Steve McQueen - Biography - IMDb Steve McQueen Biography Showing all 183 items Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (2) | Spouse (3) | Trade Mark (6) | Trivia (112) | Personal Quotes (31) | Salary (24) Overview (5) 7 November 1980 , Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico (heart attack following surgery for metastasized cancer stemming from mesothelioma) Birth Name 5' 9½" (1.77 m) Mini Bio (2) He was the ultra-cool male film star of the 1960s, and rose from a troubled youth spent in reform schools to being the world's most popular actor. Over 25 years after his untimely death from mesothelioma in 1980, Steve McQueen is still considered hip and cool, and he endures as an icon of popular culture. McQueen was born in Beech Grove, Indiana, to Julia Ann (Crawford) and William Terence McQueen, a stunt pilot.

His first lead role was in the low-budget sci-fi film The Blob (1958), quickly followed by roles in The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959) and Never So Few (1959). The young McQueen appeared as Vin, alongside Yul Brynner , in the star-laden The Magnificent Seven (1960) and effectively hijacked the lead from the bigger star by ensuring he was nearly always doing something in every shot he and Brynner were in together, such as adjusting his hat or gun belt. He next scored with audiences with two interesting performances, first in the World War II drama Hell Is for Heroes (1962) and then in The War Lover (1962). Riding a wave of popularity, McQueen delivered another crowd pleaser as Hilts, the Cooler King, in the knockout World War II P.O.W. film The Great Escape (1963), featuring his famous leap over the barbed wire on a motorcycle while being pursued by Nazi troops (in fact, however, the stunt was actually performed by his good friend, stunt rider Bud Ekins ).

McQueen next appeared in several films of mixed quality, including Soldier in the Rain (1963); Love with the Proper Stranger (1963) and Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965). However, they failed to really grab audience attention, but his role as Eric Stoner in The Cincinnati Kid (1965), alongside screen legend Edward G. Robinson and Karl Malden , had movie fans filling theaters again to see the ice-cool McQueen they loved. He was back in another western, Nevada Smith (1966), again with Malden, and then he gave what many consider to be his finest dramatic performance as loner US Navy sailor Jake Holman in the superb The Sand Pebbles (1966). McQueen was genuine hot property and next appeared with Faye Dunaway in the provocative crime drama The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), next in what many consider his signature role, that of a maverick, taciturn detective in the mega-hit Bullitt (1968), renowned for its famous chase sequence through San Francisco between McQueen's Ford Mustang and the killer's black Dodge Charger.

Interestingly, McQueen's next role was a total departure from the action genre, as he played Southerner Boon Hogganbeck in the family-oriented The Reivers (1969), based on the popular William Faulkner novel. Not surprisingly, the film didn't go over particularly well with audiences, even though it was an entertaining and well made production, and McQueen showed an interesting comedic side of his acting talents. He returned to more familiar territory in 1971, with the race film Le Mans (1971), a rather self-indulgent exercise, and its slow plot line contributed to its rather poor performance in theaters. It wasn't until many years later that it became something of a cult film, primarily because of the footage of Porsche 917s roaring around race tracks in France. McQueen then teamed up with maverick Hollywood director Sam Peckinpah to star in the modern western Junior Bonner (1972), about a family of rodeo riders, and again with Peckinpah as bank robber Doc McCoy in the violent The Getaway (1972). Both did good business at the box office.

McQueen's next role was a refreshing surprise and Papillon (1973), based on the Henri Charrière novel of the same name, was well received by fans and critics alike. He plays a convict on a French penal colony in South America who persists in trying to escape from his captors and feels their wrath when his attempts fail. The 1970s is a decade remembered for a slew of "disaster" movies and McQueen starred in arguably the biggest of the time, The Towering Inferno (1974). He shared equal top billing with Paul Newman and an impressive line-up of co-stars including Fred Astaire , Robert Vaughn and Faye Dunaway . McQueen does not appear until roughly halfway into the film as San Francisco fire chief Mike O'Halloran, battling to extinguish an inferno in a 138-story skyscraper. The film was a monster hit and set the benchmark for other disaster movies that followed. It was, however, McQueen's last film role for several years.

After a four-year hiatus he surprised fans, and was almost unrecognizable under long hair and a beard, as a rabble-rousing early environmentalist in An Enemy of the People (1978), based on the Henrik Ibsen play. McQueen's last two film performances were in the unusual western Tom Horn (1980), then he portrayed real-life bounty hunter Ralph "Papa' Thorson ( Ralph Thorson ) in The Hunter (1980). In 1978, McQueen developed a small but persistent cough that wouldn't go away. He quit smoking and underwent antibiotic treatments without improvement. Shortness of breath grew more pronounced and on December 22, 1979, after he completed work on 'The Hunter', a biopsy revealed pleural mesothelioma, a rare lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure for which there is no known cure. The asbestos was thought to have been in the protective suits worn in his race car driving days, but in fact the auto racing suits McQueen wore were made of Nomex, a DuPont fire-resistant aramid fiber that contains no asbestos.

McQueen later gave a medical interview in which he believed that asbestos used in movie sound stage insulation and race-drivers' protective suits and helmets could have been involved, but he thought it more likely that his illness was a direct result of massive exposure while removing asbestos lagging from pipes aboard a troop ship while in the US Marines. By February 1980, there was evidence of widespread metastasis. While he tried to keep the condition a secret, the National Enquirer disclosed that he had "terminal cancer" on March 11, 1980. In July, McQueen traveled to Rosarito Beach, Mexico for an unconventional treatment after US doctors told him they could do nothing to prolong his life. Controversy arose over McQueen's Mexican trip, because McQueen sought a non-traditional cancer treatment called the Gerson Therapy that used coffee enemas, frequent washing with shampoos, daily injections of fluid containing live cells from cows and sheep, massage and laetrile, a supposedly "natural" anti-cancer drug available in Mexico, but not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

McQueen paid for these unconventional medical treatments by himself in cash payments which was said to have cost an upwards of $40,000 per month during his three-month stay in Mexico. McQueen was treated by William Donald Kelley, whose only medical license had been (until revoked in 1976) for orthodontics. McQueen returned to the US in early October. Despite metastasis of the cancer through McQueen's body, Kelley publicly announced that McQueen would be completely cured and return to normal life. McQueen's condition soon worsened and "huge" tumors developed in his abdomen. In late October 1980, McQueen flew to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico to have an abdominal tumor on his liver (weighing around five pounds) removed, despite warnings from his US doctors that the tumor was inoperable and his heart could not withstand the surgery. McQueen checked into a Juarez clinic under the alias "Sam Shepard" where the local Mexican doctors and staff at the small, low-income clinic were unaware of his actual identity. Steve McQueen passed away on November 7, 1980, at age 50 after the cancer surgery which was said to be successful.

He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea. He married three times and had a lifelong love of motor racing, once remarking, "Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting." - IMDb Mini Biography By: firehouse44@hotmail.com Steve McQueen was an American actor. Called "The King of Cool", his "anti-hero" persona, developed at the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination for his role in The Sand Pebbles. His other popular films include The Cincinnati Kid, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, The Getaway, and Papillon, as well as the all-star ensemble films The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, and The Towering Inferno. In 1974, he became the highest-paid movie star in the world, although he did not act in films again for four years. McQueen was combative with directors and producers, but his popularity placed him in high demand and enabled him to command large salaries. McQueen's first breakout role came on television.

He appeared on Dale Robertson's NBC western series, Tales of Wells Fargo. Elkins, then McQueen's manager, successfully lobbied Vincent M. Fennelly, producer of the western series Trackdown, to have McQueen read for the part of bounty hunter Josh Randall in a Trackdown episode. McQueen appeared as Randall in the episode, cast opposite series lead and old New York motorcycle racing buddy Robert Culp. McQueen then filmed the pilot episode, which became the series titled Wanted: Dead or Alive, which aired on CBS in September 1958. The Magnificent Seven (1960), in which he played Vin Tanner and co-starred with Yul Brynner, Robert Vaughn, Charles Bronson and James Coburn, became McQueen's first major hit and led to his withdrawal from Wanted: Dead or Alive. McQueen's focused portrayal of the taciturn second lead catapulted his career. His added touches in many of the shots, such as shaking a shotgun round before loading it, repeatedly checking his gun while in the background of a shot, and wiping his hat rim, annoyed costar Brynner, who protested that McQueen was trying to steal scenes.

McQueen played the lead in the next big Sturges film, 1963's The Great Escape, Hollywood's fictional depiction of the true story of a historical mass escape from a World War II POW camp, Stalag Luft III. Insurance concerns prevented McQueen from performing the film's notable motorcycle leap, which was done by his friend and fellow cycle enthusiast Bud Ekins, who resembled McQueen from a distance. McQueen earned his only Academy Award nomination in 1966 for his role as an engine-room sailor in The Sand Pebbles, in which he stars opposite Candice Bergen and Richard Attenborough. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Pedro Borges Spouse (3) Usually played tough, sexy and determined men Low gravelly voice Roles in Action films and War films Often played Police officers or Military characters Cigarette dangling off the right side of his mouth Light brown hair and bright blue eyes Trivia (112) Of the 2000 performers who auditioned for Lee Strasberg 's exclusive Actors Studio in 1955, only two were accepted: Martin Landau and McQueen.

In October 1997 he was ranked #30 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. On August 8, 1969, a week before the Woodstock Music Festival kicked off in Bethel, NY, 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. Although he was the highest0paid 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. Trained in Tang Soo Do with ninth-degree black belt 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 US Marine Corps. Was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an often fatal form of cancer related to asbestos exposure, which often afflicts workers in ship-building and construction industries. As in most cases, a tumor was discovered on the outside lining of a lung, and spread to other areas of the body. Although McQueen had been a heavy smoker, which may or may not have been a contributing factor, mesothelioma itself is not a smoking-related lung disease.

While the source of his exposure has been debated, McQueen himself points to two likely sources, including the time when he took part in replacing asbestos-based insulation in the ship's engine room during his stint in the Marines. He also believed he could have been exposed in his years as a film star, since soundstage insulation had also been made of asbestos. Others have suggested sources as varied as automotive brake pads and the cloth used to bandage his broken foot during the 12 hours of Sebring race in '71. Was cremated and had his ashes scattered into the Pacific Ocean In 1995 he was chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#19). Was a pallbearer at the funeral of Bruce Lee . Dropped out of school in ninth grade. Former stepfather of Josh Evans . He proposed the idea for a film The Bodyguard (1992) in 1976, but this was forgotten for 16 years until 1992, when Kevin Costner revived it. 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. Died from two consecutive heart attacks at 3:45 am on November 7 1980, less than 24 hours after undergoing successful surgery to remove the malignant tumors in his stomach and lungs. 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 his character to have more lines of dialogue than 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. 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. 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 Rev. 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. Upon meeting Martin Landau , McQueen told Landau that they had already met. 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 Charles Bronson in three films directed by John Sturges : Never So Few (1959), The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963). Also, appeared with James Coburn in the latter two Sturges films cited above. According to military records released by the Pentagon in 2005, Marine Pfc. Steve McQueen was confined to base for being absent without leave for 30 days and fined $90 after being AWOL from Camp Lejeune, NC.

He joined the Marine 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 GI BIll education 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 who 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 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 were as a presenter: in 1964 he presented the Oscar for Best Sound and in 1965, holding hands with Claudia Cardinale , he presented the Oscar again for Best Sound. Shortly before filming began on Tom Horn (1980), he had quit smoking cigarettes. His somewhat "squashed" appearance was due to a crash diet. Grandfather of Steven R. McQueen and Molly McQueen . His 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, refused to join many of his Hollywood peers in supporting Sen. 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 has having regretted 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. "The Last Gun" remains unproduced. 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), Superman (1978), 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 40.

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 his TV series 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 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 Col. Kurtz in Apocalypse 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). 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. His friend and co-star Richard Attenborough said that if McQueen had lived for longer he would have been regarded as the greatest film actor since Spencer Tracy .

British band Prefab Sprout used his name for the title of their second album, released in 1985. Due to objections from the late actor's estate, the album was issued with the alternative title of "Two Wheels Good" in the United States. He later regretted turning down Roy Scheider 's role in Sorcerer (1977). Profiled in "Back in the Saddle: Essays on Western Film and Television Actors", Gary Yoggy, ed. (McFarland, 1998). Kevin Costner has named McQueen as his favorite actor, and his main influence as an actor. Turned down Gene Hackman 's Oscar-winning role as drug-busting cop Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in The French Connection (1971) because he thought the movie was too similar to Bullitt (1968). Quigley Down Under (1990) was written for McQueen in the 1970s. Made headlines when accepting the lead in Tai-Pan (1986) for an unheard of $10 million, for which he was given a $1-million fee up front.

His health declined, however, and he died before the producers were able to raise the necessary capital for production. It was eventually released six years after McQueen's death, with Bryan Brown in the lead. Was considered, but ultimately rejected, for the role of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby (1974). Colin Farrell , Kevin Costner , Pierce Brosnan and Bruce Willis have all listed McQueen as their hero and inspiration for being an actor. Turned down a $4-million offer to star in The Gauntlet (1977) when Barbra Streisand was originally attached to the picture. McQueen and Streisand refused to appear together, for reasons unknown. Kris Kristofferson and Ali MacGraw were then considered when Sam Peckinpah was set to direct, before Clint Eastwood took over as director and cast himself and Sondra Locke in the lead roles. Turned down Marlon Brando 's role in The Missouri Breaks (1976) and George C. Scott 's role in Islands in the Stream (1977) because he claimed to be completely retired from acting.

Turned down lead roles in The Victors (1963) and King Rat (1965) because he didn't want to become typecast in war movies. Turned down Ocean's 11 (1960) on the advice of his friend Hedda Hopper , who told him to be his own man rather than Frank Sinatra 's "flunky". On March 21, 1967, three days before his 37th birthday, he became the 153rd star to put his handprints and footprints on the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theater. Turned down a role in A Bridge Too Far (1977) because he only wanted top billing roles, not all-star assembled projects. Had a younger paternal half sister, Terri McQueen, whom he never met. He was brought up by his grandparents. A troublesome teenager, he spent five years in a California reformatory. He ran away from home and worked on ships, as an oil field laborer and fairground barker.

He appeared at least three times on the big screen with his good friend, Don Gordon : Bullitt (1968), Papillon (1973) and The Towering Inferno (1974). Dick Powell , head of Four Star Productions, gave the green light to McQueen's western series Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958), but was concerned about his continuing in the lead after the pilot sold because the actor was not big or tall enough to be believable as a rough-hewn bounty hunter, and did not know how to ride a horse. Powell changed his mind when he saw McQueen's charismatic performance in the early rushes of the show's first episode. He was a rebellious teenager, didn't get along with his stepfather and had several thefts on his record. In 1944 his parents placed him in the California Junior Republic for Boys at Chino. In later years he referred to his stay at Chino as "the best thing that ever happened to me" and that "they straightened me out there".

After his first meeting with director Robert Wise for his first film role in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Wise referred to him as "just a kook in a beanie.". In 1966 he appeared on the TV show What's My Line (1956). Although he had problems with authority in the strict Marine Corps and served a tough 41 days in the brig for a 21-day AWOL incident, he was discharged honorably. Acting teacher 'Sanford Meisner' (q) said of the fledgling actor: "He was an original--both tough and childlike, as if he'd been through everything, but he had preserved a basic innocence". During the scene in Bullitt (1968) in which the giant airliner taxis just above McQueen, observers were shocked that no double was used. Asked if the producers couldn't have found a dummy, the actor wryly replied, "They did.". McQueen died from mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It is assumed he was exposed to race driver suits that used asbestos for protection from car fires and movie soundstage insulation.

McQueen was cremated and a memorial service was held at his home with a bi-plane flyover by his flying buddies. There were so many flowers and cards from his fans put on his likeness at the Hollywoo Wax Museum, the wax statue had to be put in storage to prevent damage from the tributes. He was born on March 24 (1930), the same day that 76 Allied prisoners of war begin breaking out of the German POW camp Stalag Luft III in 1944, during World War II, which later became the basis of The Great Escape (1963) in which McQueen starred. He quit smoking cigarettes in 1978, although he continued to smoke cigars. He was once employed as a "towel boy" in a brothel. Smoked three packs of cigarettes a day. Had a feud with next-door neighbor British rocker Keith Moon ("the loon") of The Who in Malibu. Moon had a habit of leaving his bathroom light on at night. The light shone directly into McQueen's bedroom and kept him awake at night.

After telling Moon repeatedly to turn it off without success, he took out a shotgun, blew out the light and went back to bed. Charged a $50,000 script reading fee upfront during his semi-retirement years. His final scene in film ended with "God Bless You" The Hunter (1980). He died shortly after the film's release. Was voted #14 in an online poll for Channel 4's 100 Greatest Movie Stars in 2003 (UK). Was the first actor to make the transition from TV star to huge box-office movie star. He died in his sleep. Personal Quotes (31) In my own mind, I'm not sure that acting is something for a grown man to be doing. [interview in "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. 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 '52, 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.

[on An Enemy of the People (1978)] The main thing I was shooting for was not to make bucks but to have something I could believe in. The Marines gave me discipline I could live with. By the time I got out I could deal with things on a more realistic level. All in all, despite my problems, I liked my time in the Marines. I believe in me. I'm a little screwed up but I'm beautiful. They call me a chauvinist pig. I am . . . and I don't give a damn! I have to be careful because I'm a limited actor. I mean, my range isn't very great. There's a whole lot of stuff I can't do, so I have to find characters and situations that feel right. Even then, when I've got something that fits, it's a hell of a lot of work. I'm not a serious actor. There's something about my shaggy-dog eyes that makes people think I'm good. I'm not all that good. I'm out of the Midwest. It was a good place to come from. It gives you a sense of right or wrong and fairness, which is lacking in our society.

Listen, in Taiwan most people don't know who Lyndon Johnson is, but they sure as hell know who John Wayne is. [on Dustin Hoffman ] If a guy like him can become a star, what'll happen to guys like [ Paul Newman ] and me? Every time I look in the rear-view mirror, I see Robert Redford . [His last words] I did it. The only time that I really honestly relax it seems is when I'm motor racing. I do relax a lot at speed. One really has to. You must stay relaxed because if any trouble comes up, you don't want to be tense, you want to stay very relaxed so that you can cope with it. [on Le Mans (1971)] If we're going to do this, we are going to do it right. No typical Hollywood bullshit--no clever twists, no perfect ending. It has to be pure. And if we're going to do it about one race, it has to be Le Mans I believe that I want to lead the type of life that I want to lead. In other words, my private life is my own, and I'll fight to have that. I've hurried all my life.

It's a way of life for me. You only go around once in life and I'm going to grab a handful of it. Salary (24) Amazon.com: The Hunter: Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, Kathryn Harrold, LeVar Burton: Amazon Digital Services LLC By rbmusicman/and/movie-fan' on June 11, 2016 Format: DVD Verified Purchase The film is taken from the book 'The Hunter' written by Christopher Keane based upon the real-life exploits of 'Bounty Hunter' 'Ralph 'Papa' Thorson' Sadly this was to be 'Steve McQueen's' last role in which he plays 'Papa Thorson' who is a man born out of his time, as a 'Bounty Hunter' he pursues criminals and bale dodgers for a cash reward. Though he feels he's getting a little too old for the task he'll track them down no-matter what often putting himself in danger.... the film covers a series of such quests during which he'll be beaten, shot at, and often in a chase to get his man.

He'll return home in between to be with his partner 'Dotty' (Kathryn Harrold) who has insisted upon seeing through the pregnancy despite 'Papa's' doubts and concerns on the subject. Doing the job he does has is consequences as he will learn when a former captive of years ago is released from prison with revenge in mind. This is a fast-moving and enjoyable plot with plenty of action and a good dose of humour along the way.....'Steve McQueen' doing what he does best. Steve McQueen Biography at The Steve McQueen Site Home Steve McQueen Mini-Bio Steve McQueen was born *Steven Terrence McQueen (see note below on name) on May 24, 1930 in Beech Grove, Indiana. He was abandoned both by his father and his mother and was primarily raised in Missouri by his Uncle Claude. At the age of twelve, he returned to live with his mother and her new husband in Los Angeles, California. His family life was unhappy and soon Steve was hanging out with a street gang and constantly getting into trouble.

His mother sent him to the California Junior Boys Republic in Chino Hills, California and he remained there for several years and joined the Marines in 1947. After leaving the Marines in 1950, he began studying acting and was accepted into Lee Strasberg's prestigious "Actor's Studio". Steve auditioned along with 2000 other hopefuls but only he and Martin Landau (Mission Impossible) were accepted. He debuted on Broadway in 1955 in the play A Hatful of Rain. He was soon earning a modest living with guest appearances in television which led to the lead in the TV series Wanted: Dead or Alive. He starred as Josh Randall, a bounty hunter who gave away as much money as he earned. He carried a sawed-off Winchester Rifle nicknamed the Mare's Leg. The show was a huge success and Steve's career took off. His first leading role was in the 1958 horror movie The Blob. His big break came when he replaced Sammy Davis, Jr. in the film Never So Few which starred Frank Sinatra. The always confident Sinatra took a liking to Steve and urged the director, John Sturges, to "Give the newcomer a break".

Sturges recognizing McQueen's raw talent, offered him roles in The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape. Other classic McQueen films include Bullitt, Papillon, The Sand Pebbles, The Getaway, Le Mans, The Thomas Crown Affair, Junior Bonner, Tom Horn and The Towering Inferno among others. His last film was The Hunter in 1980. McQueen was married three times, his first wife was dancer/actress Neile Adams which lasted from 1956 to 1972. They had two children, daughter Terry born in 1959 and son Chad in 1960. Sadly, Terry died in 1998 from respiratory failure after receiving a liver transplant. Terry had one daughter, Molly Flattery (1987) and Chad has three children, Steven R. McQueen (1988), Chase (1995) and Madison (1997). Steve's second wife was actress Ali MacGraw whom he met on the set of The Getaway. They were married from 1973 to 1978.

His third wife was Barbara Minty, they were married in 1980, the year of his death. Although Steve remarried twice after his divorce from Neile, they remained great friends and lovers for the rest of his life. They had their problems and they divorced but she was always his champion and still is to this day. She, too, is a remarkable person and it's easy to see why McQueen loved her for the rest of his life. McQueen was a tremendous motorcyclist and racecar driver. When insurance companies for the films allowed, he would perform many of his own stunts. His most famous stunts were performed in The Great Escape where he did much of the bike riding and Bullitt where he did much of the driving. Much to his dismay, the insurance companies would not allow him to perform the most dangerous stunts in either film which he always regretted. Contrary to popular belief, McQueen did not perform the the famous fence jump in The Great Escape. Instead his good friend and stunt driver Bud Ekins made the jump. Steve always made a point to credit Bud Ekins for the jump whenever asked about it during interviews.

There were many times someone would say "That was a GREAT jump!" and he would say "Yeah, it was but I didn't make it." His love of racing led to movies and documentaries involving both car and motorcycle racing. He made the film Le Mans in 1971 which is considered one of the best "documentary" films about the racing world. He did much of his own driving in the film. He wanted to enter the actual Le Mans race that year but again the insurance companies intervened. He also made the documentary film On Any Sunday. It follows the lives of motorcycle racers and racing enthusiasts, including actor Steve McQueen. First asking the question "Why do they do it?" this film looks at the people who devote (and sometimes risk) their lives to racing on tracks and off-road courses around the world. It is considered one of the best documentaries of it's kind even now. It was funded by his own production company, Solar Productions. He owned dozens of classic motorcycles and exotic sports cars worth millions. He was quite the "Man's Man", he rode bikes, flew planes, raced cars and was a 3rd degree black belt in karate. He trained under ninth degree black belt, Pat Johnson.

He was also great friends with Martial Arts experts Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. He was a pallbearer at Bruce Lee's funeral and both inspired and encouraged Chuck Norris to become an actor. Incidentally, both Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris taught Steve's son, Chad, various forms of martial arts in which he excels as well. Steve McQueen died on November 7, 1980 in Juarez, Mexico at the age of 50. After being diagnosed with inoperable Mesothelioma in 1979, he went to Mexico to receive an unconventional treatment to cure cancer. He died of a heart attack following surgery. It is unclear where he was exposed to the asbestos that causes Mesothelioma. There are several theories, the first one is he breathed in the asbestos when working on the drum brakes of his Austin-Healey and another was exposure when he was in the Marines. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean. His legacy still lives on in popular culture. Several songs have been written about Steve McQueen. The best known is probably the song written by Sheryl Crow called Steve McQueen. The video featured scenes from Bullitt, Le Mans and The Great Escape.

Even more than 25 years after his death, he is inspiring another generation of artists - see list here Steve McQueen was by no means a saint, he had his demons - he cheated on his wives, did drugs, drank too much and may have been a bit too self-involved. However, he knew his faults and never pretended to be anything he wasn't. So if his loved ones forgave him, who are we to judge? He worked hard, played hard and loved hard. To this day, there has never been an another actor who could fill the shoes left behind by McQueen. There have been a few imitators but they never came close. He was a remarkable blend of character that appealed to men and women alike. Both admired his rugged, good looks, devil-may-care attitude, athletic triumphs and unconventional lifestyle. That's not a simple accomplishment in Hollywood since actors usually appeal to one sex or the other more dominantly. Additionally, he was an unusually gifted actor that made even better movies. You can't argue that fact when he made such films as The Great Escape, The Magnificent Seven, Papillon, The Sand Pebbles, Bullitt, Tom Horn, etc.

Steve McQueen was a exceptional man and he definitely earned and deserved his well-known nickname "The King of Cool". He most certainly was. *Many McQueen biographies and sites have his name listed as Terrence (or Terence) Steven McQueen, however, his ex-wife Neile McQueen refers to him as Steven Terrence in this excerpt from the her book My Husband, My Friend: "Terrence William McQueen left his wife, Julian Crawford McQueen, almost as soon as baby Steven Terrence was born to them on March 24, 1930, in Beech Grove, Indiana." Since it is difficult to imagine Neile McQueen forgetting her husband's birth name, I have listed him in this mini-bio as Steven Terrence. ~Have questions? Email them Here Birthplace: Beech Grove, Indiana, USA Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 ?? November 7, 1980) was an American movie actor, nicknamed "The King of Cool". He was considered one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s due to a captivating on-screen persona.

McQueen was considered combative and the archetypal "difficult movie star" who disliked working with directors and producers. To compensate, he would work only if paid an extremely large salary for his films; he was one of the highest paid actors of the 1960s and 1970s. Early life He was born Terence Steven McQueen in Beech Grove, Indiana. He never knew his father (who abandoned his wife and child shortly after McQueen was born) - although he did find the house where he lived approximately a year after his father's death. His mother left him at an early age and he was raised in Slater, Missouri by his uncle. At the age of 12 he was reunited with his mother and went to live in Los Angeles, California. However by the time he was 14 she had sent him to the Boys Republic home for wayward boys in Chino Hills, California. After McQueen left Chino, he drifted before joining the United States Marine Corps in 1947 and served until 1950. In 1952, with financial assistance of the G.I.

Bill, McQueen began studying acting and auditioned to study at Lee Strasberg's Actors' Studio in New York. Of the 2000 people who auditioned that year, only McQueen and Martin Landau were accepted. McQueen made his Broadway debut in 1955 in A Hatful of Rain. 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. From 1958 to 1961, McQueen played Josh Randall, a lone bounty hunter whose weapon of choice was a sawed-off Winchester repeating rifle nicknamed the 'Mare's Leg.' While the character of Randall traveled the Wild West helping various people he met, it was the anti-hero image of a bounty-hunter, played with precisely the right amount of mystery, alienation and detachment by McQueen, that made this show stand out from among the large group of typical Westerns on American TV at the time. The character had been introduced the previous year in an episode of Trackdown, another western TV series, featuring Robert Culp.

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. The director, John Sturges, then cast McQueen in his next movie, promising to "give him the camera". Starring with Yul Brynner, Robert Vaughn, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn in The Magnificent Seven (1960), it would be McQueen's first major hit. The Great Escape McQueen's next big film was 1963's The Great Escape (which also starred Bronson and Coburn, as well as second-billed James Garner). The smash hit movie told the more or less true story of a massive breakout from a World War II POW camp and McQueen has a memorable role in the climax of the film, highlighted by a spectacular motorcycle leap.

McQueen's friend and fellow cycle enthusiast Bud Ekins, who resembled McQueen from a distance, actually made the jump, but the general public did not know that for years. Bullitt and later films Another successful film came in 1968 with Bullitt, which thrilled audiences 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, he 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 friend and rival Paul Newman in 1974, McQueen did not return to film until 1978 with An Enemy of the People playing against type as an overweight, heavily bearded character, 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. Marriages McQueen married 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 (born December 28, 1960 and now an actor - as is his son, Steven R. McQueen, born 1988). 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.

Arrest In 1972 McQueen was arrested in Anchorage, Alaska, for driving under the influence of alcohol and skipped bail.joblo.com - The Ten Spot 2/2 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 and chasing himself on another bike). During his acting career he considered becoming a professional race car driver.

In the 1970 race 12 Hours of Sebring, 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 and McQueen himself admitted that he almost died while filming the movie. McQueen himself wanted to enter a Porsche 917 together with Jackie Stewart in the 1970 Le Mans race but the backers for his film project threatened to pull their support if he drove in the race. Faced with driving for 24 hours in the race, or the entire summer making the film, McQueen opted to do the latter. He also competed in off-road motorcycle racing.

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 1976. 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. 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 luxurious and exotic sportscars, including: Porsche 917, Porsche 908 and Ferrari 512 race cars from the Le Mans film.

Ferrari 250 Lusso Berlinetta Jaguar D-Type XKSS Porsche 356 Speedster To his dismay, McQueen was never able to own the legendary Ford Mustang GT that he drove in Bullitt. There were two cars used for filming. It is rumored that both models of the car mysteriously disappeared after the film wrapped (similar to the Easy Rider bikes). The film's director Peter Yates recently stated in a radio interview that both vehicles are still extant (BBC Radio 4, 7 January 2006) (see [1]). Death McQueen died at the age of 50, on November 7, 1980, in Jurez, Mexico of a heart attack following cancer surgery. McQueen had traveled to the Santa Rosa Clinic in Mexico for alternative treatments for mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

It is unclear whether the asbestos exposure came from his racing career or from an experience in the United States Marine Corps; he wore an asbestos-insulated racers suit in his race cars and when working on his own cars and motorbikes would use an asbestos soaked rag to cover his mouth from other fumes, and McQueen himself admitted that he was exposed to the deadly insulating material during his stint in the Marines. Controversy arose over his 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. In any event, the cancer was too far advanced for any treatment to have been effective. In 1999, McQueen was posthumously inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Personal information McQueen's height was approximately 5'9". He had a daily two-hour exercise regime, involving weightlifting and at one point running five miles, seven days a week. 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 addition, like most actors of his era, he was a 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 the MacQueen was another potential target of the killers. He began carrying a gun on him, including when he attended Sebring's funeral Dunne, Dominick. The Way We Lived Then: Recollections of a Well Known Name Dropper. 1999. Crown Publishers. ISBN 0-609-60388-4. . McQueen had a reputation for demanding free items 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 items because he was donating them to the Boy's Republic reformatory school for displaced youth, where McQueen spent time during his youth. McQueen was later said to have made occasional visits to the school to spend time with the students and play pool with them. McQueen learnt the martial art Tang Soo Do from ninth degree blackbelt Pat E.

Johnson, and served as one of the pall bearers at Bruce Lee's funeral in 1973. Chuck Norris taught McQueen's son karate, while Lee trained him in Jeet Kune Do. Later on, McQueen convinced Norris to attend acting classes. His name somehow ended up on President Richard Nixon's infamous Enemies List. This may be due to the fact that he had an "outlaw, rebellious" on screen image. Ironically, in real life, McQueen was quite conservative in his political views, and quite 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 March for Civil Rights 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." 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 had been interested in starring in First Blood, but could not due to his illness/death. He had also been offered the Kevin Costner role in The Bodyguard when it was first proposed in 1976. 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 Steve McQueen. Hobbies Patented a specific bucket seat in a racecar. The First Steve McQueen Site - FAQ/Trivia 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. High prices for memorabilia The tinted sunglasses worn by McQueen in the 1968 movie The Thomas Crown Affair sold at a Los Angleles auction for $70,200 in 2006.

[2] One of his motorcycles, a 1937 Croker, sold for a world record price of $276,500 at the same auction. Pop culture mentions He is mentioned as Bart Simpson's hero by Homer in The Simpsons episode "Saturdays of Thunder". Though Marge corrects Homer by saying "That's your hero". McQueen appeared in a commercial for the 2005 Ford Mustang which used scenes from Bullitt, and showed McQueen racing the new car around a race track built in a corn field, la baseball field in Field of Dreams. An earlier (circa 1997) advert, for the Ford Puma used a similar technique by splicing the Puma (with McQueen driving) into scenes from Bullitt all to the popular theme tune from that film. McQueen also posthumously appeared in another ad for beer in the UK. Scenes from The Great Escape were used in this commercial. He was mentioned in various songs and quotes as well: During their performance of Highway Star in 1972 on Beat Club, Deep Purple's Ian Gillan ad libs a lyric of Like Steve McQueen, Mickey Mouse and all that lot.

Prefab Sprout released an album entitled Steve McQueen in 1985. McQueen was the subject of the 2002 Sheryl Crow song called "Steve McQueen" off the album C'mon C'mon ?? the video has her riding a motorcycle like in "The Great Escape", driving a Ford GT40 at Willow Springs Raceway to simulate Le Mans, and being chased by NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr in a Bullitt Mustang. Including the lyrics "Just like Steve McQueen all I need is a fast machine". The Harpo song "Moviestar" starts with the lyrics "You feel like Steve McQueen when you're driving in your car". The MF DOOM song Kon Queso: "Seen 'em on the big screen like Steve McQueen, do something and never be back once he leave the scene." The comedy duo of Richard "Cheech" Marin and Tommy Chong (aka "Cheech & Chong") in a skit entitled "The Continuing Adventures of Pedro and Man" (on the album Cheech and Chong's Greatest Hit), "Man" (Chong) says Pedro (Marin) drives, "Just like Steve McQueen", meaning he is driving well.

Rock group Clutch claims "Steve McQueen's got nothing on me" in their song "The House that Peterbilt." Along with Martin Sheen and James Dean, he is mentioned in the R.E.M. song "Electrolite". In the song "Gene by Gene" by Blur, on their album Think Tank, the narrator claims to "...ride a Bullitt like Steve McQueen," presumably a reference to Bullitt, in which he starred. Beastie Boys mention McQueen in their song "High Plains Drifter", "I feel like Steve McQueen, a former movie star". In the 1996 film Beautiful Girls, Willie's girlfriend comments about how his father and brother took a liking to her upon their first meeting, which Willie remarks "They haven't felt this strongly about anyone since Steve McQueen died". In the Divine Comedy song "Absent Friends", Neil Hannon sings: "Steve McQueen jumped the first one clean/ But the great escape/ He tried to make/ Was not to be/ Maybe next time, Steve". Steve McQueen figures heavily in the 2000 film The Tao of Steve.

The soundtrack includes a song titled "(I Just Wanna Be) Your Steve McQueen" by singer/songwriter Eytan Mirsky (who has also contributed original songs to the soundtracks of the indie films "Happiness," "American Splendor," and "Palindromes," among others). In his song "Beautiful Life", Shy Nobleman sings "Greet the neighbor, Steve McQueen". A large section of the film Heat was closely based on the ending of McQueen's biggest hit, Bullitt. Drive-By Truckers have a song called "Steve McQueen" on their 1998 album "Gangstabilly" (re-released in 2005). In an episode of Arrested Development a reference to McQueen is used when Lucille says to Buster, "...and now you think you're Steve McQueen" referencing to Buster's first date.

The Sweetwater track Cake & Strychnine, from their release Superfriends, opens with the line "Slit yourself with a plastic razor / Cool, like Steve McQueen." The Supergrass track Prophet 15, from their 2002 release of Life on Other Planets, features the line "Che Guevara and Steve McQueen, right there, Oh Yeah". On the album Goats Head Soup by The Rolling Stones, McQueen is mentioned in the final song, "Star Star": "Yeah, Ali McGraw got mad at you / For givin' head to Steve McQueen". In the Lupin III episode "I Left My Mind in San Francisco", there is a scene where Jigen, Lupin, and Goemon are chasing Zenigata through San Francisco (in very similar fashion to Bullitt). After narrowly missing hitting a truck in an alleyway by making the car go on 2 wheels, Jigen says, "Sorry, I must have been possessed by the spirit of Steve McQueen".

In the Feeder song "Under The Weather" off the 2001 album "Echo Park", McQueen's name is mentioned ("I wish that I was still fifteen, Debbie Harry and Steve McQueen"). Lambchop have a song called Steve McQueen on the album "Aw C'mon". The Gomez song "78 Stone Wobble" contains a spoken word sample, which ends with the words "Sean Connery or Steve McQueen" being looped. Elton John and Bernie Taupin mention him in the song "Postcards From Richard Nixon",on the album "Captain and the Kid" ("In a bright red Porsche on Sunset I saw Steve McQueen, I guess he's just about the coolest guy I've ever seen") The song 'Promiscuous' by Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland contains the lyrics 'They call me Thomas, last name Crown, recognize game, I'm a lay mine's down.' Thomas Crown was Steve's character in 'The Thomas Crown Affair' The South Australian band The Audreys have a song titled "You & Steve McQueen". Legendary New England DJ/Entertainer Russ McQueen chose his stage name as an homage to Steve McQueen.

In House, the pet rat of Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) is named "Steve McQueen". The movie The Tao of Steve starring Donal Logue is about a group of middle-aged men who combine the ideas of famous intellectuals to create a foolproof theory of "dating" - The Tao of Steve. Their idol in the movie is Steve McQueen who represents the essence of cool. Frequently cited the "All Guts No Glory" Detective Frank Bullitt as his favorite character he ever played. In Disney and Pixar's film Cars', the main character, Lightning McQueen, is named after Steve and former Pixar animator Glenn McQueen. McQueen is frequenly mentioned during discussions between characters Deaq & Van in the TV show Fastlane Filmography Girl on the Run (1953) Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) Never Love a Stranger (1958) The Blob (1958) The Great St.

Louis Bank Robbery (1959) Never So Few (1959) The Magnificent Seven (1960) The Honeymoon Machine (1961) Hell Is for Heroes (1962) The War Lover (1962) The Great Escape (1963) Soldier in the Rain (1963) Love with the Proper Stranger (1963) Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965) The Cincinnati Kid (1965) Nevada Smith (1966) The Sand Pebbles (1966) - ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATION for Best Actor in a Leading Role Think Twentieth (1967) (short subject) Bullitt: Steve McQueen's Commitment to Reality (1968) (short subject) The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) Bullitt (1968) The Reivers (1969) Le Mans (1971) On Any Sunday (1971) (documentary) Junior Bonner (1972) The Getaway (1972) The Life and Legend of Bruce Lee (1973)

 (documentary) Papillon (1973) The Towering Inferno (1974) Dixie Dynamite (1976) (Cameo) Bruce Lee, the Legend (1977) (documentary) An Enemy of the People (1978) (also executive producer) Tom Horn (1980) (also executive producer) The Hunter (1980) References External links The Steve McQueen Online Fan Chat Forum Site italiane dedicate Steve McQueen Steve McQueen Online The First Steve McQueen Site Cinema Retro's Lost Interview with Steve McQueen The Steve McQueen Film Poster Site Elvis Motorbikes ala Steve MeQueen BBC Film Profile Steve McQueen at American Movie Classics Steve McQueen: The Cooler King (Fan website) Steve McQueen page at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Steve McQueen - The Humanitarian, YoursDaily.com Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame Biography at ormhof.com de:Steve McQueen el:?

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Question: What is the title of late actor Steve McQueen’s last film?
Answer: The Hunter