News culture “How can I pass this up?” John Wayne turned down the role that made Clint Eastwood a star: he didn’t want to be second choice

Culture news “How can I pass this up?” John Wayne turned down the role that made Clint Eastwood a star: he didn’t want to be second choice.

John Wayne was known to the general public for his performances in films such as Rio Bravo And The Prisoner of the Desert in the 1950s. For many people, the actor has long been considered the figure of the western genre.. But the world of the Wild West is shared with another big name, Clint Eastwood. The latter first became known thanks to the series Rawhide but above all by playing in Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western trilogy, including the film For a Fistful of Dollars.

A question of ego

Initially, John Wayne admired Clint Eastwood’s work and continued to compliment his acting, particularly in the film The God, the Brute, and the Ugly. But their relationship will become strained after the success of Dirty Harry. Indeed, The Duke will refuse the role offered by Don Siegel, the director, after learning that he was a second choice. A decision that he will regret all his life. “How could I have missed that?”, he will even say during an interview. Finally, it is Clint Eastwood who will play Inspector Harry Callahan in the police film.

A touching end to a career

After saying no to Siegel, John Wayne would agree to star in several films. He then appeared in Big Jake by George Sherman, released in 1971, and The Cowboys (1972) by Mark Rydell. The Duke’s final big screen appearance would be the film The Last of the Giants from 1976, directed by Don Siegel.

The Last of the Giants will be his last western where the actor’s personal story mixes with fiction. Here he plays a gunslinger dying of cancer. A tribute to his battle won in 1969 against lung cancer after five years of treatment and major surgery. Don Siegel’s film will be his last feature film in a career spanning nearly 180 films.