Steve McQueen

  • Steve
    © Chester Maydole / mptvimages.com

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Steve McQueen, "The King of Cool", was the ultimate man's man. From humble beginnings and a troubled childhood, McQueen rose to heights of fame that few others have achieved. His Hollywood career began with bit parts in westerns and eventually led to his being the most famous and highest paid actor of his time. He parlayed an early fascination with cars and motorcycles into a career as a champion racer, and later as perhaps the most famous collector of vintage automotive machines in the world. Throughout his public life, McQueen exhibited a cool demeanor and style that made him a cultural icon, admired by men, loved by famous and beautiful women, and captured for eternity by the world's top photographers.

Biography

Steve endured a difficult childhood. As a young boy, he was shuttled back and forth between his mother's care and his Uncle's farm in Missouri. In his adolescence, his problems at home led him to take to the streets, and he was often in trouble. Eventually he was remanded to the care of the California Boys Republic in Chino. It was here that Steve began to get his life under control and he later credited the Boys Republic with setting him on the right path. When he became famous, he would regularly visit the Boys Republic and he supported the organization with donations of clothes and money. To this day, the McQueen estate along with supporters of the Boys Republic, hold a major car show every year in Chino to raise funds for the school.

At age 16, McQueen left Chino, traveling first to New York City and then across the country, working various jobs as a merchant marine, a lumberjack, a trinket salesman in a carnival, and an oil rigger. In 1947, he joined the Marines. After some early rebelliousness, he served with distinction until 1950 when he was honorably discharged.

With financial assistance provided to him by the G.I. Bill, McQueen began taking acting lessons in New York. He began his acting career with small roles on the stage and on live TV, and made his Broadway debut in 1955 in the play A Hatful of Rain. Later that year, at the age of 25, McQueen left New York and headed to Hollywood to further his acting career. After nabbing bit parts in several films, he landed his first starring role in the 1958 horror cult classic The Blob. However, his first big break came on the small screen, where he landed the starring role as the bounty hunter Josh Randall on the CBS Series Wanted: Dead or Alive. Steve McQueen became a star on TV and would soon replicate that stardom on the big screen. His first major hit was in The Magnificent Seven along with Yul Brynner, Robert Vaughn, Charles Bronson and James Coburn. His next starring role, in 1963's The Great Escape, firmly established McQueen's box-office clout and secured his status as a superstar. The images from The Great Escape of Steve McQueen bouncing the baseball off the wall of his cell and riding his motorcycle across the countryside are etched indelibly into the annals of Hollywood history. Following this in quick succession, he starred in Love with the Proper Stranger with Natalie Wood, in the huge western hit Nevada Smith, as a poker player in The Cincinnati Kid, and as a sailor in The Sand Pebbles, a role for which he earned an Academy Award nomination.

In 1968, McQueen starred as San Francisco PD Detective Frank Bullitt in Bullitt. The film was a huge box-office success featuring Steve's cool, fashionable persona and the most famous car chase scene in film history. McQueen himself did a good portion of the stunt driving (at least until the insurance agents showed up on set), and the green Ford Mustang in Bullitt became one of the many vehicles made famous by association with Steve McQueen. He then starred in The Thomas Crown Affair with Faye Dunaway, in which his role as the wealthy, debonair art thief helped to cement his status as a sex-symbol and fashion-icon.

After the successes of Bullitt and The Thomas Crown Affair, McQueen pursued his dream of creating a film about his passion: auto-racing. The result, Le Mans, was not a box-office hit, but has grown into a cult classic and is considered the most authentic film ever made about auto-racing. After Le Mans, McQueen starred in The Getaway with future wife Ali McGraw, and in Papillon he co-starred with Dustin Hoffman. By this time, he was the world's highest paid actor, and he agreed to star in The Towering Inferno with Paul Newman. The Towering Inferno was a smash success and one of the highest-grossing films of all time. He appeared in three more films, An Enemy of the People, Tom Horn, and The Hunter, but after The Towering Inferno, he retreated from the public eye to focus on more personal pursuits, chief among them collecting vintage cars and motorcycles.

As any true fan knows, McQueen was an avid motorcycle and racecar enthusiast. When his films involved cars and motorcycles, he would often perform his own stunts (it was difficult to find drivers and riders as skilled as McQueen!) Although the legendary jump over the fence shown in the film The Great Escape was done by friend Bud Ekins (again, for insurance purposes), legend has it that McQueen did in fact complete the jump himself the morning of filming, and McQueen did log considerable screen time on his 650cc Triumph TR6 motorcycle. At one point, through the magic of editing, McQueen is actually seen in a German uniform on another bike chasing himself!

At one time in his life, McQueen considered being a professional race car driver, and there is no doubt he would have been successful. In fact, he was quite successful in the limited opportunities he did have to participate in top events. He had a one-off outing in the British Touring Car Championship in 1961 driving a BMC Mini at Brands Hatch and finished third behind Vic Elford and Sir John Whitmore. In the 1970 Twelve Hours of Sebring race, Peter Revson and McQueen (driving with a cast on his left foot from a motorcycle accident two weeks earlier) won in the three-litre class with a Porsche 908/02, and just missed winning the overall title by mere seconds (losing to a team with Mario Andretti).

McQueen's first off-road motorcycle was a Triumph 650 that Bud Ekins built for him in his shop in Southern California. In 1964, McQueen and Bud Ekins were part of the first official American team that competed in the renowned off-road race, the International Six Days Trials, the most challenging motorcycle event in the world. Unfortunately, McQueen didn't finish due to an accident, but his teammate Cliff Coleman finished and went home with a gold medal. McQueen raced in many top off-road races on the West Coast, including the Elsinore Grand Prix riding a Husqvarna, Baja 1000, and the Mint 400, both in the Baja Boot In 1971, McQueen’s Solar Productions funded the classic motorcycle documentary On Any Sunday, directed by Bruce Brown, in which McQueen is featured along with friends and bike racing legends Mert Lawwill and Malcolm Smith. The same year, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine riding a Husqvarna dirt bike. And in 1978, he was inducted in the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame .

Steve McQueen died in 1980 at the age of 50. But he remains a cultural icon to this day. A large part of his allure was the element of danger that surrounded him, and that his coolness always shone through whatever role he was playing on screen, whether a cowboy, gambler, millionaire, detective, fireman, etc. And that same coolness was always evident in his real life, during interviews, while racing the hills of Hollywood or the Mojave Desert, and certainly in the many photographs of him that exist taken by some of the top photographers of the time

He was always (effortlessly) at the forefront of fashion, be it in a tuxedo, jeans and a tee shirt, racing coveralls, or shorts and nothing else. The simple clothes and other items he wore continue to sell today as "McQueen" genuine articles, such as Barbour jackets, Persol sunglasses, and TAG Heuer watches. He is frequently cited by today's celebrities as the inspiration for their fashion choices and he still graces the covers of top magazines. Documentaries about his life continue to be produced, and he has been the subject of several popular songs. The King of Cool lives on.

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© Sunset Boulevard/Corbis

HOLLYWOOD LEGEND

A television-turned-movie star, McQueen was the sexiest and toughest leading man of his day. Starring in films such as The Magnificent Seven, Bullitt, and The Great Escape, he became one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood. McQueen was nominated for an Oscar and four Golden Globe awards, and received a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.

CULTURAL ICON

Although he died in 1980, McQueen continues to be a cultural icon. With his effortlessly cool attitude and style, he is frequently cited by today's celebrities as the inspiration for their fashion choices and he still graces the covers of top magazines and is seen in major advertising campaigns around the world.

© Sid Avery / mptvimages.com

© Mel Traxel / mptvimages.com

MOTORSPORTS HERO

McQueen's love for anything on wheels was evident. If he wasn't filming, he could be found cruising Mulholland Drive or doing wheelies in the Mojave Desert. His love for speed made it into most of his films, in which he can be seen doing many of his own stunts. With a long list of races on his resume, one couldn't be sure if he was more an actor or a racer.

  • 01
    © Larry Kastendiek / mptvimages.com
    I'm not sure whether I'm an actor who races or a racer who acts.
  • 02
    © Chester Maydole / mptvimages.com
    There's something about my shaggy-dog eyes that makes people think I'm good.
  • 03
    © Ted Allan / mptvimages.com
    I don't believe in that phony hero stuff.
  • 04
    © Mel Traxel / mptvimages.com
    When I believe in something, I fight like hell for it.
  • 05
    © John R. Hamilton Archives
    I believe in me.
    I'm a little screwed up but I'm beautiful.
  • 06
    mptvimages.com
    We gave a little of our blood for our picture but it was worth it.
  • 07
    mptvimages.com
    Racing is life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.
  • 08
    mptvimages.com
    Stardom equals financial success and financial success equals security. I've spent too much of my life feeling insecure.
  • 09
    © Chester Maydole / mptvimages.com
    I've always had a big lust for living my own life.
    It's important.
  • 10
    © John R. Hamilton Archives
    I live for myself and I answer to nobody.
  • 11
    © Sunset Boulevard/Corbis
    In my own mind, I'm not sure that acting is something for a grown man to be doing.
  • 12
    © Larry Kastendiek / mptvimages.com
    I've got a feeling I'm leaving stardom behind, you know...
  • 13
    mptvimages.com
    Today, what I used to hate, used to rebel against, why, man, it's now part of my life.
  • 14
    © Gene Trindl / mptvimages.com
    I'll never be as good an actor as I want to be.
    But I'll be good.
  • 15
    © Sid Avery / mptvimages.com
    Acting's a good racket. And lets face it,
    you can't beat it for the bread.
  • 16
    © Mel Traxel / mptvimages.com
    Neuroses are the thing nowadays – you've got to have problems, man. But not me. I'm happy.
  • 17
    © John R. Hamilton Archives
    Life is walking on the wire, the rest is waiting in the wings.
  • 18
    © Chester Maydole / mptvimages.com
    I like being out there in the desert on a set of wheels. You're really alive out there.
  • 19
    © Sid Avery / mptvimages.com
    Mostly I spend my bread on the basics –
    a good house, good food, good cars.
  • 20
    © Mel Traxel / mptvimages.com
    I scrounged around for the next couple of years,
    trying to get the scam on the human race and just where the
    hell I fitted in – I discovered there were no openings.
  • 21
    © Chester Maydole / mptvimages.com
    I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.
  • 22
    mptvimages.com
    The Navajos have a saying they live by: 'A land where there is time enough and room enough.' I want that, too.
  • 23
    © Chester Maydole / mptvimages.com
    I just want the brass ring and the pine trees,
    my old lady, my kids and the green grass.
    I want to get rich and fat and watch my kids grow.
  • 24
    © Ted Allan / mptvimages.com
    Time for a ride. Let's get it on.
  • 25
    © Chester Maydole / mptvimages.com
    It's definite. You beat a guy and
    you're better than he is; he beats you,
    he's a better man than you are.

humanitarian work

Among Steve McQueen's many passions was his desire to give back to the community. Often while on a film location, he came across people in need and would always try to find a way to help; whether it meant a financial donation, a visit to a hospital or an orphanage, or buying athletic equipment for a poverty-stricken neighborhood. As a young boy, he lived for several years at the Boys Republic, a school for troubled youth, and he often later credited the institution for helping to get him off the streets and become a productive member of society. For the rest of his life, he continued to donate clothing, money, and time to the Boys Republic. To this day, the McQueen family, along with supporters of the Boys Republic, continue his legacy, and hold the Steve McQueen Car Show every year to support the needs of the school.

“Somewhere, right now, there are kids going through what I went through. Maybe if they know I survived, they can find hope. I can’t promise they’ll ever forget what happened to them. But if they hold out, they’ll get through okay and learn to live with the bad memories…and still learn to love.”

filmography

  • The_Blob
    The Blob (1958)

    An alien life form
    resembling a giant blob
    of jelly, consumes
    everything and everyone
    in its path as it grows
    and grows. McQueen's
    first starring role,
    The Blob is a horror
    cult classic.
  • Mag-7
    The Magnificent Seven (1960)

    Vin Tanner is one of seven gunfighters helping to defend a Mexican village from bandits. McQueen, who was not yet as famous as co-star Yul Brynner, reportedly irritated Brynner by stealing many of the scenes they were in together.
  • Great_escape
    The Great Escape (1963)

    A hugely popular WWII
    drama about a group of
    Allied prisoners plotting
    their escape from a
    German prisoner-of-war
    camp. In one scene,
    McQueen played both
    his character (Hilts)
    trying to escape on a
    motorbike, and the
    German soldier
    chasing him!
  • Soldier_in_the_Rain
    Soldier in the Rain (1963)

    In this comedy, McQueen played a soldier who can't wait to finish his service. It also starred Jackie Gleason. The film was released five days after the Kennedy assassination, which hurt the box-office reception.
  • Love_With_The_Proper_Stranger
    Love with a Proper Stranger (1963)

    McQueen took on his first romantic lead in a film that would expand his audience beyond male action fans and make him just as popular with female audiences, and paired him with one of the top young actresses of the day, Natalie Wood.
  • Baby-the-rain-must-fall
    Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965)

    McQueen played
    Henry Thomas, an irresponsible rockabilly singer/guitarist, trying to reunite with his wife (played by Lee Remick) and young daughter after a stint in prison.
  • Cincinnati-Kid-poster
    The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

    The story of Eric "The Kid" Stoner, a young Depression-era poker player, as he seeks to establish his reputation as the best.
  • nevada_smith
    Nevada Smith (1966)

    A naive half-Indian, half-
    white man evolves into a
    hardened killer as he
    tracks down his
    parents' murderers.
  • The_Sand_Pebbles_film_poster
    The Sand Pebbles (1966)

    The story of an independent, rebellious US Navy machinist's mate aboard the USS San Pablo in 1920s China, the film garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for McQueen.
  • Thomas-Crown
    The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

    McQueen portrayed Thomas Crown, millionaire businessman who conspires to pull off the perfect crime. Faye Dunaway played the insurance investigator who falls in love with Crown. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards.
  • bullitt
    Bullitt (1968)

    McQueen portrayed detective Frank Bullitt in this classy crime thriller. The film is notable for its car chase scene through the streets of San Francisco, regarded as one of the most influential in
    movie history.
  • le-mans
    Le Mans (1971)

    Considered the most authentic auto-racing film ever made, McQueen portrayed racer Michael Delaney trying to capture the top prize in the world's most famous and difficult endurance race, the 24 Hours at Le Mans.
  • Getaway
    The Getaway (1972)

    A neo-noir action crime film directed by Sam Peckinpah. McQueen's co-star was Ali MacGraw, who later became his second wife.
  • Papillon
    Papillon (1973)

    Based on the best-selling autobiography by Henri Charri�, McQueen portrayed a wrongly-convicted prisoner trying to escape a brutal island penal colony. McQueen himself performed the famous cliff-jumping scene near the end of the film, calling it "one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life."
  • Towering-Inferno
    The Towering Inferno (1974)

    This classic blockbuster earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, and was the highest grossing film of 1974. McQueen and Paul Newman shared top-billing and were promised the same pay and the same number
    of lines.
  • EnemyOfThePeopleFull
    An Enemy of the People (1979)

    McQueen portrayed Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a scientist who stands against an entire town when he discovers their medicinal spa is polluted. This film was based on a play by the famous playwright Henrik Ibsen.
  • TomHorn
    Tom Horn (1980)

    McQueen in the title role of a renowned former army scout who is hired by ranchers to hunt down rustlers but finds himself on trial for the murder of a boy when he carries out his job
    too well.
  • The-Hunter
    The Hunter (1980)

    The story of professional bounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson. The Hunter was Steve McQueen's final film.

racing timeline

racing-timeline-v2

advertising and merchandise

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licensing inquiries

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Any rights associated with Steve McQueen, including trademarks, copyrights and rights of publicity may not be used without permission from Chadwick McQueen and the Terry McQueen Testamentary Trust, represented by BEN. Any commercial use of Steve McQueen's name, likeness, appellations, photographs, characterizations and/or any other indicia of Steve McQueen's persona requires prior permission and a license. © 2016 BEN. All Rights Reserved. Photographs courtesy of MPTV Images, John R. Hamilton Archives, Visual China Group, and Chadwick McQueen and the Terry McQueen Testamentary Trust. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Site Usage Agreement

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