Movie star John Wayne was familiar with the type of work that went into being a stuntman. He had a deep appreciation for the folks who made the dangerous stunts come to life on the silver screen. However, Wayne had a favorite stuntman whom he deeply respected and enjoyed working with. In fact, they made a total of 32 movies together, making it clear that they had a long history together.
Who was John Wayne’s favorite stuntman?
Wayne had one stuntman that he valued working with above all the rest – Chuck Roberson. He went from working as a police officer to serving in World War II to stuntwork. It all started thanks to a well-known stuntman named Guy Teague, he got his first job in the field at Republic Pictures.
Roberson starred in small roles as an actor, but he also went on to enjoy plenty of stuntwork over the course of his career. He further diversified his filmography as a second-unit director. His television work ranged from The Lone Ranger to Bonanza and Gunsmoke. His experience on Western sets extended to working with legendary filmmaker John Ford, who frequently collaborated with Wayne.
John Wayne worked with actor and stuntman Chuck Roberson on 32 movies
Duke and his stunt double, Chuck Roberson. The two worked together for over 30 years and Chuck doubled for Duke in 30 films! pic.twitter.com/IcvqrnOztV
— John Wayne Official (@JohnDukeWayne) November 14, 2019
While uncredited, Roberson worked with Wayne as a stuntman on 32 movies over the course of his career. According to the actor’s official Facebook page, he was Wayne’s favorite stuntman. They first worked together in this capacity in 1947’s Angel and the Badman. The Western film follows the star as Quirt Evans, an injured gunfighter who must rely on a young Quaker woman (Gail Russell) and her family, who change his life for the better.
They worked together the very next year in 1948’s Wake of the Red Witch, Wayne played Captain Ralls, traveling through the East Indies to get revenge on a wealthy shipping magnate.
Wayne and Roberson joined forces again in The Fighting Kentuckian, Rio Grande, Hondo, The Conqueror, The Searchers, The Wings of Eagles, and The Barbarian and the Geisha. Their collaboration stayed strong through major and minor productions, including when the actor stepped behind the camera into the role of a director.
The following were next: The Alamo, The Comancheros, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Hatari!, How the West Was Won, Donovan’s Reef, The Sons of Katie Elder, El Dorado, The War Wagon, The Green Berets, Hellfighters, The Undefeated, Chisum, Rio Lobo, A Big Jake, The Cowboys, The Train Robbers, Cahill U.S. Marshal, McQ and Rooster Cogburn.
Roberson continued working as Wayne’s stuntman through to his final movie in 1976 with The Shootist.
He almost made the move from actor to stuntman
There was a time in Wayne’s career when he grew tired of acting. This primarily was due to the fact that he was getting typecast in roles that he found embarrassing, such as Singin’ Sandy Saunders. As a result, Wayne thought that he got into the wrong line of work, wishing that he stuck with stuntwork.
Nevertheless, Wayne stuck to acting. He found happiness in bringing joy to his fans, especially in roles that he was proud to play. Red River, She Wore a Yellow RIbbon, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance were just a handful of movies that he loved being a part of.
