One of John Wayne’s favorite actresses was Elizabeth Taylor, and the admiration was mutual. The two-time Oscar winner described “The Duke” as “tough as an old nut and tender as a yellow ribbon,” being one of the few stars who managed to see the softer side of cinema’s toughest and most stoic man.

Another of Wayne’s favorite women in Hollywood was Katharine Hepburn, despite the fact that she once called him a “bastard.” The two co-starred in the Oscar-winning western True Grit’s sequel, Rooster Cogburn, but the insults between them were playful banter. Hepburn once joked about Wayne’s habit of losing his temper on set and making life miserable for director Stuart Millar.

However, none of them could compare to the true “apple of his eye”: the only actress Wayne ever called a real friend. Over a professional partnership that spanned more than two decades, The Duke and Maureen O’Hara shared the screen in Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, The Wings of Eagles, McLintock!, and Big Jake.

The chemistry between them was undeniable, and one of the reasons they worked together so often was that O’Hara wasn’t just another co-star—off-camera, she was part of Wayne’s inner circle.

“She’s big, passionate, and absolutely wonderful,” he said.
“Definitely my kind of woman. She’s a great guy. I’ve had a lot of friends, and I prefer the company of men—except for Maureen O’Hara.”