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Did John Wayne have a best friend?

Fundamentally, the question seems silly. Think about it or say it out loud: Did John Wayne have a best friend? Did the Duke, an American icon and one of the toughest men ever to be seen on the big screen, have a bestie? Who was his bff?

The answer is, unequivocally, yes. According to many accounts fellow actor Ward Bond and celebrated Hollywood director John Ford both filled that best-friend role.

Wayne and Bond met while Wayne was playing football at the University of Southern California. They appeared in more than 20 films together—The Searchers, Rio Bravo and The Quiet Man, among others—and always shared a deep friendship.

Bond was the best man at one of Wayne’s weddings and was the godfather of Wayne’s son Michael. Wayne gave a eulogy at Bond’s funeral in 1960 calling him “a wonderful, generous, big-hearted man.”

Ford was considered one of the most influential filmmakers and directors during Hollywood’s Golden Age. He and Wayne worked together in more than a dozen Westerns, including Stagecoach, Fort Apache, Rio Grande and The Searchers. Despite occasional creative disagreements, they always had a strong personal relationship. In fact, in 1929, Ford promoted Bond from extra to supporting player in the film Salute. That gesture meant a lot to Wayne.

While Bond and Ford were the closest to the Duke there were still others who remained lifelong friends with Wayne like Maureen O’Hara, James Arness, Ben Johnson, Kirk Douglas and Bob Hope.

O’Hara and Wayne starred in five films together both always spoke fondly of each other. Arness and Wayne were close and Arness has even said that Wayne helped him launch his career. Johnson was an actor and a stuntman who often doubled for Wayne. Douglas and Wayne never officially worked together but were known to have a deep mutual respect for each other and a long friendship. Hope and Wayne were fast friends and often appeared at many of the same Hollywood functions and charity events together.

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