‘Went into a jealous rage!’ John Wayne’s daughter admits ‘dark side’ to True Grit star
Aissa explained that the late actor largely differed from the self-confident, stoic characters he played on-screen. She said that he was largely driven by insecurity and complexity and wasn’t as straightforward as his film characters would suggest. The writer used an anecdote about Marlon Brando to convert her point. She said that, at the height of his fame, Marlon was “eyeing (my) mother”. Continuing, Aissa wrote: “Maybe she didn’t hear they’d been married, perhaps he had and didn’t care.“Brando was barely 30, gorgeous and arrogant, sizzling with success.” She explained that Marlon sent a friend over to ask John if he could have an evening with his wife. “My father said one word: ‘no!’” Aissa added that in the same evening, her father went into a “jealous rage”. “It was my mom’s first glimpse of his dark side. “She realised, only then, that my father was not the characters he played on the screen. “Men who not only had self-assurance, they reeked of it.” Aissa said that he was “more complicated than that”. He was driven by "insecurity and pride", she furthered. She further explained the relationship between Marlon and John in her book. Despite the two being major stars in Hollywood around the same time, neither of them were ever much more than acquaintances. Aissa claimed they didn’t get along very well. She said that, despite respecting his talent, “my father and Marlon weren’t friends.” Aissa added that director John Ford once wanted both actors for a film he was making. She explained that Marlon refused to be in the film because he didn’t like John Ford’s style. Aissa admitted her father didn’t like his attitude and didn’t extend the friendship.
