John Ford was born with the name Sean Aloysius O'Fearna and the American version would be John Martin Feeney. Both of his parents were from County Galway, Ireland. Many of his films would reflect his Irish heritage. He began acting in 1914 and by 1921 had turned his attention to directing. Achieving great respect in film, he won the Academy Award for directing four times for The Informer (1935), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), and The Quiet Man (1952). For his film Stagecoach (1939) he used a 'B' rated actor named John Wayne. Ford became a lifetime friend and mentor to Wayne. They made 20 films together. These films often co-starred Maureen O'Hara. The career of Ford lasted 51 years and he directed 136 films. He was most proud of being a Commander in the United States Navy in WWII and winning two more Academy Awards for his documentaries The Battle of Midway (1942) and December 7th (1943).