[18] Wayne made his debut in 1970, as a child actor, with an uncredited role in the Western film Rio Lobo.

[24] Wayne portrayed Stephen "Storm" Logan Jr. in the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful, making his debut appearance in the episode broadcast on March 24, 1987.

[25] Wayne portrayed Officer Matt Doyle in the police procedural crime drama series The New Adam-12 during the early 1990s.

[29] Wayne appeared as an expert on the History reality television series Pawn Stars in 2013, during the episode "Dog Day Afternoon", to help authenticate merchandise supposedly related to his father's career.

[30] In celebration of what would have been his father's 111th birthday on May 26, HDNet Movies tapped Wayne to host a "Western Icons" event from May 18–28 which featured films starring his father, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood, Gregory Peck, Sidney Poitier, Randolph Scott, and others.

[32][33] He serves as the director of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation[34] and created its Team DUKE fundraising programme.

[37] Wayne and his longtime girlfriend, Gina Rivadenegry, a flight attendant, eloped in Phoenix, Arizona in December 1989.