Ethan Wayne

John Ethan Morrison was born on February 22, 1962, in Los Angeles, California, the middle child and only son^[1] to John Wayne, an American actor, and his third wife, Pilar Pallete, a Peruvian former actress.^[2][3] He has two sisters, Aissa Maria Wayne^[4][5] and Marissa Carmela Wayne,^[6] and four half-siblings:^[7] Michael Wayne,^[8] Mary Antonia "Toni" Wayne LaCava, Patrick Wayne, and Melinda Ann Wayne Munoz,^[9] from his father's first marriage to Josephine Alicia Saenz.^{[10][11][12][13]}

Wayne grew up in Newport Beach, California.^[14] His name was chosen in direct relation to Ethan Edwards, his father's character in The Searchers.^[7] He was 17-years-old^[15] when his father died from stomach cancer on June 11, 1979.^[16][17] His father left an estate worth US$6.85M, of which he received US$85,000.^[18]

Wayne made his debut in 1970, as a child actor, with an uncredited role in the Western film Rio Lobo.^[19] He made his credited film debut with the role of Little Jake McCandles, the grandson of his father's title character in the Technicolor Western film Big Jake (1971).^[20][21] At the start of his career, he was occasionally credited as John Ethan Wayne.^[7]

Wayne started doing stunt work in 1979, following the death of his father. His debut was the [musical action comedy film The Blues Brothers (1980). He then resumed work as an actor.^[22] His next two major appearances were both in 1981, as Stan in the slasher film Scream,^[23] and as Eddie in the comedy film Longshot.^[24]

Wayne portrayed Stephen "Storm" Logan Jr. in the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful, making his debut appearance in the episode broadcast on March 24, 1987.^[25] His character was written out of the programme in the episode broadcast on March 10, 1989, after his contract ran out.^[26] He returned briefly in September 1994, making his departure that October. He returned in the episode broadcast on New Year's Eve 1997, making his departure in the episode broadcast on January 7, 1998. He made a brief return in January 2001. He made his return in the episode broadcast on April 30, 2003, making his departure in the episode broadcast on May 8.^[27] On the soap opera, Wayne worked with Robert Mitchum's granddaughter, Carrie Mitchum, whom he first met on the set of Big Jake.^[28]

Wayne received a lot of work overseas after he started to appear on The Bold and the Beautiful.^[25]

Wayne portrayed Officer Matt Doyle in the police procedural crime drama series The New Adam-12 during the early 1990s.^[29]

Wayne appeared as an expert on the History Channel reality television series Pawn Stars in 2013, during the episode "Dog Day Afternoon", to help authenticate merchandise supposedly related to his father's career.^[30]

In celebration of what would have been his father's 111th birthday on May 26, HDNet Movies tapped Wayne to host a "Western Icons" event from May 18–28 which featured films starring his father, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood, Gregory Peck, Sidney Poitier, Randolph Scott, and others.^[31]

Wayne now manages John Wayne Enterprises.^[32][33] He serves as the director of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation^[34] and created its Team DUKE fundraising programme.^[35]

Wayne is the host of The John Wayne Gritcast podcast series.^[36]

Wayne keeps his personal life mostly private.^[37] He is the uncle of Jennifer Wayne, from the country music group Runaway June.^[38][39]

Wayne and his longtime girlfriend, Gina Rivadenegry, a flight attendant, eloped in Phoenix, Arizona, in December 1989.^[40] The couple quickly separated and their divorce was finalized in 1990, after less than a year of marriage.^[41][42][43]