John Wayne was born Marion Michael Morrison on May 26, 1907, in Winterset, Iowa. His famous nickname "Duke" was given to him as a child because he adored a dog with that name. John Wayne's work in Hollywood began on the backlot rather than in front of the cameras. After an injury ended his football career at University of Southern California, John worked jobs (as a prop person, extra, etc.) at Fox studios. There, he befriended director John Ford who helped him get his first leading role in the Western movie The Big Trail. In a career that spanned 50 years, Wayne appeared in more than 150 films, mostly Westerns. His family included four daughters and three sons. John Wayne died of lung cancer in 1979.