Pilar Pallete (born 3 September 1928) is a Peruvian actress and the widow of American actor

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

Biography

Pallete was born as the daughter of a Peruvian senator in the Paita Port (northern Peru). She married and divorced professional big-game hunter Richard Weldy. She met

, 21 years her senior, in Tingo María, Peru, around 1952 or 1953, while still married to Weldy. Wayne was in Peru scouting locations for '' The Alamo''. In 1953, Pallete came to Los Angeles to dub a film in English, when she ran into John Wayne for the second time. A year later on November 1, 1954, they married in

Kona, Hawaii Kailua-Kona is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. It is also known as Kailua (a name it shares with a community located on the windward side of Oahu), as Kona (a name it shares ...

, the same day Wayne's divorce became final. Pallete retired from her motion picture career to be a wife and mother to their three children: Aissa, Ethan, and Marisa. During the next ten years of their marriage, they traveled extensively, usually on location for John Wayne's many films. In 1965, they moved to

Newport Beach, California Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island, Newport ...

. She rented a studio inside the Fernleaf Courtyard, in

Corona Del Mar, California Corona del Mar (Spanish for "Crown of the Sea") is a seaside neighborhood in the city of Newport Beach, California. It generally consists of all the land on the seaward face of the San Joaquin Hills south of Avocado Avenue to the city limits, as ...

, where she would entertain her clients outdoors with coffee and finger sandwiches and found herself, one year later, with a full-time restaurant.

Personal life

Pallete married Wayne in 1954, and they remained married until his death in 1979. In 1973 she moved out of their house; however, they were never legally separated or divorced. She has always made clear that they remained married until his death. In 1984, five years after Wayne's death, Pallete married Stephen Stewart, a municipal court judge. The marriage was brief, with Pallete later describing the relationship as a "two-week mistake." In 1998, Pallete married Jesse Upchurch, a travel company executive.

Filmography

*'' The Alamo'' - unknown (uncredited) (1960) *''

Hollywood Greats ''Hollywood Greats'' is a BBC Television series, which originally ran from 1977 to 1985. The film critic Barry Norman wrote and narrated a series of in-depth profiles on major Hollywood film personalities, in which he interviewed surviving assoc ...

'' - episode – "John Wayne" – herself (1984) *''John Wayne Standing Tall'' – TV movie/documentary – herself (1989) *''

Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

'' - episode – "John Wayne: The Unquiet Man" – herself (1998) *''

'' - episode – "John Wayne: American Legend" – herself (1998) *''The Duke at Fox'' – documentary short – herself (2011) *''The Personal Property of John Wayne'' – herself (2011)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pallete, Pilar 1928 births Actresses from Newport Beach, California Living people Actresses from Lima 20th-century Peruvian actresses Peruvian emigrants to the United States Peruvian film actresses John Wayne People from Piura Region