John Wayne’s Daughter Says The Duke Called A Beloved Actor ‘Awful’

by

John Wayne didn’t get along with all of his fellow actors, and he particularly disliked Clint Eastwood, believing Eastwood was changing Western films for the worse. But according to Wayne’s daughter, Aissa, there was another actor he truly loathed, repeatedly calling him “awful.”

Interestingly, the actor later won an Oscar for a Western, ironically directed by Clint Eastwood. John Wayne clearly appreciated his talent, as the actor had already received three Oscar nominations earlier in his career.

John Wayne Called Gene Hackman The ‘Worst Actor In Town’

In her book, John Wayne: My Father, Aissa Wayne revealed that her father consistently criticized actor Gene Hackman, calling him “the worst actor in town” and “awful” whenever he appeared on screen. According to Aissa, this was a recurring comment whenever John Wayne watched Hackman in a movie or on TV.

She explained that her father consistently criticized Gene Hackman’s acting whenever he was on screen. She added that Wayne didn’t offer any explanation for his dislike – he simply didn’t seem to care for Hackman as an actor.

My jaw dropped when I heard about the animosity between John Wayne and Gene Hackman. Apparently, Hackman was the only actor my father truly held a grudge against – and he really let that venom show! She told me she always wondered what sparked Wayne’s dislike, but all he ever did was criticize Hackman’s performances. It was a really strange dynamic, and a side of Wayne she rarely talked about.

It’s just a theory, but John Wayne’s dislike of Gene Hackman might have stemmed from the kinds of roles Hackman took early in his career. Wayne didn’t like a lot of violence in films, or movies that showed heroes as flawed or unlikeable. Hackman’s first big roles, in movies like Bonnie and Clyde and The French Connection, were known for being very violent.

Aissa Wayne also wrote that she thought her father’s opinion of Gene Hackman might have evolved if he’d lived longer. She speculated, “If my father had seen more of Mr. Hackman’s work, I believe his perspective would have changed.”

Gene Hackman wasn’t the only actor Wayne had strong opinions about. He famously disliked working with Kim Darby, his co-star in True Grit, saying he had better chemistry with Kirk Douglas. He even dismissed Clark Gable, claiming acting was the only thing Gable was intelligent enough to do.

Gene Hackman Earned Three Oscar Nominations To Start His Career

It’s curious that John Wayne disliked Gene Hackman so much, especially since Hackman was becoming a star as Wayne’s own career was winding down. While Wayne didn’t receive many Oscar nominations despite appearing in numerous big films, Hackman was nominated for an Oscar very early in his career – for only his fifth movie, Bonnie and Clyde.

He received his second Oscar nomination three years later for I Never Sang for My Father. Then, in 1972, just two years after that, Hackman won his first Oscar for playing Popeye Doyle in The French Connection. This meant he had earned three nominations and one win within just four years.

Although John Wayne wasn’t a fan of the films, Gene Hackman was really establishing himself as a major Hollywood actor. Notably, The French Connection is still considered a classic neo-noir film and was added to the National Film Registry in 2005 to ensure it’s preserved.

Gene Hackman Won An Oscar In A Movie With John Wayne’s Replacement

The biggest twist came in 1993. Hackman had already received his fourth Oscar nomination (for Mississippi Burning) and agreed to star in a Western directed by Clint Eastwood – a director and actor John Wayne openly disliked and considered a poor performer.

The film became a highly acclaimed Western, often ranked among the greatest in the genre – even alongside the iconic movies starring John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. In Unforgiven, Eastwood portrayed William Munny, a retired outlaw trying to live a peaceful life after the loss of his wife.

I’ve always felt that William, despite wanting to settle down, just couldn’t escape the pull of the West. New dangers and familiar faces kept dragging him back in. It all came to a head when that awful Sheriff Little Bill Daggett killed William’s friend Ned. Gene Hackman really brought Little Bill to life, but I always thought John Wayne would’ve been furious with how he portrayed lawmen – it wasn’t the heroic image Wayne championed.

Clint Eastwood received Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director for Unforgiven, and was also nominated for Best Actor. Gene Hackman won Best Supporting Actor, marking the final Oscar nomination of his career. These two filmmakers dramatically changed the Western genre, despite receiving little respect from John Wayne.

Read More

2025-11-24 01:01