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Before Wayne passed away from stomach cancer in 1979, friends and family gave testimony for him to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. Among those friends who gave testimony was Maureen O'Hara. The award was approved when Wayne turned 72 and was later presented to his family in March 1980. On the medal, the inscription says "John Wayne – American."

Wayne was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1964. He later stated that his advisors recommended he keep this diagnosis under wraps because they were concerned it would negatively affect the image he worked hard to create for himself. However, Wayne did come out to the public about his diagnosis, saying, "There is a hell of a lot of good image in John Wayne beating cancer," which he did. However, he did lose a lung during this first battle with cancer.

Fifteen years later, Wayne developed stomach cancer, which he succumbed to at age 72. (Also See John Wayne Said: 25 of the Most Memorable Movie Quotes from "The Duke")