Pilar Pallete facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pilar Pallete
Pilar Paleta
Born	María del Pilar Pallete Alvarado (1928-09-03) 3 September 1928 (age 96) Paita, Piura, Peru
Other names	Pilar Weldy Pilar Morrison Pilar Wayne Pilar Wayne Stewart Pilar Wayne Upchurch
Citizenship	Peru (1928–1962) United States (from 1962)
Education	Colegio Villa María Lima Theatre Workshop
Occupation	Actress, painter
Years active	1950–present
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Richard Weldy ​ ​ (m. 1950; annulment 1953)​ John Wayne ​ ​ (m. 1954; died 1979)​ Stephen Stewart ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1997)​ Jesse L. Upchurch ​ ​ (m. 1998; div. 2010)​
Children	3, including Ethan Wayne
Relatives	Michael Wayne (stepson) Patrick Wayne (stepson) Jennifer Wayne (granddaughter)
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María del Pilar Pallete Alvarado (born 3 September 1928), known professionally as Pilar Pallete, is a Peruvian-born American former actress and painter. She became well-known through her marriage to the famous actor John Wayne.

Early Life and Education

Pilar Pallete was born in Paita, Piura, Peru, on September 3, 1928. Her father, Miguel Ángel Pallete Cañote, was a Peruvian senator. She grew up in Lima, Peru, with an older sister and two younger siblings.

Pilar attended Collegio Villa María, a private Catholic school for girls in Lima. She started working at a young age. At 14, she worked for Pan American-Grace Airways. Later, at 15, she worked for Braniff International Airways. She also worked as a flight attendant for Peruvian International Airways.

Pilar Pallete in 1949, at age 21

Career Highlights

Pilar Pallete began her acting career in Peru in 1950. She joined the English-speaking theatre group, Lima Theatre Workshop. In early 1953, she moved to Los Angeles, California. She went there to help dub a film called Sabotear en la selva into English.

In February 1953, Pilar signed a movie contract with Wayne-Fellows Productions. This company was owned by her future husband, John Wayne. She had a small, uncredited role in the Western film The Alamo (1960). After this, she stopped acting to focus on raising her children.

Other Ventures

In the 1960s, Pilar opened a studio in Corona Del Mar, California. She started serving coffee and sandwiches to her clients. This soon grew into a full-time restaurant called Pilar's. She also worked as a lecturer in Newport Beach, California.

Pilar has written two books. Her first book, Pilar Wayne's Favorite and Fabulous Recipes, is a cookbook published in 1983. In 1987, she wrote John Wayne: My Life With the Duke. This book is a biographical memoir about her life with John Wayne. She wrote it to share the true story of their marriage with her children.

In 2021, Pilar appeared on The John Wayne Gritcast podcast. She was interviewed by her son, Ethan Wayne, in an episode called "Episode 3 – Pilar Wayne." Her younger daughter, Marisa, was also part of the interview.

Today, Pilar spends many hours each day on her paintings. Her artwork is shown on her website, pilarwayneart.com. Her paintings have been displayed in art shows around the world.

Personal Life

Pilar Pallete has been married four times. Her first husband was Richard Junior Weldy. They married in Lima on July 8, 1950. Their marriage ended in 1953.

Marriage to John Wayne

Pilar met her second husband, John Wayne, in 1952 in Peru. John Wayne was a famous American actor. They met again in Los Angeles in 1953. Pilar and John Wayne married on November 1, 1954.

They had three children together: Aissa Maria Wayne (born 1956), John Ethan Wayne (born 1962), and Marisa Carmela Wayne (born 1966). Pilar also became a stepmother to John Wayne's four children from his first marriage.

In 1962, Pilar became a citizen of the United States. The family moved to Newport Beach, California, in 1965. Pilar was a keen tennis player and encouraged John Wayne to build the John Wayne Tennis Club. Pilar and John Wayne remained married until his death on June 11, 1979. She was 50 years old when he passed away. Pilar has five grandchildren, including Jennifer Wayne, who is a member of the country music group Runaway June. She often says that she keeps John Wayne's memory alive through her paintings.

Later Marriages

Pilar married her third husband, Stephen Charles Stewart, in 1984. He was a municipal court judge. Their marriage ended in 1997.

Her fourth husband was Jesse Lloyd Upchurch, a travel company executive. They married in Texas in 1998. They divided their time between homes in Newport Beach and Dallas. Their marriage ended in 2010.

Other Interests

Pilar Pallete is a registered Republican. She has supported the Republican Party in Orange County, California. In 1990, she hosted a fundraising event for Senator Pete Wilson at her home. She was also friends with former President Donald Trump and his second wife, Marla Maples.

Pilar has faced health challenges. She was diagnosed with cancer and had surgery in 2006. She later announced that she was cancer-free. Pilar often supports many charity events.

Filmography

As an Actress

As Herself

See also

In Spanish: Pilar Pallete para niños