What part did future director John Ford play in The Birth of a Nation (1915)? August 1, 2020March 9, 2012 by Pamela Landy John Ford played a Ku Klux Klan member in The Birth of a Nation. Related Answers How much was the option on Thomas Dixon, Jr.’s The Klansman, the book on which The Birth of a Nation (1915) was based? How did John Ford, John Wayne, and Ward Bond start making movies together? What was director John Ford’s (1895-1973) real name? When did Henry Ford found the Ford Motor Company? Who coined the term “birth control”? What does “Ku Klux Klan” mean?