„I'd like to know why well-educated idiots keep apologizing for lazy and complaining people who think the world owes them a living.“

—  John Wayne

„I've always followed my father's advice: he told me, first to always keep my word and, second, to never insult anybody unintentionally. If I insult you, you can be goddamn sure I intend to. And, third, he told me not to go around looking for trouble.“

—  John Wayne

„Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.“

—  John Wayne

Playboy interview, May 1971
Kontext: There's a lot of things great about life. But I think tomorrow is the most important thing. Comes in to us at midnight very clean, ya know. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.

„I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.“

—  John Wayne

„Never apologize, mister, it’s a sign of weakness.“

—  John Wayne

„My hope and prayer is that everyone know and love our country for what she really is and what she stands for.“

—  John Wayne

„All battles are fought by scared men who'd rather be some place else.“

—  John Wayne

„We’re burnin’ daylight.“

—  John Wayne

„It's getting to be ri-goddamn-diculous.“

—  John Wayne

„If you've got them by the balls their hearts and minds will follow.“

—  John Wayne

„Thanking people is dangerous business. A name always slips your mind.“

—  John Wayne

„courage is being scared to death - and saddling up anyway"

"A goal, A love and A dream give you total control over your body and your life“

—  John Wayne

„Government has no wealth, and when a politician promises to give you something for nothing, he must first confiscate that wealth from you -- either by direct taxes, or by the cruelly indirect tax of inflation.“

—  John Wayne

„I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were
selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.“

—  John Wayne

„COWBOYS, just like the word says.“

—  John Wayne

„With a lot of blacks, there's quite a bit of resentment along with their dissent, and possibly rightfully so. But we can't all of a sudden get down on our knees and turn everything over to the leadership of the blacks. I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility. I don't believe in giving authority and positions of leadership and judgment to irresponsible people.“

—  John Wayne

Playboy interview, May 1971

„If I had known this, I would've put that patch on thirty-five years earlier.“

—  John Wayne

1969 Academy Awards speech for Best Actor in True Grit.

„I eat as much as I ever did, I drink more than I should, and my sex life is none of your goddamned business.“

—  John Wayne

Playboy interview, May 1971

„Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid. “

—  John Wayne