John Wayne, born Marion Robert Morrison, was an American actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his roles in Western films, and is considered an American icon. Wayne began his acting career in the 1920s, appearing in bit parts in silent films.
John Wayne landed his first leading role in the 1930s, and went on to star in over 150 films, many of which were Westerns. Some of his most famous films include “Stagecoach,” “The Searchers,” “Rio Bravo,” “True Grit,” and “The Alamo.” Wayne won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in “True Grit.” He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. Wayne died in 1979 at the age of 72.
46 John Wayne Quotes
- “Talk low, Talk slow, and Don’t say too much.”
2. “A man deserves a second chance, but keep an eye on him.”
3. “A man who won’t stand for what he believes isn’t a man!”
4. “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.”
5. “You’re short on ears and long on mouth.”
6. “Life is hard. It is harder if you are stupid!”
7. “You can take everything a man has as long as you leave him his dignity.”
8. “Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday.”
9. “Courage is being scared to death and standing up anyway.”
10. “Life it tough, but it’s tougher if you’re stupid.”
John Wayne Quotes On Life
11. “I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.”
12. “Never apologize, mister, it’s a sign of weakness.”
13. “A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.”
14. “I’d like to know why well-educated idiots keep apologizing for lazy and complaining people who think the world owes them a living.”
15. “Nothing is so discouraging to an actor than to have to work for long hours upon hours in brightly lighted interior sets.”
16. “Seen better fights than this at a prayer meeting.”
17. “Fear is just one of the many words I don’t know the meaning of.”
18. “All battles are fought by scared men who’d rather be some place else.”
19. “My hope and prayer is that everyone know and love our country for what she really is and what she stands for.”
20. “Life is tough, but it’s tougher if you’re stupid.”
Famous John Wayne Quotes
21. “Are you going to believe what you see or what I tell you?”
22. “If everything isn’t black and white I say why the hell not.”
23. “When you side with a man you stay with him, and if you can’t do that you’re like some animal. You’re finished.”
24. “I was ashamed to admit I was hipped to the idea of acting. That’s why I started in with the props.”
25. “Don’t hit your posset with a stick mister, it tends to make you cough.”
26. “Life is hard; it’s harder if you’re stupid.”
27. “Looking back is a bad habit.”
28. “Don’t try to win this war all by yourself.”
29. “I’ve loved reading all my life.”
30. “All battles are fought by scared men who’d rather be some place else.”
Thought-Provoking John Wayne Quotes
31. “I define manhood simply: men should be tough, fair, and courageous, never petty, never looking for a fight, but never backing down from one either.”
32. “A goal, a love, and a dream give you total control over your body and your life.”
33. “What’s the secret of success? Right decisions. How do you make right decisions? Experience. How do you get experience? Wrong decisions.”
34. “If you’ve got them by the balls their hearts and minds will follow.”
35. “Thanking people is dangerous business. A name always slips your mind.”
36. “Half the people in the world are women. Why does it have to be you that stirs me?”
37. “I haven’t had a fight since I was eleven. I only won that because she had an asthma attack.”
38. “Nobody should come to the movies unless he believes in heroes.”
39. “I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility.”
40. “The bigger the man, the deeper the imprint. And when he’s in love, he suffers knowing it’s a dead end.”
John Wayne Quotes To Live By
41. “I have tried to live my life so that my family would love me and my friends respect me. The others can do whatever the hell they please.”
42. “When you come against trouble, it’s never half as bad if you face up to it.”
43. “I’m not the sort to back away from a fight. I don’t believe in shrinking from anything. It’s not my speed; I’m a guy who meets adversities head on.”
44. “Real art is basic emotion. If a scene is handled with simplicity – and I don’t mean simple – it’ll be good, and the public will know it.”
45. “It takes a good fire to burn down the weeds… to let the flowers grow.”
Additional Read: John Wayne’s Biography