John Wayne

Career timeline

1. 1907 · Born

   Born in Winterset, Iowa, USA

2. 1930 · Screen debut

   The Big Trail (Movie)

3. 1947 · First production

   Angel and the Badman (Movie)

4. 1951 · Breakthrough

   The Red Skelton Show (TV)

5. 1960 · Directing debut

   The Alamo (Movie)

6. 1979 · Died

   June 11, 1979

7. 2025 · Latest release

   Breakdown: 1975 (Movie)

Career in numbers

3 1930s

13 1940s

18 1950s

23 1960s

11 1970s

1 1980s

1 1990s

1 2000s

1 2010s

1 2020s

• Western37
• Drama32
• Comedy15
• Adventure14
• War12
• Romance9

Highest-rated title I Love Lucy 1951 7.9 Most popular title E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982 7.5

Frequent collaborators

People who appear most often alongside John Wayne in our catalogue.

John Ford

17 titles together

Ben Johnson

6 titles together

Patrick Wayne

5 titles together

Henry Fonda

4 titles together

Bruce Cabot

3 titles together

Richard Loo

2 titles together

Russell Harlan

2 titles together

John Williams

2 titles together

Hank Worden

2 titles together

Paul Fix

2 titles together

1. 2025 Breakdown: 1975 as (archive footage) 6.9 Movie
2. 2010 Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff as Self (archive footage) 6.7 Movie
3. 2004 Battleground as Self (archive footage) TV
4. 1993 La Classe américaine as George Abitbol (archive footage) 7.6 Movie
5. 1982 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial as Sean Thornton (archive footage) (uncredited) 7.5 Movie
6. 1978 Western von gestern as John Wyatt aka John Allen TV
7. 1976 The Shootist as J.B. Books 7.1 Movie
8. 1975 Rooster Cogburn as Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn 6.5 Movie
9. 1975 Brannigan as Lt. Jim Brannigan 6.0 Movie
10. 1974 McQ as McQ 6.1 Movie
11. 1973 Cahill: United States Marshal as J.D. Cahill 6.1 Movie
12. 1973 The Train Robbers as Lane 6.3 Movie
13. 1972 The Cowboys as Wil Andersen 7.1 Movie
14. 1971 Big Jake as Jacob McCandles 6.8 Movie
15. 1970 Chisum as John Chisum 6.6 Movie
16. 1970 Rio Lobo as Col. Cord McNally 6.5 Movie
17. 1969 The Undefeated as Colonel John Henry Thomas 6.3 Movie
18. 1969 True Grit as Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn 7.3 Movie
19. 1968 Hellfighters as Chance Buckman 6.3 Movie
20. 1968 The Green Berets as Colonel Mike Kirby 5.6 Movie
21. 1967 The War Wagon as Taw Jackson 6.8 Movie
22. 1966 El Dorado as Cole Thornton 7.4 Movie
23. 1966 Cast a Giant Shadow as Gen. Mike Randolph 6.3 Movie
24. 1965 The Sons of Katie Elder as John Elder 7.0 Movie
25. 1965 The Greatest Story Ever Told as Centurion at crucifixion 6.4 Movie
26. 1965 In Harm's Way as Capt. Rockwell Torrey 6.6 Movie
27. 1964 Circus World as Matt Masters 6.2 Movie
28. 1963 McLintock! as George Washington McLintock 6.6 Movie
29. 1963 Donovan's Reef as Michael "Guns" Donovan 6.2 Movie
30. 1962 How the West Was Won as William Sherman 7.0 Movie
31. 1962 The Lucy Show as John Wayne 7.1 TV
32. 1962 The Beverly Hillbillies as John Wayne (uncredited) 6.9 TV
33. 1962 The Longest Day as Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort 7.6 Movie
34. 1962 Hatari! as Sean Mercer 6.8 Movie
35. 1962 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance as Tom Doniphon 7.8 Movie
36. 1961 The Comancheros as Jake Cutter 6.7 Movie
37. 1961 Alcoa Premiere TV
38. 1960 North to Alaska as Sam McCord 6.5 Movie
39. 1960 The Alamo as Col. Davy Crockett 7.1 Movie
40. 1959 The Horse Soldiers as Col John Marlowe 6.9 Movie
41. 1959 Rio Bravo as Sheriff John T. Chance 7.8 Movie
42. 1957 Legend of the Lost as Joe January 6.2 Movie
43. 1957 Wagon Train as Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman 6.6 TV
44. 1957 The Wings of Eagles as Frank W. 'Spig' Wead 6.3 Movie
45. 1956 The Searchers as Ethan Edwards 7.7 Movie
46. 1956 The Conqueror as Temujin 3.6 Movie
47. 1955 Screen Director's Playhouse as Mike Cronin TV
48. 1954 Producers' Showcase as Self TV
49. 1954 The High and the Mighty as Dan Roman 6.0 Movie
50. 1953 Hondo as Hondo Lane 6.5 Movie
51. 1952 The Quiet Man as Sean Thornton 7.3 Movie
52. 1951 I Love Lucy as John Wayne 7.9 TV
53. 1951 The Red Skelton Show as Rooster Cogburn TV
54. 1950 Rio Grande as Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke 6.8 Movie
55. 1950 The Jack Benny Program as John Wayne TV
56. 1950 Sands of Iwo Jima as Sgt. John M. Stryker 6.4 Movie
57. 1949 She Wore a Yellow Ribbon as Capt. Nathan Cutting Brittles 6.9 Movie
58. 1948 3 Godfathers as Robert Marmaduke Sangster Hightower 6.8 Movie
59. 1948 Red River as Thomas Dunson 7.3 Movie
60. 1948 Fort Apache as Capt. Kirby York 7.0 Movie
61. 1947 Angel and the Badman as Quirt Evans 6.4 Movie
62. 1946 Without Reservations as Rusty Thomas 6.3 Movie
63. 1945 They Were Expendable as Lt. (J.G.) 'Rusty' Ryan 6.5 Movie
64. 1945 Back to Bataan as Colonel Joseph Madden 6.1 Movie
65. 1944 Tall in the Saddle as Rocklin 6.6 Movie
66. 1942 Reap the Wild Wind as Captain Jack Stuart 6.3 Movie
67. 1941 The Shepherd of the Hills as Young Matt Matthews 6.6 Movie
68. 1940 The Long Voyage Home as Ole Olsen 6.6 Movie
69. 1940 Dark Command as Bob Seton 6.4 Movie
70. 1939 Stagecoach as The Ringo Kid 7.6 Movie
71. 1933 Baby Face as Jimmy McCoy Jr. 7.3 Movie
72. 1930 The Big Trail as Breck Coleman 6.8 Movie

1. 1968 The Green Berets 5.6 Movie
2. 1960 The Alamo 7.1 Movie

1. 1960 The Alamo 7.1 Movie
2. 1956 7 Men from Now 6.8 Movie
3. 1954 The High and the Mighty 6.0 Movie
4. 1953 Hondo 6.5 Movie
5. 1947 Angel and the Badman 6.4 Movie

1. 1974 McQ 6.1 Movie
2. 1973 The Train Robbers 6.3 Movie
3. 1971 Big Jake 6.8 Movie
4. 1967 The War Wagon 6.8 Movie

Photos

Quick facts