When the role overtakes the actor: John Wayne believed “the Indians were being selfish”
The renowned Western film star firmly believed “I don’t think we did wrong in taking this great country from them.”
John Wayne remains one of the biggest icons of Western cinema alongside stars like Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Gary Cooper, and Clint Eastwood. Like many others, his fame didn’t stop him from making controversial statements. A prime example is his infamous interview with Playboy magazine in 1971, where the cowboy persona seemed to overshadow the actor himself. In the interview, Wayne defended the advancement of “white supremacy” during the colonization of North America, adding that “the Indians were being selfish.”
“The Duke” versus the Native Americans on-screen and off-screen
In the interview, Wayne didn’t shy away from answering whether years spent portraying battles against Native Americans in films had sparked any empathy toward them. Considering his previous opinions, his response was unsurprising:
“I don’t feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them, if that’s what you’re asking. Our so-called stealing of this country from them was just a matter of survival. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves,” Wayne stated at the time.
While he acknowledged that some injustices likely occurred during the tumultuous era of North American colonization, Wayne was unapologetic, stating that “what happened 100 years ago in our country can’t be blamed on us today.” However, he did show a degree of consideration by saying, “if those inequalities are presently affecting any of the Indians now alive, they have a right to a court hearing.”
After several decades and countless Western films, Wayne didn’t feel accountable for the cinematic portrayal of the colonization of North America: “This may come as a surprise to you, but I wasn’t alive when reservations were created—even if I do look that old. I have no idea what the best method of dealing with the Indians in the 1800s would have been. Our forefathers evidently thought they were doing the right thing.”
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