John Wayne was a legendary actor known for his strong persona which was often related to masculinity. The actor was largely associated with playing the cowboy roles in his Western films. Another interesting thing about the actor was that he often co-starred alongside queer actors.
In 1969, Wayne appeared in The Undefeated alongside Rock Hudson. During the shoot, the two developed a good bond. However, it was during this time that Wayne hurt himself severely while filming a scene for the film.
John Wayne got severely injured while filming The Undefeated
John Wayne was so perfect with cowboy performance, that he became a synonym to it. However, excelling in the role was never an easy feat especially, when Wayne had the daring to perform his own stunts. However, his adventurous attitude once caused him trouble when he was injured while filming a scene in the 1969 film, The Undefeated.
Despite having a stunt double on set, Wayne was often urged to perform his stunts. But this time, his decision led him to a severe injury where he broke his three ribs. In 2019, Wayne’s official social media account described what led to his near-fatal accident. The Facebook post read
“While filming The Undefeated, Duke fractured three ribs from a horse fall and then tore a ligament in his shoulder which left one arm immobile. Despite the injuries, his main concern was not disappointing the fans.”
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According to IMDb, despite being in serious pain, the actor resumed work in just two weeks and completed the film, as he didn’t want to disappoint his fans.
John Wayne developed a close bond with queer actor Rock Hudson
Throughout his career, John Wayne had often cast alongside queer actors, and one of them was Hollywood’s biggest s*x symbol, Rock Hudson. Wayne and Hudson worked together in the 1969 film, The Undefeated, and while filming the movie they became good friends.
Due to stereotypical norms, during that era, there was a great hush-hush about the homosexuality of public figures like Hudson. However, Wayne was aware of it and openly accepted his friend just the way he was. According to Medium, Wayne once said about Hudson’s homosexuality,
“It never bothered me. Life’s too short. Who the hell cares if he’s queer?”
According to IMDB, the two actors used to play bridge together. Moreover, they both also gave acting advice to each other.