John Wayne Thought Gene Hackman Was The ‘Worst Actor In Town’

John Wayne was an iconic actor but in his personal life, he could be a bit controversial. He had feuds with many other actors, especially those with differing political views. One of those actors was Gene Hackman, who he reportedly thought was the “worst actor in town.”

John’s daughter Aissa wrote a book about her father and detailed his relationship with Gene. She wrote, “When it came to his contemporaries in film, I only heard him speak once with any real venom. Gene Hackman could never appear on-screen without my father skewering his performance.”

John Wayne’s daughter talks about his dislike of Gene Hackman among others

She added, “I wish I could tell you why he so harshly criticized Hackman, but he never went into detail. Although it’s pure speculation, had my father lived to see more of his work, I think his view of Mr Hackman would have changed. Back then, however, my father called Hackman ‘the worst actor in town. He’s awful.’”

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Aissa noted that Gene wasn’t the only actor that her dad criticized. She once said that Gone with the Wind star Clark Gable was another object of his harsh words. He reportedly said that Clark was “extremely handsome in person” but “an idiot.”

Aissa wonders if he just disliked Clark because of his loyalty to his friend John Ford. She explained, “During the filming of ‘Mogambo,’ Ford and Gable had clashed again and again and the subsequent feud had simmered for years. In my father’s way of thinking, disloyalty to allies, support in any fashion for their enemies, was expressly forbidden. If Clark Gable took on John Ford, my father’s code demanded that John Wayne stand by his old pal.”

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