John Wayne Highlands, fierce fighters against communism, bestowed on Wayne a brass bracelet that he wore in the film and all subsequent films. Wayne finally won a Best Actor Oscar for "True Grit" (1969), two decades after his only other nomination. Wayne took on the role of the eponymous detective in the crime drama "McQ" (1974). His last film was "The Shootist" (1976), whose main character, J. B. Books, was dying of cancer—which Wayne himself succumbed to three years later. "The Shootist" (1976) contains numerous plot similarities to "The Gunfighter" of nearly thirty years before, a role which Wayne had wanted but
Josephine Wayne of heart failure in April 2003, two months before Saenz Nigg's own death). Josephine Wayne Josephine S. Wayne (born Josephine Alicia Saenz; May 13, 1908 – June 24, 2003) was the first wife of American film actor John Wayne. She had four children including film producer Michael Wayne and actor Patrick Wayne. Josephine Alicia "Josie" Saenz was born May 13, 1908 to the Consul General of Panama in the United States, José Saenz, a wealthy businessman who lived in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were born in Madrid, Spain. She was aged 15 or 16 when she met John Wayne,