How many leading roles did John Wayne play?

It's impossible to give an exact number for how many "leading roles" John Wayne played. There's no official definition of what constitutes a "leading role" and there are many films where the distinction is debatable.

However, we can offer some general information:

* He starred in over 170 films. This makes it safe to say he had a leading role in a significant portion of those films.

* He was known for his "cowboy" persona. This made him a frequent lead in Westerns, where he was typically the hero.

* He played diverse roles throughout his career. He starred in war films, dramas, comedies, and even musicals.

Therefore, while an exact number is impossible to say, it's fair to assume John Wayne played a leading role in a very large number of his films.