John Wayne Gritcast, hosted by Ethan Wayne, to launch September 30

DALLAS - EntSun -- Ethan Wayne, son of the legendary actor John Wayne, is launching The John Wayne Gritcast, a weekly podcast, on Thursday, September 30.

The John Wayne Gritcast (https://www.johnwayne.com/gritcast) is a fresh perspective on a classic icon and the Americana he still inspires. Each Thursday, host Ethan Wayne reminisces with a new guest as he discusses his father's life and legacy. Guests include Hollywood legends, old friends, and those bringing The Duke's values of patriotism, grit and courage to life today. During the first episode, Ethan will interview his half-brother, Patrick Wayne. Like Ethan, Patrick acted in several films alongside his father.

"I lost my father when I was only 17 years old," explains host Ethan Wayne. "To the world, he may have been The Duke, but to me, he was Dad. I look forward to sharing old stories and learning stories I've never heard before."

Subsequent guests include Wayne's other children, his third wife, Pilar, and a collection of friends and neighbors, each of whom bring unique anecdotes and inspirational stories.

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John Wayne was originally born Marion Morrison in Iowa in 1907 and came west with his family in 1914.

Wayne's first starring role was as the cowboy Breck Coleman in the 1930 film, "The Big Trail." It was then that he first acted under the name "John Wayne." In 1939, John Ford gave the Duke his big break as Ringo Kid in the classic film, "Stagecoach." Wayne's performance made him a star for good and earned Ford an Academy Award nomination for Best Director.

The 1940s and '50s saw John Wayne develop into an important figure on the American landscape with a series of starring roles in major Westerns and war pictures. He earned three Academy Award nominations, and received an Oscar in 1969 for his performance as Rooster Cogburn in "True Grit."  His final on-screen performance, as a gunman struck with cancer in 1976's "The Shootist," is considered among his greatest performances.

Wayne survived a 1964 bout with lung cancer that saw him lose a lung and several ribs. He was struck down with stomach cancer in 1979, finally succumbing to the disease that year at the age of 72.

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Posthumously, John Wayne was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. But perhaps John Wayne's greatest legacy was his dying wish, which was that his family and supporters use his name and likeness to help doctors fight cancer — a wish that led to the creation of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation (JWCF) (https://johnwayne.org/) in 1985. Over the years, JWCF has supported research by funding the creation of the Cancer Institute that bears his name, education programs, awareness programs, and support groups.

The John Wayne Gritcast is available on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/john-wayne-gritcast/id1587018830) and on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ri2cYaibJsohCtIr...).