good lord... russell crowe the next john wayne? i'd love to hear your reasoning for that suggestion, because right now i'd say it's insulting the duke to put those two in the same sentence.

Oh come on now -- Russell Crowe is a man's actor, he's versatile, he's suave. How could you think he's not at least in the running? I'm not saying fit him for John Wayne's boots, just that if there were to be a close competitor, Russell Crowe might be there.

Who would you say, dizzy?

i'd say that crowe is boring. really, really boring. sure, he does a great job of looking tortured, but don't you need more than that to be an icon? if heath ledger hadn't passed, i'd put him in the running -- he was versatile and compelling while doing more than just pouting. what about george clooney, or even tom hanks? both are older than your kiddies, but we're talking about classic here... AMC's "classic actor" poll says Johnny Depp is tops, but as much as I love and admire him, I think he's maybe not the best one in that list to compare to the great John Wayne.

No way Johnny Depp. Don't get me wrong, as an actor I love him. But he's just not the type. Same thing goes with Hanks and Clooney, they're both too much the "pretty boy" type. I'm looking for an understated actor, which is why I mentiond Crowe. But perhaps even he's a bit too flamboyant.

I think Bale might be a good choice. I agree though -- Heath Ledger would have been a great contender. I guess he still is...

How about Robert Duvall? He's got an interesting mix of Westerns and war movies. Plus no one would accuse him of being a "pretty boy."

It's not about what John Wayne did or what other actors have the potential to do. There will never be another John Wayne because no other actor will ever be able to represent what he represented. He represented pure uncomplicated Americana: rugged, self-made, and unflinchingly and unquestioningly patriotic.

He was a mirror in which Americans saw the image that they wished they were. He was the symbol of an era when Americans could believe, without complication, that they had "won" the West and that doing so was not only their right, but their destiny. That America would triumph in any conflict through the sheer will. That the only good Indian is a dead Indian. He was the living embodiment of American exceptionalism, a myth that has been too thoroughly exploded in our modern culture to ever be viewed without either sarcasm or irony.

(even if that weren't the case Russell Crowe would be disqualified for both being Australian and for the entirely unDukelike act of throwing telephones at bellhops - if you pressed me I'd nominate Clint Eastwood for a "Duke in the age of irony type role")

"That the only good Indian is a dead Indian"

LOL love how you slipped in that reference right in the middle of a passionate John Wayne speech.

I guess if you discount non-Americans, Heath Ledger and Christian Bale are out too. I'm hesitant to include Robert Duvall and Clint Eastwood because I was really curious if there's anyone worth watching today that's just getting started, relatively speaking.

Any up-and-coming John Wayne wannabes?

Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan was as good if not better than Wayne in the Ford westerns except for the Searchers. Nobody will top that performance. But you need to factor in his walk through The Alamo where he was as bad and unbelievable as it gets.

I think you may have a point Redsoxnation. Mayhaps Tom Hanks is a pretty reasonable choice...

There is not a single actor, that even comes to mind, that will ever come close to the Great John Wayne. Mr. Wayne was no tonly a great actor, but also a great American. He set the standards so high, no one will ever come close. Mr. Wayne was a class act.

@vicmackey: I don't think anyone is disputing that John Wayne's attributes made him singularly unique. But I think the question is more like, are there any actors around today that share aspects of his personality, enough to make us pause. I would never presume to try to replace John Wayne, but I would certainly love to find a piece of him in one of our modern actors.

I don't think anyone today will ever eclipse John Wayne simply because back then actors did 20-30 pictures a year, and today they are lucky to get 1 or 2 a year so they can't come close to the sheer body of work by anyone from 30 years ago or more.

John Wayne is different from most actors because he was a shameless American patriot. He loved America, for better or for worse, it was powerful and came across on the screen, there was something genuine and original in him.

I do not see that today in Hollywood. There are GREAT actors today, but few working that truly seem to LOVE what they're doing.

How about Tom Selleck or Sam Elliott? Their western sagas have made for good viewing, their characters almost as good as the Duke's.

I like the idea of both Selleck and Elliott. Both are extremely distinctive, they're sex symbols in their own way as well as representations of both "real men," the west, and and patriotism. I'm tempted to also include Burt Reynolds on that list, but I think he has a skeeziness factor that's hard to overcome...

I don't think that there is a more versable actor than John Wayne. He is one of the sexiest men that ever lived. All the actors that I've seen wouldn't even come close to him.

There never was, and never will be an actor that can hold an candle to the Duke.
I like Russell Crowe's acting, but don't be rediculous. And John Wayne kept his private life private.

Also, John Wayne was patriotic, and respected everyone, including telephones. I would lick his boots.

I'm sorry but most of today's actors pale in comparison with John Wayne and many other classic greats. Most actors and actresses today are spoiled, arrogant, overated and overpaided for mediocre performances. John Wayne put his heart and soul into his acting. Even when he knew he was dying he came thru like a blazing star. You could feel and see his love for his art and his love for his country come thru on screen. He had great respect not only for his country but for all those around him. To compare John Wayne to Russell Crowe is to say the least insulting. Like comparing a real professional hollywood great with a jack-ass! John Wayne "The Duke" true american!

I agree nobody will ever be better than Wayne but christian Bale, Russel Crowe Sam Elliot are somewhat like him.

I wonder if it's so hard to imagine anyone like John Wayne again simply because there are so few Westerns made nowadays. The most recent one was 3:10 to Yuma, which was the first I can think of in a long while, and a remake to boot. No wonder we consider Bale and Crowe, the film's stars, in the running. Maybe if Hollywood made as many as they used to, we would have a better conception.

I think Tom Hanks has some of the Dukes qualities. But I would also like to but in Mel Gibson (mostly because of his performances in the Patriot, and We Were Soldiers).

But as many of you put it, no one could ever take the Duke's place, especially with the standards of today's Hollywood.

The next John Wayne??
Come on, really? There was no John Wayne before John Wayne, UNTIL John Wayne, so how can there be a next John Wayne...like askin who's the next God...
there's only ONE. You can compare, but only the older, more seasoned would fit. I agree that Duvall, Selleck, Elliott would work, but don't leave out Tommy Lee Jones. But none of them are or ever would be The
Duke. They would just be remembered as really good
cowboys. John Wayne was just America period. His voice alone was enough to make the enemy throw a white flag. Shoulda been President....

Starting off by saying that I think everyone is an individual, and there is no more a chance of someone being the next John Wayne than there is someone being the next of anyone else already mentioned in above threads.
I just think the idea of it, well....it's sort of pointless.
IMO John Wayne was beloved, and popular, but he wasn't one of the greatest actors who ever lived. I don't think his talent is what made him famous. At his worst he was awful, at his best, he was slightly above average, and every once in a while, achieved "very good" status, but I think way too many people see him as a untouchable figure.
He wasn't. He likely is the most well known actor who ever lived, but I can think of about twenty almost as well knowns who were better than him as far as talent.

As far as bashing Russell Crowe's personal life, that's real classy. No, in terms of his temper and public tantrums, Crowe is no Wayne, but in terms of sheer talent and the ability to play many more notes and layers, Crowe is simply a much better actor. There isn't another actor alive today with Crowe's intensity, no matter what people might think of his personal life.
But speaking of his personal life, the man himself has more than once admitted he's said and done things he's ashamed of. At least he has the guts to own up to it and admit it, and his fans who have met him have all said he's incredibly gracious.
I think way too many people like to feel superior to someone, anyone, and I think Crowe is such a public figure whose bad side has been so exploited that he's an easy target.
He's not perfect. He's a man, and therefore sometimes lets his negative traits get the better of him.
In terms of talent also..Christian Bale is also better than Wayne. He also has the ability to play more layers and notes than Wayne ever did.
Now..neither Bale nor Crowe will likely ever achieve Wayne's iconic status, but that's mainly because we live in a different time. People during Wayne's heyday watched movies mainly for the stars. They were more loyal. They'd watch a movie just because Wayne was in it, and say it was good, just because Wayne was in it.
Audiences today are far more sophisticated and cynical. If a movie is crap, word gets around, and it doesn't matter who is in it, a lot of people are not going to shell out money to go see it.

So in that way, John Wayne is untouchable. He earned the admiration of men who wanted to be him and women who wanted to be loved by him. He acted in a different time, a time that even though the western seems to be making a mini come back, will never happen again.
I think the argument of the next John Wayne is pointless.
He was who he was, and stars like Crowe and Bale (who IMO are two of the best in Hollywood today) are who they are.

And never the twain shall meet, nor should it, really. I don't think I would want to see an actor today being worshipped like John Wayne was. Something about a nation of people so desperate for someone to look up to that they choose a movie actor kind of disturbs me on levels I won't get into here.

As much as I like crowe i had to laugh when i saw that somebody thought he may be even close to DUKEDOM.There will allways be only 1 DUKE case closed

Michele I think you make some great points, though I think we will always look up to our actors as icons because, well, they're in our face. And at least they play characters that are less fallible than some of our other public figures.

I think there's a definite generational divide over John Wayne. While I don't share your strong anti-Wayne sentiment, I do sometimes feel I'm a bit too young to appreciate what exactly it was about Wayne that made him so legendary. Perhaps that's why I'm curious to see if someone in our current generation of actors is capable of lighting as passionate a torch in us.

Crowe and Bale are close, but like you I don't see myself becoming a die-hard over them. Perhaps it's not the actors that have changed, perhaps it's us.

Trying to say there could be a another Duke is like saying there could be another Bruce Lee or Jimi Hendrix just ain't going to happen! This generation is not as passionate and dedicated like the movie pioneers of old. Not saying that they are trying but need to bring it up a notch. (more like a mile) But Russell Crowe did a great job in 3:10 to Yuma it one of my favorite westerns.

JUST ONE THING TO SAY NO ONE CAN TAKE THE DUKE'S PLACE NAMELY JOHN WAYNE.
HE'S THE MAN FOR ALWAYS

Some interesting comments,folks.Here's my two cents, I've pondered on this since amc proposed the question some time ago, in my puny opinion, one who could stand up to the duke's standard and potential in being genuine on-screen in westerns or military films, Duke projected great authority in both genres, would be Tommy Lee Jones, with robert duvall making a great ward bond to him, Tom Selleck would make a great Bruce cabot type pairing.Having been a member of SASS,(single action shooting society), and enjoyed cowboy action shooting, based on classic western entertainment I recommend the recently released Appaloosa, one of the most authentic films ever made.Ed Harris done his homework for the fine accuracy.As for celebrity tantrums the media was a completely different animal in the time of Duke's popularity, then such hearsay would have only been found on page 5or 6 of Variety buried in between what someone was wearing and there only, no national enquirers then. Media wouldn't even acknowledge FDR's disability out of respect!

Jonny Depp? Heath Ledger? Christian Bale? Am I taking crazy pills? Let's look at this realistically. I love Wayne... True Grit is in my top ten of all time. But Wayne was good as one character. Just one. If you don't think so, then watch Gold California where he's trying to play it up as a gentleman. It dosen't work. So it's modern day Character Actors we need to look at. Not versital actors. Most similar is definitely Arnold Schwartzaneggar. Also, Harrison Ford and Bruce Willis are comparable.
...Jonny Depp? Geeesh!

I think that clayton neuman has never actually watched a John Wayne movie! You make me feel like I'm going to be sick!