Born Marion Robert Morrison on May 26th, 1907, in Winterset, Iowa, John Wayne became an American acting legend. Though initially appearing in bit parts and B-Westerns, his career skyrocketed under the direction of John Ford. Wayne’s gruff charm and imposing stature made him the perfect embodiment of the American cowboy in classics like “Stagecoach” (1939) and “The Searchers” (1956). He found further success in war films like “The Sands of Iwo Jima” (1949) and even earned a Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of a gruff Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit” (1969). John Wayne passed away on June 11th, 1979, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 72, following a battle with stomach cancer.
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