John Wayne Has Three Sons…And They All Followed In His Footsteps

When someone says that John Wayne is a legend, there is no doubt about it. And his three sons carried on his legacy after his death.

He was one of the biggest movie stars for over three decades and starred in movies like Stagecoach, Sands of Iwo Jima, Hondo, The High and the Mighty, True Grit, and so many more.

John Wayne and his first wife Josephine had four children together: Michael, Mary, Patrick, and Melinda. With his third wife Pilar, he had three more: Alissa, John Ethan, and Marisa.

John’s three sons followed in his footsteps into the film industry, but that’s not the only similarity they share. They all look just like him, too!

Michael, Patrick, and Ethan had fond memories of their famous dad. In an interview with The Guardian, Ethan Wayne said, “My father was tough, but very loving. He was old school. I don’t know how else to describe it. He didn’t talk much, but he could make his few words very, very impactful and meaningful.”

He added, “I learned a lot from my father. He never told me ‘do this’ or ‘do that,’ but led by example. You never wanted to disappoint him.”

His eldest son, Michael, was born in November 1934.

Although he sadly passed away in 2003 from heart failure following surgery, it wasn’t before he made his own mark on Hollywood. His father was a force to be reckoned with in front of the camera, but Michael enjoyed it behind the scenes. He worked his way up from Production Assistant to line producer to producer and even worked on several of his father’s films.

Michael produced the 1963 film McLintock which co-starred his father and beloved actress Maureen O’Hara. After filming wrapped, John Wayne reportedly told a friend, “That kid of mine runs a tight ship. He’s all business and no-nonsense.”

After his father’s death, Michael stopped producing and formed John Wayne Enterprises where he oversaw the legacy, licensing, memorabilia and more related to his father’s career.

“It’s a pity he didn’t go on producing because he was excellent, and Duke was very proud of him,” Maureen O’Hara told the Los Angeles Times. “We all were.”

Patrick, John’s middle son, became an actor at an early age.

He made his film debut with his father at age 11 in the 1950 film Rio Grande. He also appeared in 10 more John Wayne films and several television specials.

He is credited for appearing in 40 films over the course of his career. Born in 1939, Patrick has had a long career in film and television and even hosted two game shows – The Monte Carlo Show and later Tic-Tac-Dough.

John Wayne’s youngest son, John Ethan, was born in 1962.

John Ethan, who goes by his middle name, may have a different mother than Patrick and Michael, you can definitely tell they are all brothers. Ethan has appeared in many different works as both an actor and a stuntman.

Following his brother Michael’s death, Ethan took over as the manager of John Wayne Enterprises and is the director of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. He also created the Team DUKE fundraising program in honor of his father.

John’s three sons resemble him in many ways, and we love that Patrick and Ethan have never stopped keeping their father’s legacy alive.

Watch his family gather on his yacht, The Wild Goose, and tell stories about him on what would have been his 110th birthday.