The John Wayne Classic That Gave Glen Campbell His First Starring Role Premiered on This Day in 1969

June 12, 2026, 2:13pm

On this day (June 12) in 1969, True Grit premiered in Little Rock, Arkansas, a day before its Los Angeles premiere at the Chinese Theater. Weeks later, it became the No. 1 movie in the United States. While he had appeared in movies and TV before, the film gave Glen Campbell his first starring role, alongside John Wayne and Kim Darby.

Campbell had very little acting experience going into True Grit. He had appeared briefly in Baby, the Rain Must Fall (1965) and The Cool Ones (1967). So, he was shocked when Wayne offered him the role during a backstage meeting after one of Campbell’s concerts. At the time, he didn’t know anything about the role, but accepted it.

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Wayne was the only lead that was easy to cast. The True Grit team offered the female lead to Mia Farrow, Michele Carey, Tuesday Weld, and Olivia Hussey, all of whom turned it down or had already agreed to work on other films. Eventually, they chose Darby to portray Mattie Ross.

Initially, the producers wanted Elvis Presley to play Rooster Cogburn’s sidekick, La Boeuf. However, when Colonel Tom Parker demanded that Presley get top billing, over Wayne and Darby, they decided to go with Campbell.

Glen Campbell Remembers Getting the Part in True Grit

John Wayne offered Glen Campbell the role in True Grit. However, it was the Duke’s daughter who made the meeting happen. Campbell recalled their interaction in a 2011 interview.

Campbell recalled being surprised to see Wayne enter the room and noted the young girl at his side. His surprise deepened when the actor spoke. “Is there a Glen Campbell here?” he asked. “My daughter wants to meet him.”

After introducing himself, Wayne offered him the role. “Well, you must be pretty good, or my daughter wouldn’t want to meet you. Do you want to do a movie?” he asked. “Oh, yeah. I’ve never acted before,” Gampbell admitted. Then his future co-star promised to “drag” him through the project.

Campbell didn’t just act in the film. He also provided the theme song, “True Grit.”