Although he knew he was going to die, legendary actor John Wayne bravely fought his cancer. He also tried spending more time with his son Ethan Wayne, knowing he wouldn’t see him grow up.

Real name Marion Robert Morrison, John Wayne was born on May 26, 1907. He was famous for having appeared in many films during the heyday of Hollywood.

The American actor has starred in westerns and war films and has enjoyed a successful career, starring in 179 feature films and television productions. For three decades, John remained one of Hollywood’s best actors.

American actor John Wayne in a scene from « El Dorado » circa 1967. [Gauche] | Photo of John Wayne’s son, Ethan. [Centre] | Actor John Wayne pictured with his son, Ethan. [Droite] | Photo: Getty Images

Thanks to his incredible feats, the American Film Institute selected him as one of the greatest male stars in classic American cinema – a truly deserved honor.

Born in Winterset, Iowa, John grew up in Southern California. He could have become a footballer if a bodysurfing accident hadn’t cost him a football scholarship to the University of Southern California.

Subsequently, he began working for the Fox Film Corporation and appeared in minor roles before landing his first leading role in Raoul Walsh’s western « The Big Trail ». It was in this film that he earned the name John Wayne.

A studio portrait of John Wayne, circa 1955. | Photo: Getty Images

In the 1930s, John Wayne played lead roles in many westerns, but he did not become a big star. However, after his performance in John Ford’s film « Stagecoach » in 1939, he became a real star.

Other westerns John has starred in include “Red River,” “The Searchers,” “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” and “True Grit,” which won him the Oscar for Best Actor. He also appeared in « The Quiet Man », « Rio Bravo » and « The Longest Day ».

John’s last on-screen performance was in the 1976 film « The Shootist », where he played an aging gunslinger battling cancer. Her last public appearance was at the Academy Awards on April 9, 1979.

Two months after this appearance, he died at 72 from stomach cancer on June 11. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian honor in the United States.

Nicknamed Duke, John was a dedicated actor, which helped him rise to the top of his career. He showed his passion for his profession during the shooting of the movie « The Sons of Katie Elder », in 1965.

Before John starts shooting the movie, he’s diagnosed with lung cancer. Despite the chilling nature of such a diagnosis, the legendary actor was determined not to let it disrupt his career. He therefore continued to tour while treating his cancer.

Dean Martin was John’s co-star in the film and saw how he coped with the diagnosis while on set. He was inspired by John’s courage and shared his thoughts on that experience.

He said someone else could have felt sorry for him, but John didn’t know how to get sick and he recovered the hard way.

John also trained Ethan well and made sure he never failed to do the housework.

Besides his career, another thing John loved so much was his family. He married three times in his life and had seven children.

His first wife was Josephine Saenz, with whom he was married from 1933 to 1945. A year after their divorce, he married Esperanza Baur, but they divorced in 1954.

John’s third wife is Pilar Pallete, whom he married in 1954. She was an avid tennis player and encouraged him to build the John Wayne Tennis Club in Newport Beach, California. The club was then sold and renamed Palisades Tennis Club.

John’s marriage to Pallete was the longest. He separated from her in 1973 and exempted her from his will. In the meantime, his first wife, Saenz, has been bequeathed part of his fortune. John’s children are also beneficiaries of his estate worth $ 6.85 million.

John and Saenz shared three children, Mary Antonia Wayne LaCava, Patrick Wayne and Melinda Wayne Munoz. John did not have children with Baur, but shared three other children, Aissa Wayne, Ethan Wayne and Marisa Wayne, with Pallete.

Some of John’s children followed his path by venturing into the film and television industry. Ethan played the role of John Ethan Wayne in a few movies and starred in the 90s update of the « Adam-12 » television series.

By the way, John’s granddaughter, Jennifer Wayne, Aissa’s daughter, is a member of the country music group « Runaway June ».

John loved spending time with his family and particularly loved the Christmas period. Her family opened up about her love for Christmas in a 2016 interview.

John’s daughter, Marisa, said her father loved Christmas, and that they had a huge living room, which was so filled with gifts during the holiday season that you couldn’t walk through it. In addition, John loved buying gifts for his family and took decorating the tree very seriously.

Although he has been dead for many years, the memory of John continues to live on in the hearts and minds of his family, especially his children, who still remember living in his shadow.

In a 2018 interview with Fox News, Ethan recalled growing up with his father. Ethan is the president of John Wayne Enterprises and the director of the John Wayne Foundation.

During the interview, he recalled going to a friend’s house. He observed that his friend’s family’s mailbox contained only three letters, which was so different from his, which was still filled with thousands of letters. From then on, he understood that his father was different.

Ethan explained that although his father was a huge superstar, he lived a normal life. For example, her father did not use security services or bodyguards and answered the door and the phone himself.

John also trained Ethan well and made sure he never forgets to do the housework. Ethan also revealed that his father knew he could die before he was a young man. Therefore, he was determined to be a present father to his children. He said :

« I was homeschooled locally in Mexico because he knew he wouldn’t be there for me when I was older, and that he would probably lose me when I was a young, adolescent. »

Ethan describes his father as a daring, outgoing, lively, constantly moving forward individual, and an excellent rider. He concludes by expressing the hope that people will remember John for the artist he was.