Blog - The John Wayne Message Board (JWMB) The Western genre gave us countless legends, but few moments matched the 1969 meeting of Robert Duvall and John Wayne in True Grit With Duvall’s passing on February 15, 2026 at age 95, their brief collaboration feels even more timeless In True Grit, Wayne played the gruff U S Marshal Rooster Cogburn, earning his only Oscar Duvall portrayed Lucky Ned Pepper, the outlaw Cogburn pursues