John Wayne Made Heart-Warming Phone Calls to Ronald and Nancy Reagan Every Morning After Bad Press
Actors John Wayne and Ronald Regan both know what it’s like to be a star in Hollywood. The Western actor was undeniably the bigger movie star, but they both understood what it felt like to receive good and bad headlines in the press. As a result, Wayne kindly went out of his way to ensure that Reagan and his wife, Nancy, had a cheerful phone call to warm their hearts.
Ronald Reagan took heat over a Hollywood strike
Reagan was once the president of the Screen Actors Guild, where he made quite some noise in a showdown with major studio executives over the residual payment system that remains in place. He had difficulty getting them to even engage in the conversation, let alone have any sort of intelligent negotiations.
As a result, Reagan took further measures and started an actors’ strike across Hollywood on March 7, 1960. Performers walked out of their jobs, causing productions around town to shut down. Over the course of the strike, there were numerous headlines slamming Reagan that started to have an impact on him and Nancy.
John Wayne reached out to Ronald and Nancy Reagan every morning after bad press
The Reagan Foundation YouTube channel uploaded Reagan and Friends Season 1 Episode 7, which talked about Wayne. There, Reagan himself spoke about his positive feelings toward Wayne and told stories about their interactions with one another behind closed doors. The Western movie star went out of his way to develop a close friendship with the Reagans.
“I came home one day, and Nancy told me that she had a phone call that morning after I left,” Reagan said. “It was John Wayne, and John was also reading the papers. She had never met him. John said, ‘I thought you might want to hear a friendly voice about this time,’ and told her how supportive he was and so forth of what I was doing. And, he did that every morning, when the press was hostile, she could count on a call from John Wayne just to cheer her up.”
Wayne’s simple act of kindness touched the Reagans, which resulted in a lasting friendship.
Ronald Reagan held the actor in high esteem
Reagan held Wayne in a very positive light. The Western movie star had his own issues with the press, especially when he didn’t join the draft during World War II. The movie star got an exemption due to his status as the sole provider of his family.
Nevertheless, Wayne created a “hero image” on the silver screen. He created war propaganda films, such as Sands of Iwo Jima, which helped to build morale. The actor came to stand for a certain segment of American morals and values, which Reagan connected with.
It took quite some time for Wayne to develop this reputation. His first leading role in 1930’s The Big Trail didn’t fair too well at the box office, then landing him in low-budget Westerns that he hated. He continued to work at his craft, collaborating with John Ford in iconic films, such as The Quiet Man, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and The Searchers.
