1969 John Wayne Classic, Named One of the ‘Greatest Westerns,’ Was Turned Down by Clint Eastwood
1969 John Wayne Classic, Named One of the ‘Greatest Westerns,’ Was Turned Down by Clint Eastwood
Lauren HarrisonSun, August 30, 2026 at 1:20 AM UTC
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John Wayne and Clint Eastwood famously never made a Western together, but the story of their missed collaboration has a surprising first chapter. Years before Wayne rejected a proposed movie with Eastwood, Eastwood says he passed on the chance to appear alongside Wayne in True Grit.
It was no ordinary missed opportunity. True Grit is ranked No. 13 on an IMDb list identifying the Western Writers of America’s 100 Greatest Westerns, and Wayne’s performance as Rooster Cogburn earned him the only Academy Award of his career.
Related: 1956 John Wayne Classic, Named One of the ‘Greatest Westerns Ever,’ Has an Unforgettable Ending
Eastwood Could Have Ridden Beside John Wayne
Eastwood revealed in the published interviews Conversations With Clint: Paul Nelson’s Lost Interviews With Clint Eastwood, 1979–1983 that he was considered for Texas Ranger La Boeuf, the role ultimately played by Glen Campbell.
“Originally, the producer at Universal who did True Grit, he had the idea of me playing the part that Glen Campbell did,” Eastwood recalled, according to an account citing the interviews, “but it wasn’t much of a role, and I was occupied.”
John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn in his Oscar-winning performance in 1969’s ‘True Grit.’ Photo by Getty Images
The AFI Catalog confirms that Campbell ultimately played La Boeuf opposite Wayne’s Rooster Cogburn and Kim Darby’s Mattie Ross in the 1969 Western. The cast also included Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Jeff Corey, and Strother Martin.
Campbell was already a successful recording artist but had never acted in a feature film. Decades later, he remembered being thrilled to work with Wayne.
“It was just amazing,” Campbell told the Los Angeles Times. “He was so much like my dad. He was a very nice guy.”
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Campbell was also candid about his own performance. “I enjoyed doing movies; I just wasn’t an actor, so to speak,” he said. Then came the punchline: “I made John Wayne look so good in a movie that he won his only Oscar.”
Related: 78 Years Ago Today: John Wayne Starred in One of the ‘Greatest Westerns of All Time’
The Movie Delivered Wayne His Only Oscar
That last part is true. At the 42nd Academy Awards, Wayne beat Richard Burton, Dustin Hoffman, Peter O’Toole, and Jon Voight to win Best Actor for True Grit, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Darby remembered Wayne’s preparation matching his screen presence. “He was there on the set before anyone else and knew every line perfectly,” she told the Los Angeles Times.
The missed casting now carries an irresistible what-if. Eastwood eventually became one of Hollywood’s defining Western stars himself. Put him beside Wayne in True Grit, and one of the genre’s most famous collaborations might have happened years before their later attempt fell apart.
Next: 1956 John Wayne Classic, With His Darkest Hero, Named One of the ‘Greatest Westerns of All Time’
Related: 1968 Classic, Named ‘Best Western Movie of All Time,’ Was Turned Down by Clint Eastwood
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Aug 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
