A Bodysurfing Injury Changed John Wayne’s Life
John Wayne is known for embodying the cowboy persona in his many western movies. However, Wayne may not have become the legendary western star he became if it wasn’t for an unfortunate injury. During his college years, John Wayne had a bodysurfing injury that changed his career trajectory from football star to Hollywood icon.
John Wayne starred in many iconic western films
Wayne is still recognized as one of the greatest western stars of all time. He starred in over 170 movies in his career, but he was best known for starring in westerns. Many of his most famous westerns include Stagecoach, The Searchers, The Comancheros, The Undefeated, The Train Robbers, and Rio Grande. Outside of westerns, he starred in movies such as The Green Berets, Sands of Iwo Jima, The Longest Day, and Back to Bataan.
Wayne did receive praise for his acting ability. In 1969, Wayne won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in True Grit. He was a very successful actor, but his career almost went elsewhere if it hadn’t been for an unfortunate injury.
John Wayne had an injury that ended his football career
Before he became an actor, John Wayne attended USC (University of Southern California), where he played football. According to Mental Floss, hen he wasn;t practicing or studying, Wayne (Marion Morrison at the time), would often be in the ocean at the California beaches in his free time. One day, he experienced an untimely shoulder injury while bodysurfing that changed his life.
The injury cost him his spot on the football team, and he lost the scholarship that was attached to being on the team. Unable to afford room and board, Wayne dropped out of USC and landed a job as the prop guy at Fox Studios in 1927. Shortly after, someone had discovered Wayne had a talent for performing, and he made his film debut in The Big Trail in 1930. While the injury cost him his chance at being a football legend, he still became a legend in a different industry.
What was John Wayne’s net worth when he died?
Thanks to his long and accomplished movie career, Wayne died with a net worth of $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Adjusting for inflation, that would be around $25 million today. He built his net worth through his many film credits as an actor, producer, and director. His many investments and royalties earned him $100,000 per year in passive income, and his estate was worth around $1 million.
Wayne is also credited with coining the term “The Big C,” which is a more casual way of referring to cancer. The actor coined the term in the 1960s after beating lung cancer. He later lost his battle to “The Big C” in 1979 when it was found again in his stomach. His daughter, Aissa Wayne, says a 1964 press conference is the only time she ever heard him refer to it as cancer.
