Following his Oscar-winning role in True Grit, John Wayne returned as his one-eyed US Marshal in 1975’s Rooster Cogburn.
This time around his co-star would be fellow Hollywood legend Katharine Hepburn, who did not share the same political views as Duke.
At times Wayne would have furious outbursts on set due to his serious health problems, but he did nevertheless end up getting along with Hepburn.
Appearing on The Phil Donahue Show a year after the film was released, Duke was asked about working with her.
In a clip from the talk show shared by the John Wayne estate’s Instagram, Wayne revealed how he managed to get her on side.
Wayne said: “Loved her!…Yeah well you know, there’s another thing, darn politics comes in. I’ve been for five Democrats and five Republicans or something in my life, but I’m supposed to be a right-wing extremist Republican. And she was noted for being a little further the other way. So, when we first went on the set, there was a sort of a quiet, and it was stated that there would be no press on the set. And I finally said, ‘Well can I have a couple come out and see me?’ and she relented and said ‘Yes’.”
Wayne added: “The first fella that came out said, ‘Well how is it working with Katherine Hepburn?’ I said, ‘Well I’m sure that Spencer Tracy and Humpy Bogey would be envious of me if they were here now working with this wonderful personality and this really professional actress.’ I said, ‘There’s only one thing wrong.’ He said, ‘What’s that?’ I said, ‘Well she’s a little more conservative than I, but who isn’t?’ Well from then on there was no trouble. She belly laughed on that and answered, it took forty minutes to think of an answer. From then on, the set was open, she’s a delightful woman!”
