Millions of people still recognize John Wayne the moment his face appears on screen.

The towering frame. The unmistakable eyes. That rugged expression that helped make “The Duke” one of Hollywood’s greatest icons.

But John Wayne left behind something far more personal than his movies.

He was the father of seven children.

With his first wife, Josephine Saenz, Wayne welcomed Michael, Toni, Patrick and Melinda. Years later, with his third wife, Pilar Pallete, he had Aissa, Ethan and Marisa.

Several of them eventually became involved in Hollywood.

But one son in particular made fans look twice.

Patrick Wayne.

Born in 1939, Patrick was John Wayne’s second son — and as he grew older, the family resemblance became increasingly difficult to miss.

The strong jaw.

The tall frame.

The eyes.

And even some of the same unmistakable screen presence.

But Patrick didn’t simply inherit his father’s looks.

He followed him into the movies.

Patrick made his film debut while still a boy and eventually appeared in seven movies alongside his father, including Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, The Searchers, The Alamo and McLintock!

That meant audiences weren’t just seeing John Wayne’s son grow up.

They were sometimes watching father and son together on the same screen.

Patrick eventually built a career of his own, appearing in dozens of film and television productions.

Yet there was no escaping the Wayne name — or the resemblance that came with it.

Patrick later remembered those years working beside his father fondly. What audiences saw as Hollywood history was, for him, something much simpler:

Time with Dad.

And that’s perhaps the most fascinating part of John Wayne’s family story.

To millions of Americans, he was “The Duke,” the larger-than-life cowboy who seemed almost impossible to replace.

To Patrick and his six siblings, however, he was simply their father.

John Wayne died in 1979, but more than four decades later, his face remains instantly recognizable.

And when fans see Patrick Wayne today, many notice something remarkable.

A little bit of The Duke is still staring back at them.