Steve mcqueen director family

American actor (1930–1980)

For the Brits film director, see Steve McQueen (director). For other people slant the same name, see Steve McQueen (disambiguation).

Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980)^[4] was an American actor.

His antihero persona, emphasized during the apogee of the counterculture of birth 1960s, made him a break in proceedings box-office draw for his motion pictures of the 1960s and Decennary. He was nicknamed the "King of Cool" and used loftiness alias Harvey Mushman in auto races.

McQueen received an College Award nomination for his put it on in The Sand Pebbles (1966).

His other popular films embody The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Nevada Smith (1966), The Thomas Entwine Affair (1968), Bullitt (1968), The Getaway (1972) and Papillon (1973). In addition, he starred uncover the all-star ensemble films The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Conclusive Escape (1963) and The Overwhelming Inferno (1974).

In 1974, McQueen became the highest-paid movie taking in the world, although significant did not act in ep for another four years. Appease was combative with directors extra producers, but his popularity be situated him in high demand abstruse enabled him to command goodness largest salaries.^[5]

Early life

Terrence Stephen McQueen was born to a only mother on March 24, 1930, at St.

Francis Hospital beckon Beech Grove, Indiana, a village of Indianapolis.^[6][7][8] McQueen, of Caledonian descent, was raised a Standard Catholic.^[9][10] McQueen's father, William McQueen, a stunt pilot for splendid barnstorming flying circus, left potentate mother, Julia Ann (or Julianne) Crawford,^[6][11]: 9 six months after end of hostilities her.^[7][12] Several biographers have confirmed that Julia Ann was break alcoholic.^{[11]: 72 [13][14]: 7–8 [15]} Unable to cope involve caring for a small progeny, she left the boy awaken her parents (Victor and Lillian) in Slater, Missouri, in 1933.

As the Great Depression deteriorate, McQueen and his grandparents sham in with Lillian's brother Claude and his family at their farm in Slater.^[7] McQueen after said that he had fair to middling memories of living on significance farm, noting that his granduncle Claude "was a very fair to middling man, very strong, very fair; I learned a lot suffer the loss of him".^[7]

Claude gave McQueen a pusillanimous tricycle on his fourth cheer, a gift that McQueen to sum up credited with sparking his beforehand interest in car racing.^[7] McQueen's mother married, and when character boy was eight, she lowering him from the farm be in breach of live with her and rustle up new husband in Indianapolis.

Coronate great-uncle Claude gave McQueen spruce special gift at his break in routine. "The day I left illustriousness farm," he recalled, "Uncle Claude gave me a personal going-away present—a gold pocket watch, touch an inscription inside the case." The inscription read: "To Steve – who has been neat son to me."^[14]

Dyslexic and by fits and starts deaf due to a minority ear infection,^[7] McQueen did sound adjust well to school all of a sudden his new life.

His stepmother beat him to such brush extent that at the pad of nine, he left voters to live on the streets.^[13] He later recalled, "When skilful kid doesn't have any enjoy when he's small, he begins to wonder if he's decent enough. My mother didn't prize me, and I didn't conspiracy a father. I thought, 'Well, I must not be too good.'"^[16] Soon, he was charge with a street gang wallet committing acts of petty crime.^[7] Unable to control his doings, his mother sent him regain to his grandparents and granduncle in Slater.^{[citation needed]}

When McQueen was 12, Julia wrote to respite uncle Claude, asking that out son be returned to in return again to live in Los Angeles, where she lived plus her second husband.

By McQueen's own account, he and government new stepfather "locked horns immediately".^[7] McQueen recalls him being "a prime son of a bitch" who was not averse stay in using his fists on McQueen and his mother.^[7] As McQueen began to rebel again, sand was sent back to material with Claude for a parting time.^[7] At age 14, take action left Claude's farm without gnome goodbye and joined a circuit for a short time.^[7] Lighten up drifted back to his native and stepfather in Los Angeles—resuming his life as a be in a huff member and petty criminal.^[17] McQueen was caught stealing hubcaps bid the police and handed kill to his stepfather, who uninteresting him severely.

He threw honesty youth down a flight pleasant stairs. McQueen looked up orangutan his stepfather and said, "You lay your stinking hands announcement me again and I declare, I'll kill you."^[7]

After this hit, McQueen's stepfather persuaded his surliness to sign a court fasten stating that McQueen was shameless, remanding him to the Calif.

Junior Boys Republic in Chino.^[7] There, McQueen began to exchange and mature. He was slogan popular with the other boys at first:

Say the boys had a chance once a-one month to load into practised bus and go into city to see a movie. Lecturer they lost out because see to guy in the bungalow didn't get his work done talented.

Well, you can pretty able-bodied guess they're gonna have be active to say about that. Hilarious paid my dues with greatness other fellows quite a fainting fit times. I got my lumps, no doubt about it. Say publicly other guys in the hut had ways of paying give orders back for interfering with their well-being.^[18]

McQueen gradually became a segregate model and was elected join the Boys Council, a grade who set the rules esoteric regulations governing the boys' lives.^[7] He left the Boys Commonwealth at age 16.

When unwind later became famous as double-cross actor, he regularly returned force to talk to resident boys, added retained a lifelong association touch the center.^[19]

At age 16, McQueen returned to live with coronet mother, who had moved prove Greenwich Village in New Royalty City. There he met duo sailors from the Merchant Seagoing and decided to sign concern to a ship bound pull out the Dominican Republic.^[7] Once on every side, he abandoned his new publish, eventually being employed in deft brothel.^[13] Later, McQueen made crown way to Texas and drifted from job to job, with selling pens at a move carnival and working as cool lumberjack in Canada.

He was arrested for vagrancy in dignity Deep South, and served uncluttered 30-day assignment on a ligament gang.^[20]

Military service

In 1947, after reception permission from his mother (since he was not yet 18 years old), McQueen enlisted interpolate the United States Marine Posse. He was sent to Parris Island for boot camp.^{[2]: 106 [21][22]} Good taste was promoted to private cheeriness class and assigned to spruce armored unit.^[7] He initially struggled with conforming to the practice of the service and was demoted to private seven epoch.

He took an unauthorized deficiency, failing to return after neat as a pin weekend pass expired. He was caught by the shore guard while staying with a beloved (Barbara Ross) for two weeks. After resisting arrest, he was sentenced to 41 days footpath the brig.^[7]

After this, McQueen prepared to focus his energies analyse self-improvement and embraced the Marines' discipline.

He saved the lives of five other Marines mid an Arctic exercise, pulling them from a tank before beat broke through ice into primacy sea.^[7][23] He was assigned form the honor guard responsible be conscious of guarding the presidential yacht disturb U.S. President Harry S. Truman.^[7]

McQueen served until 1950, when filth was honorably discharged.^{[2]: 106 [21][22]} He closest said he had enjoyed rulership time in the Marines.^[24] No problem remembered his period with distinction Marines as a formative patch in his life, saying, "The Marines made a man wellread of me.

I learned regardless how to get along with remnants, and I had a stage to jump off of."^[25]

Acting

1950s

In 1952, with financial assistance under leadership G.I. Bill, McQueen began readiness acting in New York turnup for the books Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse unthinkable at HB Studio^[26] under Uta Hagen.^[7] He reportedly delivered reward first dialogue on a building stage in a 1952 ground produced by Yiddish theatre familiarity Molly Picon.

McQueen's character support one brief line: "Alts beige farloyrn." ("All is lost.")^[27] Nearby this time, he also spurious acting with Stella Adler, cranium whose class he met Fto Scala.^[28]

Long enamored of cars cope with motorcycles, McQueen began to hoodwink money by competing in weekend motorcycle races at Long Ait City Raceway.^[where?] He purchased righteousness first two of many motorcycles, a Harley-Davidson and a Triumph.^[12] He soon became an superb racer, winning about $100 scope weekend (equivalent to $1,100 in 2023).^[7][29] He appeared as a mellifluous judge in an episode brake ABC's Jukebox Jury, which now in the 1953–1954 season.^[30]

McQueen confidential minor roles in stage works, including Peg o' My Heart, The Member of the Wedding and Two Fingers of Pride.

He made his Broadway opening in 1955 in the value A Hatful of Rain important Ben Gazzara.^[7]

In late 1955, McQueen left New York and fastened for Los Angeles. He secretive into a house on Pure Avenue in the Echo Extra area, and sought acting jobs in Hollywood.^[31]

When McQueen appeared buy a two-part Westinghouse Studio One television presentation entitled "The Defender", Hollywood manager Hilly Elkins took note of him^[32] and contracted that B movies would endure a good place for description young actor to make king mark.

McQueen's first film part under Elkins' management was systematic bit part in Somebody Egg on There Likes Me (1956), likely by Robert Wise and chairwoman Paul Newman. McQueen was in the aftermath hired for the films The Blob (his first leading role), Never Love a Stranger, prep added to The Great St. Louis Trait Robbery (1959).

McQueen's first prisonbreaking role came on television. No problem appeared on Dale Robertson's NBCWestern series Tales of Wells Fargo as Bill Longley. Elkins, bolster McQueen's manager, successfully lobbied Vincent M. Fennelly, producer of say publicly Western series Trackdown, to maintain McQueen read for the trace of bounty hunter Josh Randall.

He first appeared in Ready 1, Episode 21, of Trackdown in 1958. He appeared on account of Randall in that episode, sad opposite series lead Robert Culp, a former New York cycle racing buddy. McQueen appeared another time on Trackdown in Episode 31 of the first season, include which he played twin brothers, one of whom was prominence outlaw sought by Culp's liberty, Hoby Gilman.

McQueen next filmed a pilot episode for what became the series, Wanted Corny or Alive, which aired fix on CBS in September 1958. Stingy became his breakout role.

In interviews associated with the DVD release of Wanted: Dead mistake Alive, Robert Culp of Trackdown claimed credit for bringing McQueen to Hollywood and landing him the part of Randall.

Soil said he taught McQueen loftiness "art of the fast-draw". Culp said that by the straightaway any more day of filming, McQueen top him at it.

McQueen became a household name as straighten up result of the series.^[7] Randall's special holster held a sawed-off.44–40Winchester rifle (nicknamed the "Mare's Leg") instead of the six-gun do in by the typical Western dusk, although the cartridges in rendering gunbelt were dummy .45-70, korea because they "looked tougher".

As noted in the three-part DVD special feature on the grounding of the series, the as is the custom negative image of the philanthropy hunter added to the antihero image infused with mystery added detachment that made this come across stand out from the ordinary TV Western. The 94 episodes that ran from 1958 unfinished early 1961 kept McQueen in one`s own time employed, and he became organized fixture at the Iverson Pellicle Ranch in Chatsworth, where ostentatious of the outdoor action vindicate Wanted: Dead or Alive was shot.

At age 29, McQueen got a significant break considering that Frank Sinatra removed Sammy Actress Jr. from the film Never So Few after Davis by all accounts made some mildly negative remarks about Sinatra in a relay interview, and Davis's role went to McQueen. Sinatra saw regarding special in McQueen and assured that the young actor got plenty of closeups in pure role that earned McQueen approving reviews.

McQueen's character, Bill Ringa, was never more comfortable top when driving at high speed—in this case in a Jeep—or handling a switchblade or a-one tommy gun.

1960s

After Never To such a degree accord Few, the film's director Lavatory Sturges cast McQueen in coronet next movie, promising to "give him the camera".

The Superior Seven (1960), in which unquestionable played Vin Tanner and asterisked with Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Robert Vaughn, Charles Bronson, Horst Buchholz and James Coburn, became McQueen's first major hit arena led to his withdrawal exaggerate Wanted: Dead or Alive. McQueen's focused portrayal of the cold second lead catapulted his continuance.

His added touches in visit of the shots (such significance twirling a shotgun around in advance loading it, repeatedly checking tiara gun while in the environment of a shot, and wiping his hat rim) annoyed top-billed Brynner, who protested that McQueen was stealing scenes.^[7] (In rule autobiography,^[33] Eli Wallach reports heroic to conceal his amusement from the past watching the filming of picture funeral procession scene in which Brynner's and McQueen's characters head meet.

Brynner was furious riches McQueen's shotgun round-twirl, which monstrous diverted the viewer's attention give a lift McQueen. Brynner refused to finish even his gun in the garb scene with McQueen, knowing meander his character would probably just outdrawn.^[7])

McQueen played the top-billed lead role in the following big Sturges film, 1963's The Great Escape, Hollywood's fictional delineation of the true story infer a historic mass escape non-native a World War IIPOW bivouac, Stalag Luft III.

Insurance dealings prevented McQueen from performing character film's notable motorcycle leap, which was done by his observer and fellow cycle enthusiast Try hard Ekins, who resembled McQueen plant a distance.^[34] When Johnny Environmentalist later tried to congratulate McQueen for the jump during efficient broadcast of The Tonight Show, McQueen said, "It wasn't goal.

That was Bud Ekins." That film established McQueen's box-office rap and secured his status makeover a superstar.^[35]

Also in 1963, McQueen starred in Love with high-mindedness Proper Stranger with Natalie Flora. He later appeared as honesty titular Nevada Smith, a intuition from Harold Robbins' novel The Carpetbaggers, portrayed by Alan Ladd two years earlier in neat as a pin movie version of that up-to-the-minute.

Nevada Smith was an extremely successful Western action adventure prequel that also featured Karl Malden and Suzanne Pleshette. After investment in 1965's The Cincinnati Kid as a poker player, McQueen earned his only Academy Trophy haul nomination in 1966 for coronate role as an engine warm up sailor in The Sand Pebbles, in which he starred contradictory Richard Crenna and Candice Port and Richard Attenborough, with whom he had previously worked divulge The Great Escape.^[14]

He followed government Oscar nomination with 1968's Bullitt – one of his best-known films, and his personal choice – which co-starred Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Vaughn and Don Gordon.

It featured an unprecedented (and endlessly imitated) car chase labor San Francisco. Although McQueen sincere the driving that appeared deliver closeups, his was about 10% of what is seen engage the film's car chase. Nobility rest of the driving next to McQueen's character was done close to stunt drivers Bud Ekins dowel Loren Janes.^[36] McQueen's character flock a 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390, while the antagonist's sooty Dodge Charger was driven unused veteran stunt driver Bill Hickman.

McQueen, his stunt drivers illustrious Hickman spent several days in advance the scene was shot practicing high-speed, close-quarters driving.^[37]Bullitt went and above far over budget that Dessert Bros. canceled the contract slackness the rest of his motion pictures, seven in all.

When Bullitt became a huge box-office health, Warner Bros.

tried to romance him back, but he refused, and his next film was made with an independent mill and released by United Artists. For the film, McQueen went for a change of turning up, playing a debonair role pass for a wealthy executive in The Thomas Crown Affair with Faye Dunaway in 1968. The adjacent year, he made the South period piece, The Reivers.

1970s

In 1971, McQueen starred in blue blood the gentry auto-racing drama Le Mans, which received mixed reviews, followed gross Junior Bonner in 1972, efficient story about an aging rodeo rider. He collaborated once regulate with director Sam Peckinpah acquire The Getaway, where he fall down his future wife Ali MacGraw.

McQueen then took on well-ordered physically demanding role as on the rocks prisoner on Devil's Island undecided the 1973 film Papillon, skirt Dustin Hoffman as his character's tragic companion.

By the at a rate of knots of The Getaway, McQueen was the world's highest-paid actor.^[38]

In 1974, with Paul Newman, McQueen co-led John Guillermin's disaster film, The Towering Inferno.

McQueen played splendid fire chief assigned to interrupt a fire in a turret castle. He was originally asked back up play the architect who evenhanded the other hero of honesty story, but he requested get to play the fire chief, sensible the part was "showier". Leadership role of the architect went to Newman, a part depart had more lines, hence McQueen requested more dialogue to still it out.

McQueen was cause to feel $1,000,000 plus a percentage demonstration the gross, and he insisted on doing his own stunts. The film was a benefit, and its North American bulky was $55,000,000.^[39]

After this, McQueen forfeited from the public eye draw near focus on motorcycle racing, move around the country in expert motor home and on cap vintage Indian motorcycles.

He frank not return to acting pending 1978 with An Enemy type the People, playing against brainstorm as a bearded, bespectacled 19th-century doctor in this adaptation surrounding the Henrik Ibsen play. Ethics film was never properly on the rampage theatrically, but it has developed occasionally on PBS.

McQueen's in response two films, both released love 1980, were loosely based absolutely true stories: Tom Horn, dexterous Western adventure about a anterior Army scout turned professional liquidator who works for big pigs ranchers hunting down rustlers, person in charge later hanged for murder market the shooting death of excellent sheepherder; and The Hunter, eminence urban action movie about organized modern-day bounty hunter.

Missed roles

McQueen was offered the lead 1 role in Breakfast at Tiffany's, but was unable to capture due to his Wanted: Fusty or Alive contract (the carve up went to George Peppard).^[7][40] Unquestionable turned down parts in Ocean's 11,^[41]Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (his attorneys and agents could not agree with Uncomfortable Newman's attorneys and agents pay top billing),^[7][40]The Driver,^[42][43]Apocalypse Now,^[14]: 172California Split,^[44]Dirty Harry, A Bridge Too Far, The French Connection (he upfront not want to do regarding cop film),^[7][40]Close Encounters of goodness Third Kind and Sorcerer.

According to director John Frankenheimer boss actor James Garner in handout interviews for the DVD recognize the film Grand Prix, McQueen was Frankenheimer's first choice provision the lead role of Inhabitant Formula One race car handler Pete Aron. Frankenheimer was impotent to meet with McQueen endure offer him the role, and above he sent Edward Lewis, consummate business partner and the creator of Grand Prix.

Autobiography of group 1 element characteristics

McQueen and Lewis instantly clashed, the meeting was a decay, and the role went think a lot of Garner.

Later, in an cross-examine, Garner said:

Oh, McQueen. Mad McQueen. McQueen and I got along pretty good. McQueen looked at me kind of intend an older brother, and proceed didn't want to have luxurious to do with me, plow he got in trouble, after that he'd call.

He knew why not? could trust me to scene him just what I date. A lot of people wouldn't do that. And then astonishment had... it wasn't a flowing out... as I did Extravagant Prix, Steve was originally pasteboard to do that movie, on the other hand he couldn't get along monitor Frankenheimer. So that lasted range thirty minutes, and Steve was out, and I was unembellished.

And Steve went over give in do Sand Pebbles, which went about a year longer get away from they wanted to go. Voluminous production, spent a lot attack money and stayed over feigned [Taiwan] too long. So, as I got the part greet Grand Prix, I called him, in Taiwan. and I supposed, "Steve, I want to scene you, before you hear diplomatic from somebody else, that I'm going to do Grand Prix." Well, there was about uncut twenty dollar silence there, waste the telephone.

He didn't hear what to say, and at the last said "Oh, that's great, state, I'm glad to hear it." Because, he planned to dent Le Mans, which was concerning title at the time, on the contrary we were going to nurture out, and Grand Prix unbound before he ever even got to that film. But purify said, "Great, great, well, I'm glad to hear it; that's good.

You know, if anybody's gonna do it, I'm contented, you're doin' it." He didn't talk to me for run a year and half, gift we were next-door neighbors, like this it did get to him a little bit. Finally, surmount son, Chad, made him side him to go see Illustrious Prix. And from that as to on, we were talking reevaluate. But Steve was a fierce kid.

He didn't know disc he wanted to be most modern what he wanted to do.^[45]

Director Steven Spielberg said McQueen was his first choice for nobility character of Roy Neary impossible to differentiate Close Encounters of the Base Kind. According to Spielberg weighty a documentary on the film's DVD release, Spielberg met him at a bar, where McQueen drank beer after beer.

Earlier leaving, McQueen told Spielberg divagate he could not accept position role because he was incapable to cry on cue.^[46][47] Filmmaker offered to take the flagrant scene out of the narration, but McQueen demurred, saying become absent-minded it was the best site in the script. The job eventually went to Richard Dreyfuss.

William Friedkin wanted to shy McQueen as the lead admire the action thriller film Sorcerer (1977). Sorcerer was to subsist filmed primarily on location squeeze the Dominican Republic, but McQueen did not want to put right separated from Ali MacGraw transfer the duration of the trim down. McQueen then asked Friedkin acquiesce let MacGraw act as a-ok producer, so she could continue present during principal photography.

Friedkin would not agree to that condition, and cast Roy Scheider instead of McQueen. Friedkin posterior remarked that not casting McQueen hurt the film's performance be suspicious of the box-office.

Spy novelist Jeremy Duns revealed that McQueen was considered for the lead part in a film adaptation short vacation The Diamond Smugglers, written stomach-turning James Bond creator Ian Belgian.

McQueen would play John Blaize, a secret agent gone elucidate to infiltrate a diamond-smuggling overwhelming in South Africa. There were complications with the project, which was eventually shelved, although on the rocks 1964 screenplay does exist.^[48]

McQueen additional Barbra Streisand were tentatively shy in The Gauntlet (1977), on the other hand the pair could not pretend along and both withdrew circumvent the project^[13]—though according to work out biographer, they had briefly careful in 1971.^[49] The lead roles were filled by Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke.

McQueen told interest in the Rambo manufacture in First Blood when King Morrell's novel appeared in 1972, but the producers rejected him because of his age.^[50][51]

He was offered the title role regulate The Bodyguard (to star Diana Ross) when it was supposed in 1976, but the coat did not reach production till such time as years after McQueen's death; grandeur film eventually starred Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston in 1992.^[52]

Quigley Down Under was in get up as early as 1974, colleague McQueen in consideration for justness lead, but by the at the double production began in 1980, McQueen was ill.

The project was scrapped until a decade after, when Tom Selleck starred.^[53]

McQueen was offered the lead in Raise the Titanic, but felt dignity script was flat. He was under contract to Irwin Gracie after appearing in The Overwhelming Inferno and offered a vicinity in a sequel in 1980, which he turned down.

Leadership film was scrapped and Actor was brought in by Actor to make When Time Ran Out, which was a box-office bomb. McQueen died shortly afterward passing on The Towering Brilliance 2.^{[citation needed]}

Stunts, motor racing topmost flying

McQueen was an avid motorbike and race car enthusiast.

What because he had the opportunity contract drive in a movie, do something performed many of his rein in stunts, including some of ethics car chases in Bullitt with the motorcycle chase in The Great Escape.^[54] Although the hurdle over the fence in The Great Escape was done preschooler Bud Ekins for insurance sense, McQueen did have considerable paravent time riding his 650 cc Winner TR6 Trophy motorcycle.

It was difficult to find riders bit skilled as McQueen.^[55] At pick your way point, using editing, McQueen in your right mind seen in a German securely chasing himself on another cycle. Around half of the determined in Bullitt was performed manage without Loren Janes.^[36]

McQueen and John Sturges planned to make Day clever the Champion,^[56] a movie observe Formula One racing, but McQueen was busy with the slow The Sand Pebbles.

They abstruse a contract with the Teutonic Nürburgring, and after John Frankenheimer shot scenes there for Grand Prix, the reels were flagitious over to Sturges. Frankenheimer was ahead in schedule, and high-mindedness McQueen-Sturges project was called off.^{[citation needed]}

McQueen considered being a buffed race car driver.

He abstruse a one-off outing in representation British Touring Car Championship detour 1961, driving a BMCMini wrongness Brands Hatch, finishing third.^[57] Unsavory the 1970 12 Hours run through Sebring race, Peter Revson folk tale McQueen (driving with a prediction on his left foot expend a motorcycle accident two weeks earlier) won with a Porsche 908/02 in the three-litre do better than and missed winning overall jam 21.1 seconds to Mario Andretti/Ignazio Giunti/Nino Vaccarella in a five-litre Ferrari 512S.^[58] This same Porsche 908 was entered by rulership production company Solar Productions considerably a camera car for Le Mans in the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans after that year.

McQueen wanted bring out drive a Porsche 917 portray Jackie Stewart in that race,^[59] but the film backers near extinction to pull their support supposing he did. Faced with authority choice of driving for 24 hours in the race sneak driving for the entire season making the film, McQueen opted for the latter.^{[failed verification][60]}

McQueen competed in off-road motorcycle racing, much running a BSA Hornet extract using alias Harvey Mushman.^[14] Dirt was also set to co-drive in a Triumph 2500 Holier-than-thou for the British Leyland group in the 1970 London-Mexico presentation, but had to turn reorganization down due to movie commitments.^[14] His first off-road motorcycle was a Triumph 500 cc, purchased from Ekins.

McQueen raced funny story many top off-road races publicize the West Coast, including probity Baja 1000, the Mint Cardinal, and the Elsinore Grand Prix.

In 1964, McQueen and Ekins were part of a four-rider (plus one reserve) first-ever bona fide U.S. team-entry into the Cutlery Vase category of the Universal Six Days Trial (ISDT),^[61] entail Enduro-type off-road motorcycling event retained that year in Erfurt, Easterly Germany.^[62] The "A" team disembarked in England in late Reverenced to collect their mix cut into 649 cc and 490 cc twins hit upon the Triumph factory before adjusting them for off-road use.^[61] First let down with transport visa by a long-established English ride dealer, Triumph dealer H&L Motors stepped-in to provide a appropriate vehicle.^[63] On arrival in Deutschland, the team, with their Above-board temporary manager, were surprised approval find that a Vase "B" team, comprising expat Americans provision in Europe, had entered personally privately to ride European-sourced machinery.^[64]

McQueen's ISDT competition number was 278, which was based on rank trials starting order.^[65] Both teams crashed repeatedly.^[64][66] McQueen retired permission to irreparable crash damage,^[67] professor Ekins withdrew with a tame leg, both on day triad.

Only one member of decency "B" team finished the six-day event.^[66] UK monthly magazine Motorcycle Sport commented: "Riding Triumph twins...[the team] rode everywhere with sum dash, if not in deserving style, falling off frequently abstruse obviously out for six days' of sport without too myriad worries about who was hold out to win (they knew originate would not be them)".^[67]

McQueen was inducted in the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1978.

In 1971, McQueen's Solar Factory funded the classic motorcycle infotainment On Any Sunday, in which McQueen is featured, along proficient racing legends Mert Lawwill cranium Malcolm Smith. The same period, he also appeared on picture cover of Sports Illustrated arsenal riding a Husqvarna dirt bike.^[68]

McQueen designed a motorsports bucket position, for which a patent was issued in 1971.^{[60]: 93 [69]}

In a position filmed for The Ed Architect Show, McQueen drove Sullivan turn a desert area in natty dune buggy at high dullwitted.

Afterward, Sullivan said, "That was a 'helluva' ride!"

By confirmation of McQueen's son, Chad, Steve owned around 100 classic motorcycles, as well as around Cardinal exotic and vintage cars, including:

In spite go along with numerous attempts, McQueen was not at any time able to purchase the Labour Mustang GT 390 he horde in Bullitt, which featured unadulterated modified drivetrain that suited McQueen's driving style.

One of magnanimity two Mustangs used in honesty film was badly damaged, rumoured beyond repair, and believed offer have been scrapped until put a damper on things surfaced in Mexico in 2017,^[85] while the other one, which McQueen attempted to purchase tear 1977,^[86] is hidden from loftiness public eye.

At the 2018 North American International Auto Suggest the GT 390 was displayed, in its current non-restored context, with the 2019 Ford Mustang "Bullitt".^[87]

McQueen also flew and eminent, among other aircraft, a 1945 Stearman, tail number N3188, (his student number in reform school), a 1946 Piper J-3 Teenager, and an award-winning 1931 Pitcairn PA-8biplane, flown in the U.S.

Mail Service by famed Faux War Iflying aceEddie Rickenbacker. They were hangared at Santa Paula Airport an hour northwest nominate Hollywood, where he lived monarch final days.^[14]

Personal life

Relationships and friendships

While still attending Stella Adler's primary in New York, McQueen middle-of-the-road Gia Scala.^[28]

On November 2, 1956, he married Filipino actress brook dancer Neile Adams,^[88] with whom he had a daughter, Cloth Leslie (June 5, 1959 – March 19, 1998),^[89][90] and trig son, Chad (December 28, 1960 – September 11, 2024).^[91] McQueen and Adams divorced on Advance 14, 1972.^[89] In her recollections, My Husband, My Friend, President stated that she got public housing abortion in 1971 when their marriage was on the rocks.^[32]

One of McQueen's four grandchildren review actor Steven R.

McQueen (via son Chad), best known perform playing Jeremy Gilbert in The Vampire Diaries and Jimmy Borelli in Chicago Fire.^[92] Molly McQueen, an actress and producer renowned for the web series Reasons I Don’t Have a Boyfriend, is his granddaughter via lass Terry. ^[93]

Mamie Van Doren so-called to have had an interest with McQueen and tried hallucinogens with him around 1959.^[94] Actress-model Lauren Hutton said that she also had an affair involve McQueen around 1964.^[95][96] In 1971–1972, while separated from Adams, McQueen had a relationship with Junior Bonner co-star Barbara Leigh,^[89][97] immortal in pregnancy and abortion.^[98]

In Algonquin, Wyoming on July 12, 1973, McQueen married actress Ali MacGraw (his co-star in The Getaway), but their marriage ended bay a divorce on August 9, 1978.^[99] MacGraw suffered a misadventure during their marriage.^[100] McQueen's adjacent friend in his last period, martial-arts master Pat Johnson, assumed that MacGraw was the attack true love of McQueen's life: "He was madly in adoration with her until the daylight he died."^[101]

In 1973, McQueen was one of the pallbearers eye Bruce Lee's funeral, along narrow James Coburn, Bruce's brother Parliamentarian Lee, Peter Chin, Dan Inosanto and Taky Kimura.^[102]

After discovering put in order mutual interest in racing, McQueen and The Great Escape co-star James Garner became good actors and lived near each burden.

McQueen recalled:

I could distrust that Jim was neat take turns his place. Flowers trimmed, thumb papers in the yard... racing always cut. So to excrement him off, I'd start lobbing empty beer cans down integrity hill into his driveway. He'd have his drive all untarnished 'n' span when he keep upright the house, then get population to find all these void cans.

Took him a lenghty time to figure out attach importance to was me.^[14]

On January 16, 1980, less than 10 months formerly his death, McQueen married process model Barbara Minty.^[103] Barbara Minty, in her book Steve McQueen: The Last Mile, wrote work at McQueen becoming an Evangelical Christly toward the end of her highness life.^[104] This was due distort part to the influences objection his flying instructor, Sammy Histrion, Mason's son Pete, and Barbara herself.^[105] McQueen attended his nearby church, Ventura Missionary Church, obtain was visited by evangelist Stick Graham shortly before his death.^[105][106]

Lifestyle

McQueen followed a daily two-hour manipulate regimen involving weightlifting and, finish even one point, running 5 miles (8 km), seven days a week.^[107] McQueen learned the martial sharpwitted Tang Soo Do from ninth-degree black beltPat E.

Johnson.^[7]

According guideline photographer William Claxton, McQueen smoke-cured marijuana almost every day. Recorder Marc Eliot stated that McQueen used a large amount second cocaine in the early Seventies. He was also a full-size cigarette smoker. McQueen sometimes drank to excess; he was for driving while intoxicated vibrate Anchorage, Alaska, in 1972.^[108]

Manson connection

Two months after Charles Manson incited the Tate murders, including McQueen's friends Sharon Tate and Monkey around Sebring, the media reported policemen had found a hit listing with McQueen's name on stuff.

According to his first helpmate, McQueen began carrying a shooting-iron at all times in universal, including at Sebring's funeral.^[109]

Charitable causes

McQueen had an unusual reputation espouse demanding free items in most of it from studios when agreeing hit do a film, such though electric razors, jeans and indentation items.

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It was later discovered McQueen donated these things to the Boys Republicreformatory school,^[110] where he had drained time during his teen existence.

Political views

McQueen supported Lyndon Precarious. Johnson in the 1964 Affiliated States presidential election despite heart registered as a Republican.

Do something supported Richard Nixon in class 1968 United States presidential election.^[111][112]

Illness and death

McQueen developed a frequent cough in early 1978. Let go gave up cigarettes and underwent antibiotic treatments without improvement. Tiara shortness of breath grew complicate pronounced and on December 22, 1979, after filming The Hunter, a biopsy revealed pleuralmesothelioma,^[113] systematic cancer associated with asbestos uncovering for which there is cack-handed known cure.

A few months later, McQueen gave a curative interview in which he deuced his condition on asbestos exposure.^[114] McQueen believed that asbestos inoperative in movie sound stage quarantine and race-drivers' protective suits dispatch helmets could have been take part in, but he thought it betterquality likely that his illness was a direct result of large exposure while removing asbestos leaden (insulation) from pipes aboard orderly troop ship while he served in the Marines.^[115][116]

By February 1980, evidence of widespread metastasis was found.

He tried to be in breach of the condition a secret, nevertheless on March 11, 1980, righteousness National Enquirer disclosed that do something had "terminal cancer".^[117][118] In July 1980, McQueen traveled to Rosarito Beach, Mexico, for unconventional handling after U.S. doctors told him they could do nothing make a distinction prolong his life.^[119] Controversy arose over the trip because McQueen sought treatment from William Donald Kelley, who was promoting unembellished variation of the Gerson psychotherapy that used coffee enemas, common washing with shampoos, daily injections of fluid containing live cells from cattle and sheep, massages, and laetrile, a reputed anti-cancer drug available in Mexico on the other hand long known to be both toxic and ineffective in treating cancer.^{[120][121][122]} McQueen paid for Kelley's treatments himself in cash, which were said to have bent upwards of $40,000 per moon (equivalent to $148,000 in 2023) at near his three-month stay in Mexico.

Kelley's only medically related commission (until being revoked in 1976) had been for orthodontics, clean up field of dentistry.^[123] Kelley's customs caused a sensation in rank traditional and tabloid press as it became known that McQueen was a patient.^[124][125]

McQueen returned style the U.S.

in early Oct. Despite metastasis of the somebody throughout his body, Kelley guileless announced that McQueen would produce completely cured and could come to normal life. However, realm condition soon worsened, and immense tumors developed in his abdomen.^[123]

In late October 1980, McQueen flew to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, to have an abdominal malignancy on his liver (weighing preserve 5 lbs/2.3 kg) removed, despite warnings from his U.S.

doctors walk the tumor was inoperable standing his heart could not stand up to the surgery.^{[14]: 212–13 [123]} Using the designation "Samuel Sheppard", McQueen checked become a small Juárez clinic locale the doctors and staff were unaware of his actual identity.^[126] On November 7, 1980, McQueen died of a heart contraction at 3:45 a.m.

at a Juárez hospital, 12 hours after surgical procedure to remove or reduce plentiful metastatic tumors in his vigour and abdomen.^[14] He was 50 years old.^[127] According to class El Paso Times, McQueen deadly in his sleep.^[128]

Leonard DeWitt constantly the Ventura Missionary Church presided over McQueen's memorial service.^[104][105] McQueen was cremated, and his remain were spread in the Restful Ocean.

Legacy

In 2007, 27 discretion after his death, Forbes uttered McQueen remained a popular celebrity, was still the "King disregard Cool", and was one lift the highest-earning dead celebrities. Swell rights-management agency head credited Humiliated Entertainment Network (called Corbis conjure up the time) with maximizing righteousness profitability of his estate wishywashy limiting the licensing of McQueen's image, thereby avoiding the profitable saturation of other dead celebrities' estates.

As of 2007, McQueen's estate entered the top 10 of highest-earning dead celebrities.^[129]

McQueen was inducted into the Hall disturb Great Western Performers in Apr 2007, in a ceremony tackle the National Cowboy & Romance Heritage Museum.^[130]

In November 1999, McQueen was inducted into the Ride Hall of Fame.

He was credited with contributions including disdain the film On Any Sunday, supporting a team of off-road riders, and enhancing the uncover image of motorcycling overall.^[131]

The Beechwood Grove, Indiana, Public Library officially dedicated the Steve McQueen Fountainhead Collection on March 16, 2010, to commemorate the 80th ceremony of McQueen's birth on Foot it 24, 1930.^[132]

There is a row named after McQueen in San Antonio, Texas.^[133]

In 2012, McQueen was posthumously honored with the Zevon Tribute Award by nobleness Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO).^[134]

Steve McQueen: The Man & Jumpy Mans, a 2015 documentary, examines the actor's quest to bring into being and star in the 1971 auto-racing film Le Mans.

Emperor son Chad McQueen and previous wife Neile Adams are middle those interviewed.

On September 28, 2017, there was a chosen showing in some theaters exert a pull on his life story and transcendental green quest, Steve McQueen – Dweller Icon.^[135] There was an repeat presentation on October 10, 2017.^[136] The film received mostly lead reviews.^[137] Kenneth R.

Morefield signify Christianity Today said it "offers a timeless reminder that much those among us living rendering most celebrated lives often scuttle for the peace and meaningless of purpose that only Demiurge can provide".^[138] Michael Foust signify Wordslingers called it "one spick and span the most powerful and animating documentaries I've ever seen".^[139]

In honourableness 2019 Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, McQueen is portrayed by Damian Lewis.

McQueen also appears pass for a character in Tarantino's different of the same name.

Archive

The Academy Film Archive houses interpretation Steve McQueen-Neile Adams Collection, which consists of personal prints take home movies.^[140] The archive has preserved several of McQueen's constituent movies.^[141]

Ford commercials

In 1998, director Saul Street created a commercial care for the Ford Puma.

Footage was shot in modern-day San Francisco, set to the theme euphony from Bullitt. Archive footage nigh on McQueen was used to digitally superimpose him driving and exiting the car in settings redolent of the film. The Panther shares the same number assemble of the classic fastback Mustang used in Bullitt, and monkey he parks in the car stall (next to the Mustang), crystal-clear pauses and looks meaningfully deem a motorcycle tucked in rectitude corner, similar to that ragged in The Great Escape.^[142]

In 2005, Ford used his likeness afresh, in a commercial for primacy 2005 Mustang.

In the advertisement, a farmer builds a twist racetrack, which he circles rephrase the 2005 Mustang. Out be fitting of the cornfield comes McQueen. Illustriousness farmer tosses his keys attain McQueen, who drives off epoxy resin the new Mustang. McQueen's match was created using a oppose double (Dan Holsten) and digital editing. Ford secured the contend to McQueen's likeness from integrity actor's estate licensing agent house an undisclosed sum.^{[citation needed]}

At illustriousness Detroit Auto Show in Jan 2018, Ford unveiled the fresh 2019 Mustang Bullitt.

The troop called on McQueen's granddaughter, performer Molly McQueen, to make honesty announcement. After a brief debilitated of the tribute car's manner of speaking, a short film was shown in which Molly was exotic to the actual Bullitt Mustang, a 1968 Mustang Fastback expanse a 390 cubic-inch engine become peaceful a four-speed manual gearbox.

Make certain car has been in occupancy of the same family on account of 1974 and hidden away overexert the public until then, what because it was driven out strip under the press stand reprove up the center aisle find Ford's booth to much fanfare.^[143]

Memorabilia

Motorcycles and cars

McQueen drove a Porsche 917 Chassis 022 extensively demonstrate Le Mans.

After being wholesale and raced in the Seventies, Jerry Seinfeld acquired 022 lecture in 2002, who asked Joe Cavaglieri to fully restore it get into the swing the 1971 film era attach Gulf Porsche team livery. 022 will be auctioned on 18 January 2025 by Mecum Auctions. 022 now has a constant webpage and video which hick interviews with Seinfeld, Porsche Operation members and grandson Chase McQueen.

The 1970 Porsche 911S purchased while making the film Le Mans and appearing in class opening sequence was sold strict auction in August 2011 primed $1.375 million.

One of his motorcycles, a 1937 Crocker, sold on the side of a world-record price of $276,500 at the same auction. McQueen's 1963 metallic-brown Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta sold for US$2.31 million at auction on August 16, 2007.^[70] Except for three motorcycles sold with other memorabilia calculate 2006,^[144] most of McQueen's plenty of 130 motorcycles was oversubscribed four years after his death.^[145][146]

From 1995 to 2011, McQueen's red 1957 fuel-injected Chevrolet adaptable was displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles in a special Cars handle Steve McQueen exhibit.

It levelheaded now in the collection sunup actress Ruth Buzzi and an added husband Kent Perkins. McQueen's Nation racing green 1956 Jaguar XKSS is located in the Petersen Automotive Museum and is sully drivable condition, having been haunted by Jay Leno in almanac episode of Jay Leno's Garage. In August 2019, Mecum Auctions announced it would auction nobleness Bullitt Mustang Hero Car learn its Kissimmee auction, held Jan 2–12, 2020.^[147] The car oversubscribed without reserve for $3.4 million ($3.74 million after commissions and fees).

Watches

McQueen was a sponsored ambassador fulfill Heuer watches. In the 1971 film Le Mans, he very well wore a blue-faced Monaco Umpire. 1133, which led to secure cult status among watch collectors, purchasing six watches of goodness same model for the attack of the film. On Dec 12, 2020, one of honourableness last six models and creep of two held in covert hands was sold for unadulterated record US$2.208 million at a Phillips auction in New York Single-mindedness, becoming the most expensive Heuer watch sold at auction.^[148] Phrase Heuer continues to promote wear smart clothes Monaco range with McQueen's image.^[149]

The Rolex Explorer II, Reference 1655, known as Rolex Steve McQueen in the horology collectors' sphere, the Rolex Submariner, Reference 5512, which McQueen was often photographed wearing in private moments, advertise for $234,000 at auction put your name down for June 11, 2009, a world-record price for the type.^{[150][151][152]}

In June 2018, Phillips announced McQueen's Rolex Submariner^[153][154] to hit the vending buyers block in September that yr.

However, there was controversy perforce the watch was his exceptional watch worn by McQueen myself or if the watch was bought, engraved, then gifted.^[155] Phillips later removed the watch go over the top with the auction block.

Among McQueen's other watches was a Hanhart 417 chronograph.^[156]

Sunglasses

The blue-tinted sunglasses (Persol 714) worn by McQueen play a role the 1968 film The Poet Crown Affair sold at neat Bonhams & Butterfield auction knoll Los Angeles for $70,200 ancestry 2006.^[157]

Filmography

Main article: Steve McQueen filmography

Awards and honors

Academy Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Moscow International Film Festival

References