Why John Wayne is the most underrated actor, according to Ray Winstone
When looking at actors who have masterfully perfected the hardman archetype, it’s hard to look beyond the inimitable Ray Winstone, who has delivered countless mesmerising and fear-inducing efforts throughout his remarkable career, establishing himself as one of the great British actors.
Having provided eternally memorable turns in the likes of Nil by Mouth, Scum, Quadrophenia, Sexy Beast and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, Winstone has embodied the brilliance of British acting and has carved out a legacy for himself that will undoubtedly withstand the test of time.
Like any actor, though, Ray Winstone is a performer who certainly has his heroes, his fellow thespians, whom he looks up to for inspiration. While Winstone has previously expressed his admiration for Robert De Niro, it looks as though John Wayne is also one of his favourite actors of all time.
In an interview with The Guardian, the Nil by Mouth and Scum star once spoke highly of Wayne, the champion of western cinema. “I just love westerns,” Winstone admitted. “One of my favourite actors is John Wayne, probably one of the most underrated actors there’s ever been. He’s quite an incredible actor.”
It’s interesting to hear Winstone discuss Wayne in terms of being an underrated actor, especially considering the kind of cultural pull that Wayne possessed throughout his career. Having made countless contributions to the world of American cinema, Wayne remains one of the western movie genre’s most enduring icons.
Wayne gave several memorable performances across many decades in the film industry, including those in Red River, The Searchers, True Grit and Stagecoach, working with the likes of John Ford and Howard Hawks on a number of iconic occasions. Wayne also embodied the masculinity of the American frontier, something that Winstone was keen to point out.
“He had this way of being a big man, a big tough man, but he can almost show a sadness on his face – very much in the way James Stewart was, and Henry Fonda, you know?” Winstone said, comparing Wayne to some of the other Hollywood all-time greats. “But because they were known as classical actors, they got the recognition, didn’t they?”
Winstone himself has been no stranger to offering intense and captivating portrayals of the darker side of masculinity, say in Gary Oldman’s directorial debut, Nil by Mouth, where Winstone played an alcoholic abusive husband. It’s clear from his words that Winstone got his inspiration from the words and actions of the legendary John Wayne.
As for Winstone’s favourite John Wayne movie, that recognition goes to John Ford’s 1956 epic western The Searchers, in which Wayne played a bigoted Civil War veteran who embarks on a quest to find his abducted niece, joined by his adopted nephew. “It’s a wonderful film,” Winstone pointed out. “Brilliantly shot, you know.”
“It’s such a great performance, hero playing a man like that,” the British actor added. Through his film, John Ford explored the nature of racism in historical America, and by casting Wayne in one of his most famous roles, he managed to show the power of change. Winstone explained, “Wayne’s playing a bigot in it. A man who’s got a hatred about him, but by the end of it, he changes.”
Check out the trailer for The Searchers, Winstone’s favourite John Wayne movie, below.
