While many fans love John Wayne and his movies, it turns out he wasn’t always that popular with his fellow celebrities. In fact, there was at least one actress that refused to work with him for a long time! eventually, she came around but she called out his behavior and asked him to change. That actress was the iconic Katharine Hepburn.

In the ‘50s, John was a Republican who would often share his political views. Of course, this led to disagreements and other people didn’t always agree or like his views.

John wanted Katharine to play Angie Lowe in his western film Hondo. However, after she discovered that he supported the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), she didn’t want to work with him.

Kathar Hepburn famously feuded with John Wayne : In changed her mind. They worked together in the 1975 classic Rooster Cogburn. However, it doesn’t seem that all was well when they filmed the movie. After the movie was completed, Katharine spoke out about John, saying that he was always arguing with the crew and the director. She called him out during the film’s wrap party.

Reportedly, she told him, “I’m glad I didn’t know you when you had two lungs. You must have been a real b*****d. Losing a hip has mellowed me, but you!” Years later, before his death in 1979, they apparently made up and had some fun times together.

Elvis Presley could have starred in the 1969 western True Grit alongside icon John Wayne. However, as much as his manager Col. Tom Parker wanted Elvis to be a Hollywood star, he didn’t want him to have any co-starring roles. If it wasn’t the main role, then he didn’t want it for Elvis.

Reportedly, after Elvis’ western Love Me Tender did so well, John Wayne started noticing him as an actor. He asked Elvis to star in movies with him a few times, including True Grit. He wanted Elvis to play the part of Texan Ranger LaBoeuf.

Elvis Presley could have acted with the iconic John Wayne : However, at the time, Elvis was wanted to focus on music and live performances.

Just a year before True Grit came out, Elvis filmed his 1968 Comeback Special. His manager also asked if Elvis could receive the top credit in the film, above John, if he were cast.

So, Glen Campbell was cast instead. In addition to playing the role of LaBeouf, he sang the title song of the film. This wasn’t the only film role that fell through for Elvis because of his greedy manager.

Elvis was asked to play the lead role in A Star is Born with Barbra Streisand. After negotiations fell through, Kris Kristofferson was cast instead. Can you imagine A Star is Born starring Barbra and Elvis instead? That would definitely have been interesting. Sadly, Elvis died just a year after the film came out.

John Wayne was indisputably a Hollywood icon, but he was much more than that to Ronald Reagan. In fact, the 40th president of the United States never forgot how America’s most beloved big screen cowboy, nicknamed the Duke, gave him support when he needed it most.

John Wayne remains one of the most recognizable actors of all time, but he was also extraordinarily patriotic. “John Wayne has dedicated his entire life to America,” said Sen. Barry Goldwater during the 1979 hearings to award the Duke with the Congressional Medal of Honor. “And I am safe in saying that the American people have an affection for John Wayne such as they have had for very few people in the history of America.”

“John Wayne is not just an actor, and a good actor, he is the United States of America,” said actress Maureen O’Hara at the 1979 hearings. “I feel this gold medal should say just one thing: John Wayne American . . . I beg you to order the President to strike it.” O’Hara, known for her fiery red hair, starred with the Duke in the 1952 classic A Quiet Man. They were also great friends his entire life.

Although Ronald Reagan and John Wayne never made a movie together, they were well acquainted. Reagan and Wayne shared political beliefs, but sadly, the Duke died about eighteen months before Reagan won his bid for the White House. However, during a 1988 interview, Reagan recounted how his friend gave him and his wife Nancy support during their first big public battle.

“Are there any comments you’d like to give to close out?” the interviewer asked. “We’re doing this documentary for public television on John Wayne, called An American Hero, I might add. Are there any last, closing comments you’d like to make about the man?”

“There’s one thing that I think shows the character of that man as well as anything,” Reagan said. Then, he began to tell the story of the first Screen Actors Guild strike. At that time, he was president of SAG. So, Reagan was catching most of the blame from the media as well as others in Hollywood.

“In the mornings, for seven months, I was out of that house at meetings trying to get this thing settled,” Reagan explained. “And, Nancy would be there with the morning papers. Sometimes, they were worse than others.”

Ronald Reagan went on to explain how the Duke reached out to Nancy Reagan. “One day, Nancy told me that she’d had a phone call that morning after I left, and it was John Wayne.” The Duke was reading the papers as well. So, according to Reagan, he just called to say, “I thought you might want to hear a friendly voice about this time.” He then went on to tell Nancy how supportive he was of Ronald Reagan and what he was doing as head of SAG.

That wasn’t just a one-time thing, either. Ronald Reagan said that John Wayne called his house every morning just to cheer Nancy up. Looking back on that time, Reagan added, “That was very typical of John Wayne.” When Reagan left acting to start his career running for political office, Wayne publicly supported him through every campaign.