Marion Robert Morrison, professionally known as John Wayne and nicknamed 'The Duke', was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood's Golden Age. About one year ago, I discovered through research into my family's history that I am related to John Wayne through a common ancestor — Robert Finley (who was John Wayne's 6th great grandfather and my 9th great grandfather). That makes John Wayne my 7th cousin, 3 times removed. The Duke's career flourished from the silent era of the 1920s through the American New Wave of the 1960s and 70s, as he appeared in a total of 179 film and television productions. He was among the top box-office draws for three decades, and appeared with many other important Hollywood stars of his era. In 1999, twenty years after his death, the American Film Institute selected John Wayne as one of the greatest male stars of classic American cinema.