Steve McQueen, the popular antihero, is a Hollywood legend. But anyone reading about his humble beginnings wouldn't think that a poor boy from Indianapolis would become the ultra-cool film star of the 50s and 60s.
1. He Had A Difficult Childhood
McQueen was born on March 24, 1930. His father was a stunt pilot for a circus and left his mother when Steve was six months old. Unfortunately, the young woman couldn't handle raising a child alone, so he moved to live with his grandparents.
2. He Had Golden Memories Of The Farm
After the Great Depression, his grandparents moved in with his great-uncle on his family's farm in Slater, Missouri. On his fourth birthday, his great-uncle Claude gifted him a red tricycle. This would mark McQueen's first interest in racing and, subsequently, cars.
3. He Had Another Special Gift
At the age of eight, his mother wanted him back. Before his departure, Uncle Claude told young Steve he had something special for him. He gave him a gold pocket watch with an inscription that read: To Steve– who has been a son to me. McQueen cherished this gift until his death.
4. He Was A Troubled Young Man
McQueen struggled at school because he was dyslexic and partially deaf. He returned to the farm after his mom remarried, as he didn't get along with her new husband. He started committing acts of petty crime and joined a circus after leaving the farm without notice.
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5. He Joined The Military
From working as a sailor in the Dominican Republic to a carpenter in Canada, McQueen drifted from one job to another until he joined the United States Marine Corps in 1947. He wasn't disciplined initially but later vowed to get his life together, marking the beginning of his new lifestyle.
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6. He Was An Aspiring Actor In New York
Honorably discharged, McQueen got some financial assistance to study acting in New York, where he started dating actress Gia Scala. He delivered his first theatrical line, “Alts iz farloyrn,” in a 1952 Yiddish play produced by Molly Picon. But he knew that this wasn't enough, and after some small roles in NYC, he left for Los Angeles.
7. He Made It To Hollywood
Producers started noticing McQueen after he appeared in The Defender, a TV play, and he was offered some roles in low-budget B movies. He appeared for the first time in Somebody Up There Likes Me, starring Paul Newman, and followed it with huge, successful roles.
8. He Had A Career Breakthrough
Despite an interest in the silver screen, McQueen's first breakthrough came on TV when he appeared in the Western series Tales of Wells Fargo. Other Westerns, Trackdown and Wanted Dead or Alive followed. These series influenced his career choices as he became Hollywood's number-one cowboy.
9. He Decided To Settle Down
Thanks to his TV success, McQueen felt he could finally have the family he longed for. As a child, he often felt rejected, so he couldn't wait to start a family with Filipina actress and dancer Neile Adams. They married in 1956 and had a daughter, Leslie, and a son, Chad.
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10. He Played An Antihero Persona
Through three years, McQueen played the role of an antihero bounty hunter. Producers and directors would later associate the young star with these traits, affecting the roles offered to him. But it was time for the big screen when Frank Sinatra suggested his name to John Sturges to hire him in Never So Few.
Getty Image11. A Star Was Born
John Sturges decided to give McQueen a bigger role in The Magnificent Seven. While shooting, the lead star, Yul Brynner, was furious at McQueen for stealing the show. McQueen would come up with some of his signature moves, like twirling a shotgun or wiping his hat's rim, which he would later use in other movies.
12. He Became A Top-Billed Actor
Believing in his talent, John Sturges offered him the leading role in The Great Escape, a fictional depiction of a mass escape from a World War II POW. Despite wanting to perform the motorcycle leap, insurance prevented him and hired professional stuntman Bud Ekins for the part.
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13. His Success Continued
The year 1963 was big for McQueen as he starred in Love with the Proper Stranger with Natalie Woods. He followed it with The Cincinnati Kid and Nevada Smith, another successful Western. In 1966, McQueen was nominated for his only Academy Award for The Sand Pebbles, playing the role of an engine room sailor.
14. He Was A Hollywood's A-Lister
McQueen established his status as an A-lister with movies like Bullitt, which he once mentioned was his favorite. He probably liked it because of the unprecedented car chase in San Francisco, although stuntmen drove much of it. He drove a 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 and spent days practicing high-speed driving.
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15. He Decided To Change Colors
The successful actor decided to change his image, playing the role of a sophisticated man in The Thomas Crown Affair with Faye Dunaway. He returned to Westerns a year later with the period piece The Reivers. He then starred in the auto-racing drama Le Mans in 1971, but it received mixed reviews.
16. His Personal Life Was Struggling
Unfortunately, while his career was booming, McQueen's marriage began to collapse, and he divorced his wife in 1972. He later became Hollywood's top-paid actor, playing a role in the action thriller The Getaway. On the movie's set, he met his would-be wife, Ali McGraw.
17. He Decided To Move On
The public affair between McGraw and McQueen generated a lot of attention because she was married to producer Robert Evans during that time. There were rumors about him dating other people, but they finally married in 1973.
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18. The Towering Inferno Was His Biggest Hit
McQueen met Paul Newman one more time in The Towering Inferno, where he would get paid $1,000,000 plus a percentage of the gross revenues. He asked for more lines to be added to his character and insisted on doing his stunts. Fortunately, this movie was a great success!
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19. It Was Time For A Break
After The Towering Inferno, McQueen decided to take a break from acting. He spent five years traveling the country in a mobile home. He wanted to focus on motorcycle racing and was often seen in his vintage Indian motorcycles. The late star spoke fondly of this period as he finally got to do something he enjoyed.
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20. His Personal Life Couldn't Take It
McQueen's second marriage failed, and he divorced his wife in 1978. His friends claimed that Ali McGraw was his one true love and that he loved her until the day he died, but his continuous absence made their relationship fragile until they decided to call it quits.
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21. He Had A Brief Return
In 1978, McQueen resumed acting with an anti-type role in An Enemy of the People, but the movie was never properly released. His last two movies, both based on true stories, were produced in 1980. In one, he played an army scout turned professional gunman, and in the other, he played a modern bounty hunter. If you’re a true fan, you’d know the names.
22. What Could Have Been
McQueen's acting diary is full of roles he could have played but declined, either due to ongoing contracts, because he didn't like them, or because he was too old. These include playing roles in Breakfast At Tiffany's, Ocean's 11, The Driver, Apocalypse Now, A Bridge Too Far, The French Connection, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Grand Prix, and Rambo.
23. He Had A Feud With James Garner
Grand Prix was a special project for McQueen because of his well-known love for racing. But he clashed with the producer, and the role went to James Garner, whom McQueen considered an older brother. When he knew he lost the part, he stopped talking to Garner for a year, even though they were neighbors.
Warner Brothers Television, Wikimedia Commons
24. His Love For Motorcycles Was Impressive
McQueen was vocal about his love for motorcycles, cars, racing, and stunts throughout his life. Finding a star as skilled as him was difficult, and he spent some screen time on The Escape, cruising in his Triumph TR6 Trophy motorcycle. However, he always gave credit to Bud Ekins for the famous leap.
25. He Was One Of His Kind
Because it was difficult to find someone to match his skills, there's one edited scene in The Great Escape where McQueen is seen chasing his own character while wearing a German uniform! They simply couldn’t find someone as good as he was.
26. He Went Off-Roading
Cherishing the memory of his Uncle Claude's tricycle, McQueen bought his first motorbike, a Triumph 500 cc, from Ekins. He often participated in off-road races on the West Coast. The actor joined the International Six Days Trial, an Enduro-type off-road motorcycling event in East Germany.
27. He Loved Motorcycle Racing
The talented motorbike lover took his passion to the next level and often competed in off-road motorcycle racing, usually riding his famous BSA Hornet. However, to avoid public attention, he used an alias, Harvey Mushman.
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28. He Documented His Love For Motorbikes
In 1971, McQueen co-produced a documentary titled On Any Sunday, featuring racing legends Mert Lawwill and Malcolm Smith. He appeared on Sports Illustrated riding a Husqvarna dirt bike and drove Ed Sullivan on a segment for The Ed Sullivan Show in a dune buggy.
29. He Was A Real Car Fanatic
McQueen's love for and fascination with cars is unmatched. He even wanted to make a movie about Formula One racing, but this project was canceled because The Sand Pebbles took more than a year to shoot in Taiwan.
30. He Almost Made It To The Track
Despite a successful acting career, McQueen was so close to giving it all up to become a professional race car driver in 1961. He was third in the British Touring Car Championship, driving a BMC Mini, and missed winning by 21.1 seconds in the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring race, riding with Peter Revson.
31. He Rode For The British Team
In 1970, McQueen almost made it to the London-Mexico Rally, riding a Triumph 2500 for the British Leyland team. However, he had to turn down the offer due to movie commitments and contracts. McQueen was inducted into the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1978.
Charles Guggenheim; John Stix, Wikimedia Commons
32. He Brought His Love To The Screen
Whenever possible, McQueen would bring one of his favorite vehicles to the screen to be the star of the show. He wanted to drive the Porsche 917 in the 24 Hours of Le Mans but later decided to drive in Le Mans, the movie, as the producers threatened to withdraw their support if he quit the set.
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33. McQueen Was A Hardcore Fan
According to his son Chad, McQueen had more than 100 vintage motorbikes and 100 vintage cars. His collection included a Porsche 917, Porsche 908, and Ferrari 512 from the Le Mans movie, a right-hand drive 1956 Jaguar XKSS, and a 1951 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe Convertible used in The Hunter, which he bought after the film ended.
34. He Cherished His Italian Masterpiece
Despite owning different vehicles, McQueen always had a special place in his heart for his iconic 1953 Siata 208/S Spider. This was one of 33 hand-crafted exquisite vehicles produced between 1953 and 1955, with a snug interior that added to its race feel.
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35. It Was Power On Wheels
In spite of the minimalist design, the Siata featured a raving 2.0 liter Fiat 8V engine, roaring under the hood like a lion. Its roadster's engine could reach a top speed of 124 mph, thanks to its aluminum body that kept it light and agile.
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36. McQueen Added His Touch
To add some of his rebellious personality to the vehicle, McQueen often rebadged it with Ferrari emblems. He even called it Little Ferrari, giving this red beauty its unique character.
37. A Remarkable Auction Price
After sitting in a garage for years, the red Siata went up for auction in Monterey, California. Car enthusiasts and gearheads were astonished that it sold for a whopping $946,000. Being previously owned by Hollywood legend Steve McQueen added to its charm.
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38. He Lived A Controversial Life
McQueen often demanded free items in bulk, and people later discovered he was donating to The Boys Republic Reformatory School. He exercised daily for two hours but smoked all the time. He sometimes drank to excess and was arrested for a DUI in 1972.
39. On The Hit List
After Charles Manson killed McQueen's friends, Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring, the police found a hit list with McQueen's name on it. He started carrying a gun publicly from that day forward. Since the murderer was never executed, McQueen feared for his life for years.
40. He Wasn't Sick For Long
McQueen developed a persistent cough in 1978 after filming The Hunter. Doctors later revealed that it was aggressive cancer, probably caused by asbestos exposure. He believed it was either caused by race-driver suits and helmets or removing it from pipes when he served in the Marines.
41. Things Weren't Getting Better
The sick actor traveled to Mexico for a three-month stay, trying unconventional treatments after American doctors told him that nothing could be done. He allegedly paid his doctor $40,000 a month and then returned to the US.
42. He Finally Passed Away
McQueen decided to go to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, to have a liver tumor removed despite doctors' warnings. Mexican doctors didn't know who he was because he used the name Samuel Sheppard. Unfortunately, he died 12 hours after the surgery in his sleep.
43. His Memory Lives On
McQueen was posthumously inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Hall of Great Western Performers, and Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans was made about his life. Ford also used archived footage of him driving the fastback Mustang used in Bullitt in a commercial. The ad featured the actor looking fondly at a motorcycle similar to the one he drove in The Escape.
44. A Racing And Acting Legend
Steve McQueen is a pop culture legend. He represents the American dream, where humble beginnings don’t define one’s future. He was an inspiration to many young people, especially the ones who came from troubled backgrounds.
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