Steve McQueen

Posted December 10, 200717 yr

Another one of my favorite actors ...

Steve McQueen

Born: March 24, 1930, Beech Grove, Indiana, USA

Died: November 7, 1980 (aged 50), Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico

Years active: 1953 - 1980

Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980) was an Academy Award-nominated American movie actor, nicknamed "The King of Cool". His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen was combative with directors and producers; regardless, he was able to command large salaries and was in high demand.

Contents

Early life

He was born Terrence Steven McQueen (although there is some doubt over the spelling of his first name, with various sources citing it as Terence or even Terrance) in Beech Grove, Indiana, a suburban community bordering Indianapolis. His father, William, was a stunt pilot for an aerial circus, who abandoned Steve and his mother shortly before the birth. His mother, Julian, was an alcoholic; unable to cope with bringing up a small child she sent him at an early age to be raised by his Uncle Claude on the latter's farm in Slater, Missouri. His time on the farm was a happy one, and when at the age of 12 he was taken back by his mother to live with her and her new husband in Los Angeles, California he retained a special memory of his leavetaking: "The day I left the farm Uncle Claude gave me a personal going-away present; a gold pocket watch, with an inscription inside the case." The inscription read: "To Steve-- who has been a son to me".

Steve had a fractious relationship with his violent and abusive stepfather, whom he loathed, and within a couple of years he was running with a street gang, committing acts of petty crime. Unable to control his behaviour, his mother and stepfather sent him to the California Junior Boys Republic, optimistically described as "a home for wayward boys" in Chino Hills, California. After McQueen left Chino, he drifted before joining the United States Marine Corps in 1947, serving until 1950.

In 1952, with financial assistance provided by the G.I. Bill, McQueen began studying acting and auditioned for a place at Lee Strasberg's Actors' Studio in New York. Of the 2000 people who tried out that year, only McQueen and Martin Landau were accepted. McQueen made his Broadway debut in 1955 in the play A Hatful of Rain, starring Ben Gazzara.

Key appearances

Wanted: Dead or Alive

After various live and filmed television guest appearances in the mid-1950s, McQueen gained both regular employment and his 'break-out' role with the Western series Wanted: Dead or Alive. Filmed at Apacheland Studio in 1961, McQueen played Josh Randall, a bounty hunter who had been introduced the previous year in an episode of Trackdown, a TV western featuring Robert Culp. Randall carried a sawed-off Winchester rifle nicknamed the "Mare's Leg", in contrast to the standard six-gun carried by most heroes. This added to the anti-hero image of the character, infused with a combination of mystery, alienation and detachment, which made this show stand out from the typical TV Westerns.

The Magnificent Seven

McQueen moved into film in the mid-1950s with bit parts in Girl on the Run (1953) and Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956). He secured his first lead role in the 1958 horror movie, The Blob. He then replaced Sammy Davis, Jr. in the Frank Sinatra vehicle Never So Few in 1959 when Sinatra quarrelled with Davis. Director John Sturges cast McQueen in his next movie, promising to "give him the camera". The Magnificent Seven (1960), with Yul Brynner, Robert Vaughn, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn, became McQueen's first major hit.

The Great Escape

McQueen's next big film, 1963's The Great Escape, told the fictionalized "true story" of a mass escape from a World War II POW camp. A spectacular motorcycle leap in the film's climax highlighted McQueen's role in the film. While a very accomplished motorcyclist, insurance reasons did not allow McQueen to perform the actual jump. His friend and fellow cycle enthusiast Bud Ekins, who resembled McQueen from a distance, actually made the jump. More information about this jump and the movie can be found by watching the special features documentary on The Great Escape DVD. McQueen always gave Ekins credit for performing the jump. In fact on his television show, when Johnny Carson had congratulated him for doing it, McQueen corrected him, "It wasn't me. That was Bud Ekins." In 1966 McQueen appeared as "Nevada Smith" in the movie of the same name.

Bullitt and later films

Another successful film was 1968's Bullitt, with an unprecedented (and endlessly imitated) auto chase through San Francisco, with Bud Ekins again doubling for some of the more hazardous work. Prior to that, McQueen earned his only Academy Award nomination for the 1966 film The Sand Pebbles. McQueen also appeared in 1973's Papillon, the 1971 car race drama Le Mans, and in The Getaway in 1972.

McQueen was the world's highest paid actor by the time of The Getaway. After The Towering Inferno, co-starring with his long time rival Paul Newman in 1974, McQueen did not return to film until 1978 with An Enemy of the People playing against type as a heavily bearded, bespectacled doctor, in this adaptation of the Henrik Ibsen play. The film was little seen and has never been released on Video or DVD, but is aired from time to time on PBS. His last films were Tom Horn and The Hunter, both released in 1980.

Marriages

McQueen was married three times. He married Manila-born actress Neile Adams on November 2, 1956 (divorced 1972), by whom he had a daughter Terry (born June 5, 1959; died at 38 on March 19, 1998 as a result of hemochromatosis, a condition in which the body produces too much iron destroying the liver), and a son, Chad McQueen (born December 28, 1960 and now an actor—as is his grandson, Steven R. McQueen, born 1988). McQueen has 3 other grandchildren; Chase (born in 1995) and Madison (born in 1997) to Chad; and Molly Flattery born 1987 to Terry.

On August 31, 1973 he married his Getaway co-star, Ali MacGraw, with whom he had a passionate but tumultuous relationship (she left her husband, film producer Robert Evans for McQueen). They were divorced in 1978. His third wife was model Barbara Minty whom he married on January 16, 1980, less than a year before his death.

Motor Racer

McQueen was an avid motorcycle and racecar enthusiast. When he had the opportunity to drive in a movie, he often did so himself, performing many of his own stunts.

The most memorable were the classic chase in Bullitt and the motorcycle chase scene in The Great Escape. The jump over the fence was actually done by Bud Ekins for insurance purposes. (However, McQueen did have a considerable amount of screen time while riding his motorcycle. According to the commentary track on The Great Escape DVD, it was difficult to find riders as skilled as McQueen and at one point in the film, due to clever editing, McQueen is seen in a German uniform chasing himself on another bike).

During his acting career, he considered becoming a professional race car driver. In the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring race, Peter Revson and McQueen (driving with a cast on his left foot from a motorcycle accident two weeks before) won in their (engine size) class and missed winning overall by a scant 23 seconds to Mario Andretti in a Ferrari with a Porsche 908/02. The same car was used as a camera car for Le Mans in the 24 Hours of Le Mans later that year, entered by his production company Solar Productions. However, the film was a box office flop that almost ruined McQueen's career. In addition, McQueen himself admitted that he almost died while filming the movie. Nonetheless, today, LeMans is considered to be the most historically realistic, accurate, and dramatic representation of one of the most famous periods in the history of the race, as well as being considered one of the greatest auto racing movies of all time.

McQueen wanted to enter a Porsche 917 with Jackie Stewart in the 1970 Le Mans race, but his film backers threatened to pull their support if he drove. Faced with the choice of driving for 24 hours in the race or spending the entire summer making the film, McQueen opted to do the latter.

He also competed in off-road motorcycle racing. His first off-road motorcycle was a Triumph 500cc that he purchased from stunt man Bud Ekins. McQueen raced in many of the top off-road races on the West Coast during the ‘60s and early-1970s, including the Baja 1000, the Mint 400 and the Elsinore Grand Prix. In 1964, he represented the United States in the International Six Days Trial, a form of off-road motorcycling Olympics. He was inducted in the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1978. In 1971, Solar Productions funded the now-classic motorcycle documentary On Any Sunday, in which McQueen himself is featured, along with racing legends Mert Lawwill and Malcolm Smith. Also in 1971, McQueen was on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine riding a Husqvarna dirt bike.

McQueen was interested in collecting classic motorcycles. By the time of his death, his collection included over 100 motorcycles and was valued in the millions of dollars.

In a segment filmed for The Ed Sullivan Show, McQueen drove Sullivan around a desert area in a dune buggy at high speed. At the end of the trip, all the breathless Sullivan could say was, "That was a helluva ride!"

He owned several exotic sportscars, including:

* Porsche 917, Porsche 908 and Ferrari 512 race cars from the Le Mans film.

* 1963 Ferrari 250 Lusso Berlinetta[1]

* Jaguar D-Type XKSS (Right-Hand Drive)

* Porsche 356 Speedster

To his dismay, McQueen was never able to own the legendary Ford Mustang GT that he drove in Bullitt, which featured a highly-modified drivetrain (including a NASCAR-style racing engine) that suited McQueen's driving style. There were two cars used for filming. Director Peter Yates recently stated in a radio interview that both vehicles are still in existence, one of which is resting in a barn in Kentucky, the owner refusing to sell at any price.

Death

McQueen died at the age of 50 on November 7, 1980, in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico of a heart attack following surgery to remove or reduce a metastatic tumour in his lung. He had been diagnosed with mesothelioma in December 1979, and had travelled to Mexico in July 1980 for unconventional treatment after his doctors advised him that they could do nothing more to prolong his life. McQueen was cremated, and his ashes spread in the Pacific Ocean.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer usually caused by asbestos exposure. McQueen may have been exposed to asbestos during his service in the United States Marine Corps, or during his racing career.

Controversy arose over McQueen's Mexican trip, because McQueen sought a very non-traditional treatment that used coffee enemas and laetrile, a supposedly "natural" anti-cancer drug available in Mexico but not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Posthumously, McQueen remains one of the most popular stars, and his estate carefully manages the licensing activity to avoid the commercial oversaturation common to many deceased celebrities. McQueen's personality and trademark rights are managed by Corbis Corporation, the well-known media company owned by Bill Gates. In 1999, McQueen was posthumously inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Personal information

McQueen's height is disputed - he was officially listed as 5'10" but was known to wear lifts in many movies. Some people, including film critic Barry Norman, have said McQueen's height was in fact only 5'7". He had a daily two-hour exercise regimen, involving weightlifting and at one point running five miles, seven days a week. He also received personal martial arts training with Bruce Lee. However, he was also known for his prolific drug use (William Caxton claimed he smoked marijuana almost every day; others said he used a tremendous amount of cocaine in the early 1970s). In addition, like many actors of his era, he was a heavy cigarette smoker.

After Charles Manson incited the murder of five people including McQueen's close personal friends Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring at Tate's home on August 9, 1969, it was reported that McQueen was another potential target of the killers. According to his first wife, he then began carrying a handgun at all times in public, including at Sebring's funeral.

McQueen had an unusual reputation for demanding free items in bulk from studios when agreeing to do a film, such as electric razors, jeans and several other products. It was later found out that McQueen requested these things because he was donating them to the Boy's Republic reformatory school for displaced youth, where McQueen had spent time during his youth. McQueen made occasional visits to the school to spend time with the students, often to play pool and to speak with them about his experiences.

Towards the end of his life McQueen became a Christian - thanks in part to the influence of his flying instructor, Sammy Mason, and his wife, Barbara Minty. He regularly attended his local church, and was visited by the famed evangelist Billy Graham shortly before he died. In an interview recorded shortly before his death, and as chronicled in Christopher Sandford's biography of the star, McQueen publicly lamented the fact that he would never have time to share his faith.

After discovering a mutual interest in racing James Garner and McQueen became good friends. Garner lived directly down the hill from McQueen and as McQueen recalled, "I could see that Jim was very neat around his place. Flowers trimmed, no papers in the yard ... grass always cut. So, just to piss him off, I'd start lobbing empty beer cans down the hill into his driveway. He'd have his drive all spic 'n' span when he left the house, then get home to find all these empty cans. Took him a long time to figure out it was me".

McQueen learned the martial art Tang Soo Do from ninth degree blackbelt Pat E. Johnson. McQueen served as one of the pall bearers at Bruce Lee's funeral in 1973. Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee taught McQueen's son Chad Taekwondo and Jeet Kune Do (respectively). Later on, McQueen persuaded Norris to attend acting classes.

His name was not, as sometimes thought, on President Richard Nixon's infamous Enemies List. It was McQueen's Hollywood rival actor Paul Newman who was on the list. Ironically, in real life, McQueen was quite conservative in his political views, and often backed the Republican party. He supported the war in Vietnam, was one of the few Hollywood stars who refused numerous requests to back Presidential hopeful Robert Kennedy in 1968, and turned down the chance to participate in the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington. When McQueen heard he had been added to Nixon's Enemies List, he responded by immediately flying a giant American flag outside his house. Reportedly, his wife Ali McGraw responded to the whole affair by saying "But you're the most patriotic person I know."

McQueen commanded such celebrity status in the UK that when visiting Chelsea Football Club to watch a game he was personally introduced to the players in the dressing room during the half-time break.

He took a break from acting (which at the time was his retirement) after starring alongside Paul Newman in The Towering Inferno. In that time he gained weight, grew his hair long, and partied. The only film he appeared in before his comeback in The Hunter in 1979 was "An Enemy of the People", based on the play by Henrik Ibsen in which his character had a beard and was overweight (basically looking like he did during his retirement). The film never saw a theatrical release and is still currently unavailable on VHS or DVD. When he appeared in The Hunter and Tom Horn he was back in the prime shape as during his hey-day, but he didn't know yet of his disease.

Missed roles

McQueen was offered the lead role in Breakfast at Tiffany's but was unable to accept due to his Wanted: Dead or Alive contract. The role went to George Peppard. He also turned down Ocean's Eleven, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Driver, Apocalypse Now, and Dirty Harry. He was also the first choice for director Steven Spielberg for his film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. According to Spielberg on a documentary on the "Close Encounters" DVD, Spielberg met McQueen at a bar, where McQueen drank beer after beer. McQueen, before leaving the bar, told Steven that he didn't want the role, which then went to Richard Dreyfuss.

He had been interested in starring in First Blood, but could not due to illness. He had also been offered the titular role in The Bodyguard when it was first proposed in 1976. He was to play the lead in Quigley Down Under, which was scheduled for production in 1980, but due to his illness, the project was scrapped until a decade later, with Tom Selleck in the starring role.

McQueen was also interested in making the film version of Waiting for Godot. During his time away from film he developed an interest in the classic playwrights. This led him to Beckett's Godot, but the playwright had never heard of McQueen.

Hobbies

* Patented a specific bucket seat in a racecar.

* Was to co-drive in a Triumph 2500 PI for the British Leyland team in the 1970 London-Mexico rally, but had to turn it down due to movie commitments.

* Owned and flew a 1931 Pitcairn PA-8 biplane, once flown as part of the U.S. Mail Service by famed WWI ace, Eddie Rickenbacker. It was hangared at Santa Paula Airport an hour northwest of Hollywood.

High prices for memorabilia

The tinted sunglasses worn by McQueen in the 1968 movie The Thomas Crown Affair sold at a Los Angeles auction for $70,200 in 2006. One of his motorcycles, a 1937 Crocker, sold for a world record price of $276,500 at the same auction. McQueen's 1963 metallic-brown Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso sold for $2.31 million USD at auction on August 16, 2007.

Legacy in popular culture

McQueen has developed a cult following. Numerous films, television shows and songs make reference to his charisma, his enthusiasm for racing and his reputation as the "King of Cool."

For example, the music video for the 2002 Sheryl Crow song "Steve McQueen" featured scenes from The Thomas Crown Affair, The Great Escape, Bullitt, and LeMans that also included appearances of NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

An earlier song by Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers called "Steve McQueen" off of their first album is about the songwriter's childhood love of the actor and his movies. McQueen is also mentioned by name in the Rolling Stones' song "Star Star", and British band Prefab Sprout named its 1985 album Steve McQueen, although, for legal reasons, the title was altered to Two Wheels Good in the US.

The philosophy of detached cool in the 2000 comedy The Tao of Steve centers on three men - the fictional Steve Austin and Steve McGarrett and McQueen. This film included a song by Eytan Mirsky entitled "(I Just Wanna Be) Your Steve McQueen," which features references to a number of McQueen's screen roles.

Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer has been marketing some of its automatic chronograph models as "Steve McQueen Monaco Editions" in tribute to him wearing a similar watch in the film Le Mans. In 2005, the watch maker's marketing campaign also reissued a special edition Monaco chronograph to celebrate what would have been Steve McQueen's 75th birthday. A second watch, the Rolex Explorer II reference 1655 manufactured in the 1970s and early 1980s, is also known as the Steve McQueen Rolex, although in candid pictures he usually wore a chronometer grade Rolex reference 5512 Submariner.

On the television show House, the main character, Gregory House, names his rat Steve McQueen.

On the television show Supernatural, (Folsom Prison Blues) Dean wishes he was Steve McQueen.

Welsh electro-punk band The Automatic played a song during their NME Indie Rock Tour titled Steve McQueen it is also set to appear on their upcoming second album.

On Sheryl Crows' 2002 album C'mon C'mon, the first track is titled Steve McQueen.

Filmography

Actor:

1. The Hunter (1980) .... Ralph 'Papa' Thorson

2. Tom Horn (1980) .... Tom Horn

3. An Enemy of the People (1978) .... Doctor Thomas Stockmann

... aka Danger Plante Earth (Philippines: English title)

4. Dixie Dynamite (1976) (uncredited) .... Dirt-bike Rider

5. The Towering Inferno (1974) .... Chief Michael O'Hallorhan

6. Papillon (1973) .... Henri 'Papillon' Charriere

7. The Getaway (1972) .... Carter 'Doc' McCoy

8. Junior Bonner (1972) .... Junior 'JR' Bonner

9. Le Mans (1971) .... Michael Delaney

10. The Reivers (1969) .... Boon Hogganbeck

... aka The Yellow Winton Flyer (UK: video title)

11. Bullitt (1968) .... Lt. Frank Bullitt

12. The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) .... Thomas Crown

... aka The Crown Caper

... aka Thomas Crown and Company

13. The Sand Pebbles (1966) .... Jake Holman

14. Nevada Smith (1966) .... Nevada Smith/Max Sand/Fitch

15. The Cincinnati Kid (1965) .... The Cincinnati Kid

16. Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965) .... Henry Thomas

17. Love with the Proper Stranger (1963) .... Rocky Papasano

18. Soldier in the Rain (1963) .... Sgt. Eustis Clay

19. The Great Escape (1963) .... Capt. Hilts "The Cooler King"

20. "The Dick Powell Show" .... Guest Host (1 episode, 1963)

... aka The Dick Powell Theatre (USA: new title)

- Thunder in a Forgotten Town (1963) TV episode .... Guest Host

21. The War Lover (1962) .... Capt. Buzz Rickson

22. Hell Is for Heroes (1962) .... Reese

23. The Honeymoon Machine (1961) .... Lt. Ferguson 'Fergie' Howard

24. "Wanted: Dead or Alive" .... Josh Randall (94 episodes, 1958-1961)

- Barney's Bounty (1961) TV episode .... Josh Randall

- Dead Reckoning (1961) TV episode .... Josh Randall

- The Long Search (1961) TV episode .... Josh Randall

- Monday Morning (1961) TV episode .... Josh Randall

- Detour (1961) TV episode .... Josh Randall

(89 more)

25. The Magnificent Seven (1960) .... Vin

26. "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" .... Bill Everett / ... (2 episodes, 1959-1960)

- Man from the South (1960) TV episode .... Gambler

- Human Interest Story (1959) TV episode .... Bill Everett

27. Never So Few (1959) .... Bill Ringa

... aka Campaign Burma (USA: alternative title)

28. The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959) .... George Fowler

... aka The St. Louis Bank Robbery (UK: DVD title)

29. The Blob (1958) (as Steven McQueen) .... Steve Andrews

30. Never Love a Stranger (1958) .... Martin Cabell

31. "Trackdown" .... Josh Randall - Bounty Hunter / ... (2 episodes, 1958)

- The Brothers (1958) TV episode .... Mat Cody/Wes Cody

- The Bounty Hunter (1958) TV episode .... Josh Randall - Bounty Hunter

32. "Tales of Wells Fargo" .... Bill Longley (1 episode, 1958)

- Bill Longley (1958) TV episode .... Bill Longley

33. "Climax!" .... Anthony Reeves / ... (1 episode, 1958)

... aka Climax Mystery Theater (USA)

- Four Hours in White (1958) TV episode .... Henry Reeves/Anthony Reeves

34. "Passport to Danger" (1 episode, 1958)

- Ankara (1958) TV episode

35. "The 20th Century-Fox Hour" .... Kinsella (1 episode, 1957)

... aka Fox Hour of Stars (USA: rerun title)

- Deep Water (1957) TV episode .... Kinsella

36. "West Point" (1 episode, 1957)

... aka The West Point Story

- Ambush (1957) TV episode

37. "Studio One" .... Joseph Gordon (2 episodes, 1957)

... aka Studio One Summer Theatre (USA: summer title)

... aka Studio One in Hollywood (USA: new title)

... aka Summer Theatre (USA: summer title)

... aka Westinghouse Studio One (USA)

... aka Westinghouse Summer Theatre (USA: summer title)

- The Defender: Part 2 (1957) TV episode (as Steven McQueen) .... Joseph Gordon

- The Defender: Part 1 (1957) TV episode (as Steven McQueen) .... Joseph Gordon

38. Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) (uncredited) .... Fidel

39. "The United States Steel Hour" .... Bushy (1 episode, 1956)

... aka The U.S. Steel Hour (USA: alternative title)

- Bring Me a Dream (1956) TV episode .... Bushy

40. "Goodyear Television Playhouse" (1 episode, 1955)

... aka Goodyear Playhouse (USA: new title)

- The Chivington Raid (1955) TV episode

41. Girl on the Run (1953) (uncredited) .... Extra

... aka Honky Tonk Burlesque (USA)

Producer:

1. Tom Horn (1980) (executive producer)

2. An Enemy of the People (1978) (executive producer)

... aka Danger Plante Earth (Philippines: English title)

3. On Any Sunday (1971) (producer) (uncredited)

Transportation Department:

1. Le Mans (1971) (driver: racing cars)

Stunts:

1. Bullitt (1968) (stunts) (uncredited)

Soundtrack:

1. Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965) (performer: "Baby, The Rain Must Fall")

Other works

1997: TV commercial for Ford (special effects let McQueen drive the new Ford Puma through some scenes of his movie Bullitt (1968))

TV commercial for Viceroy cigarettes (late 1950s or early 1960s)

2004: TV commercial for Ford (archival footage from Bullitt (1968) features McQueen driving the 2005 Ford Mustang on a race track)

The Coming of Roads, (1966)-Narrator

Magazine advertisement for Ferrari Passion perfumes for men (2005).

Trivia

Date of Birth: 24 March 1930, Beech Grove, Indiana, USA

Date of Death: 7 November 1980, Juárez, Mexico. (lung cancer)

Birth Name: Terence Steven McQueen

Nickname:

Bandito

King Of Cool

Mac

McQ

Height: 5' 10½" (1.79 m)

Spouse:

Barbara Minty (16 January 1980 - 7 November 1980) (his death)

Ali MacGraw (31 August 1973 - 1978) (divorced)

Neile Adams (2 November 1956 - 26 April 1972) (divorced) - 2 children

Trade Mark: Usually played tough, sexy and determined.

Of the 2000 performers that auditioned for Lee Strasberg's exclusive Actors' Studio in 1955, only two were accepted: Martin Landau and McQueen.

Ranked #30 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

A week before the Woodstock Music Festival kicked off in Bethel, New York, McQueen had been invited for dinner at the Roman Polanski-Sharon Tate home in the Hollywood hills by mutual friend and hairdresser-to the-stars, Jay Sebring. An unexpected rendezvous with a mystery woman prompted him to cancel his appointment. In the wake of the Manson Family Tate-LaBianca murders at, respectively, 10050 Cielo Drive and 3301 Waverly Drive, McQueen would later learn that he was accorded the kind of priority billing for which he was unprepared: he topped Charles Manson's celebrity death list. Thereafter he carried a concealed weapon. (see also: Jerzy Kosinski and Jeremy Lloyd.) [8 August 1969]

Although he was the highest paid star of the 1960s, McQueen had a reputation for being tight-fisted. On some films he would demand ten electric razors and dozens of pairs of jeans. It was later found that he gave this stuff to Boys Republic, a private school and treatment community for troubled youngsters, where he spent a few years himself.

Issued a private pilot's license by the FAA in 1979 after learning to fly in a Stearman bi-plane, which he purchased for that purpose. After his death it was sold at auction,along with his large collection of vehicles, in 1982.

Father of actor Chad McQueen.

Trained in Tang Soo Do with 9th degree blackbelt Pat E. Johnson (NOT Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris as is popularly believed.) His son was trained in karate by Norris. Lee trained him in Jeet Kune Do.

Served in the United States Marine Corps.

Was diagnosed with a form of lung cancer, mesothelioma, which is related to asbestos exposure, although McQueen had been a heavy smoker as well. He wore an asbestos-insulated racers suit in his race cars, and possibly was exposed to the harmful insulating material during his stint in the Marines. His first wife recalled many instances when he had recklessly exposed himself to the harmful substance by soaking a rag in liquid asbestos and placing it over his mouth while racing cars.

Was cremated and had his ashes scattered into the Pacific Ocean

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#19). [1995]

Was a pallbearer at the funeral of actor Bruce Lee.

Dropped out of school in 9th grade.

Stepfather of Josh Evans.

. McQueen proposed the idea for a film The Bodyguard (1992), but this was forgotten for 16 long years until 1992, when Kevin Costner revived it. [1976]

His role in Never So Few (1959) was originally going to be played by Sammy Davis Jr.. A feud had broken out between Davis and Frank Sinatra after Davis had claimed in a radio interview that he was a greater singer than Sinatra. Sinatra demanded he be dropped from the cast, and thus McQueen received his breakthrough role.

Diagnosed with mesothelioma lung cancer on December 22, 1979, but kept his terminal illness a secret up until over a month before his death.

Died from two heart attacks at 3:45 am on November 7 1980, less than 24 hours after undergoing successful surgery to remove the cancerous tumors in his stomach. According to the doctor present at the operation, his right lung was entirely cancerous.

Sheryl Crow made a song titled 'Steve McQueen' as a tribute to him. It is featured on the album "C'mon C'mon".

The original script of The Towering Inferno (1974) called for McQueen's character to have more lines of dialogue than that of Paul Newman's. McQueen insisted that the script be changed so that he and Newman would have the same number of lines. He believed that his talent was superior to Newman's and he wanted the critical criteria to be as equal as possible.

Father of Terry McQueen.

Was originally slated to star with Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969); however, due to a disagreement over the billing, he left the project. Ironically, the billing method was used several years later when he and Newman starred together in The Towering Inferno (1974).

He was very interested in playing John Rambo in the adaptation of the novel "First Blood". He was actually slated to star, but did not due to his death. Sylvester Stallone got the role instead in First Blood (1982).

The band Drive-By Truckers have the tribute song "Steve McQueen" featured on their 1998 album "Gangstabilly".

Along with Martin Sheen and James Dean, is mentioned in R.E.M.'s song "Electrolite".

After being told his lung cancer was inoperable, he went to a health clinic in Mexico to undergo a controversial "apricot pit" therapy that is still banned in the United States.

Was the first of the original The Magnificent Seven (1960) to pass away. Only Robert Vaughn and Eli Wallach are still alive (as of August 2007).

Appears, helmeted and uncredited, as a motorcyclist in the 1976 B-movie Dixie Dynamite (1976), starring Warren Oates and Christopher George. Legend has it that the call went out for dirt bike riders to take part in this low-budget action adventure, and among those who turned up was McQueen. Heavily bearded and overweight, he kept a low profile (this was during his reclusive period when he was turning down multi-million-dollar offers for such films as A Bridge Too Far (1977) and Apocalypse Now (1979)), and was only noticed when he queued up to accept his day's payment, about $120. The astonished production assistant handing out the cash saw his name on a list and said, "Is that THE Steve McQueen?". McQueen's riding style (standing on his foot pedals, leaning forward, head over the handlebars) makes him immediately identifiable to bike buffs.

He was voted the 56th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

The "King of Cool" became a born-again Christian shortly before he died, due to the influence of his third wife Barbara Minty and his flying instructor Sammy Mason. He went through bible studies with the Reverend Billy Graham. It is interesting to note that this conversion happened before he was diagnosed with cancer, meaning it was probably genuine. McQueen's favorite Bible verse was John 3:16 which reads, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life".

In the 1960s, he publicly threatened to break Howard Hughes' nose if Hughes did not stop harassing Mamie Van Doren, a woman both men had had affairs with, but at different times. Needless to say, Hughes never bothered Van Doren again.

When he first met Martin Landau, McQueen told Landau he had already met him. Landau, who didn't remember McQueen, inquired as to where. McQueen told him that he--Landau--was on the back of James Dean's motorcycle when Dean brought it in for repairs at a NYC garage. The motorcycle mechanic at the garage was none other than McQueen.

After the huge success of The Towering Inferno (1974), McQueen announced that any producer wishing to acquire his services would have to send a check for $1.5 million along with the script. If he liked the script and wanted to make the movie, he'd cash the check; the producer then owed him another $1.5 million. He'd keep his half of his $3 million salary if the producer couldn't come up with the other half. McQueen likely used this then-unprecedented pay-or-play arrangement to guarantee the six-year semi-retirement he undertook after "The Towering Inferno", in which he appeared in only one picture, the vanity project An Enemy of the People (1978). When he did return to commercial filmmaking, his price was $3 million.

He was voted the 31st Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine.

Appeared with James Coburn and Charles Bronson in two films, both of which were directed by John Sturges: The Magnificent Seven (1960) and The Great Escape (1963).

According to military records released by the Pentagon in 2005, Marine Private First Class Steve McQueen was confined to base for being absent without leave for 30 days and fined $90 after being AWOL from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. McQueen joined the Marines Corps at 17 and worked as a tank driver and mechanic, which probably spurred his lifelong interest in vehicles, especially motorcycles. He received a commendation for rescuing five Marines in a training accident, and later took advantage of military educational benefits to study at the Actors' Studio in New York City.

Appeared with Eli Wallach in both his first major successful film, The Magnificent Seven (1960), and his final film, The Hunter (1980).

Appeared in three different films with Robert Vaughn: The Magnificent Seven (1960); Bullitt (1968) and The Towering Inferno (1974).

When he briefly left The Great Escape (1963) during filming, due to the fact that his character did not play as large a part as he would have liked, it was James Coburn and James Garner that convinced him to return. Because of its huge success and continuing popularity, it has become his best known role.

Always resented the fact that Horst Buchholz was cast as Chico in The Magnificent Seven (1960), the role he had initially wanted.

Like the coolest movie stars, was strongly connected to Triumph motorcycles, riding a 650cc TR6 Trophy in The Great Escape (1963) and competing on the same model in the 1964 International Six Days Trial held in East Germany. Photographs of his desert racing also show him upon this model. He also visited Triumph's Meriden factory in 1964 and 1965 for collection and preparation of his motorcycles.

In the movie S.W.A.T. (2003), Colin Farrell's character of Jim Street has a poster of McQueen's Bullitt (1968) in his apartment. In real life, Farrell frequently cites McQueen as one of his idols and influences as an actor.

In 1960 with his growing success he formed his own production company called Scuderia Condor Enterprises, which he ran until 1963 when he and his family moved to 2419 Solar Drive and he renamed his company to Solar Productons, Inc and would produce many films under this banner until his death.

Of all the characters he ever played, he frequently cited Lt. Frank Bullitt from Bullitt (1968) as his favorite.

The last words he uttered on screen were "God bless you" in The Hunter (1980).

His only two appearances at the Academy Awards was as a presenter: (1964) Presented the Oscar for Best Sound. (1965) Holding hands with Claudia Cardinale presented the Oscar again for Best Sound

Shortly before filming began on Tom Horn (1980), he had quit smoking cigarettes. His somewhat "squashed" appearance in the movie was due to a crash diet.

Former father-in-law of Stacey Toten.

Grandfather of Steven R. McQueen.

McQueen's name somehow appeared on President Richard Nixon's "List of Enemies" in 1972. In reality, McQueen was conservative in his political beliefs, with a strong belief in self-help. In 1963, he had declined to participate in the March on Washington for civil rights and, in 1968, he refused to join many of his Hollywood peers in supporting Senator Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign. An incredulous Ali MacGraw asked McQueen how he could have been considered a threat by Nixon, adding, "You are the most patriotic person I know!" McQueen responded to the whole affair by flying an enormous American flag outside his house.

Was William Friedkin's first choice for the Jackie Scanlon character in Sorcerer (1977.) McQueen accepted the part, but on one condition. He wanted a co-starring role for his then wife, Ali MacGraw. Friedkin would not accept his conditions, and McQueen dropped out of the film. Freidkin later went on record, regretting not accepting McQueen's conditions.

Before his death, McQueen optioned two screenplays from Walter Hill: The Driver (1978) and "The Last Gun". "The Driver" got made later, with Ryan O'Neal playing the lead part, and "The Last Gun" remains unproduced.

Some of the few movie stars he admired were Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Spencer Tracy and John Wayne.

After The Towering Inferno (1974) he was offered several multi-million-dollar roles but refused them all. He turned down the chance to star in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Raise the Titanic (1980) and the opportunity to star in and direct a film called "Deajum's Wife".

Turned down a role for the sequel to The Towering Inferno (1974) in 1977.

Died of the same cause (lung cancer) as his The Magnificent Seven (1960) co-star Yul Brynner, though McQueen's cancer was brought on by exposure to asbestos and Brynner's was due to smoking.

Felt ill during the filming of Tom Horn (1980), and assumed he had pneumonia. However, towards the end of filming McQueen had begun to cough up blood. On 22 December 1979, after filming had finished, he was diagnosed with cancer.

Following the release of Bullitt (1968) McQueen found it hilarious how he was considered the coolest celebrity by teenagers, despite being nearly forty. In that same year he declared his support for the Vietnam War and voted for Richard Nixon in November's presidential election.

Homer Simpson named McQueen as his personal hero in "The Simpsons" Saturdays of Thunder (1991).

Was offered the co-starring role in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). However, he was still under contract for the show "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1958), which prevented him from appearing. The role eventually went to George Peppard.

In 1973 McQueen flew to England to meet Oliver Reed and discuss a possible film collaboration. "Reed showed me his country mansion and we got on well," recalled McQueen. "He then suggested he take me to his favorite London nightclub." The drinking, which started at Reed's home, Broome Hall, continued into the night until Reed could hardly stand. Suddenly, and with no apparent warning, he vomited over McQueen's shirt and trousers. "The staff rushed around and found me some new clothes, but they couldn't get me any shoes," said McQueen. "I had to spend the rest of the night smelling of Oliver Reed's sick.".

Turned down the role in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969).

Turned down Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). McQueen told director Steven Spielberg he couldn't play a character who was too emotionally oriented.

Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers in April 2007.

He did not like gratuitous violence, swearing or nudity in movies.

Was considered for the role of Colonel Kurtz in Apocolypse Now (1979). The part eventually went to Marlon Brando.

At one point he approached playwright Samuel Beckett with an idea for filming the play "Waiting for Godot", but Becket had never heard of him.

Intended to retire after filming The Towering Inferno (1974).

Eagerly sought Gregory Peck's role in Mackenna's Gold (1969).

Inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1978.

After Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, McQueen was the celebrity most sought out by the press at the premiere of My Fair Lady (1964).

Turned down Clint Eastwood's role in Dirty Harry (1971).

Inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.

Personal Quotes

In my own mind, I'm not sure that acting is something for a grown man to be doing.

[From TV Guide]: When a horse learns to buy martinis, I'll learn to like horses.

I don't believe in that phony hero stuff.

If I hadn't made it as an actor, I might have wound up a hood.

There's something about my shaggy-dog eyes that makes people think I'm good.

When I believe in something, I fight like hell for it.

Sometimes kids ask me what a pro is. I just point to the Duke [John Wayne]

I live for myself and I answer to nobody.

Stardom equals freedom. It's the only equation that matters.

I just want the pine trees and my kids and the green grass. I want to get rich and fat and watch my children grow.

An actor is a puppet, manipulated by a dozen other people. Auto racing has dignity. But you need the same absolute concentration. You have to reach inside yourself and bring forth a lot of broken glass.

Stardom equals financial success, and financial success equals security. I've spent too much of my life feeling insecure.

I really don't like to act. At the beginning, back in '51, I had to force myself to stick with it. I was real uncomfortable, real uncomfortable.

When a kid didn't have any love when he was small, he begins to wonder if he's good enough. You know if my mother didn't love me, and I didn't have a father, I mean, well, I guess I'm not very good.

You only say what's important and you own the scene.

I worked hard, and if you work hard you get the goodies.

I'm not sure whether I'm an actor who races or a racer who acts.

The main thing I was shooting for was not to make bucks but to have something I could believe in. - On An Enemy of the People (1978)

I am a limited actor. My range isn't that great and I don't have that much scope. I'm pretty much myself most of the time in my movies and I have accepted that.

Salary

The Hunter (1980) $3,000,000 + 15% of gross

Tom Horn (1980) 3,000,000 + 10% of the gross

An Enemy of the People (1978) $1,500 a week

The Towering Inferno (1974) $1,500,000 + 10% of the gross

Papillon (1973) $2,300,000 + % of gross

The Getaway (1972) No up front fee in exchange for 10% of the gross.

Junior Bonner (1972) $500,000

Le Mans (1971) $750,000 + % of the gross

The Reivers (1969) $700,000

Bullitt (1968) $1,000,000

The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) $700,000