Line #43 Creator/SteveMcQueenActor


1	[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Steve_McQueen047_7356.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:310:The King of Cool.]]
3
4	->''"Like Steve [=McQueen=]\
5	All I need's a fast machine\
6	And I'm gonna make it all right."''
7	-->-- '''Music/SherylCrow''', "Steve [=McQueen=]"
8
9	Terence Steven "Steve" [=McQueen=] (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980) was an American actor.
10
11	[=McQueen=] went into acting following a troubled childhood and a stint in the U.S. Marines. His early film work included a supporting role in the Creator/PaulNewman film ''Film/SomebodyUpThereLikesMe'', about boxer "Rocky" Graziano. He also starred in the horror movie ''Film/TheBlob1958'', and shortly after that began a three-year run as star of the Western TV series ''Series/WantedDeadOrAlive''.
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13	[=McQueen=]'s "anti-hero" persona, which he developed on the cusp of the 1960s counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the UsefulNotes/NewHollywood era. In 1974, he became the highest-paid movie star in the world. Although [=McQueen=] was often combative with directors and producers, his popularity put him in high demand and enabled him to command large salaries. He also earned respect for his performances, garnering an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination for his role in ''Film/TheSandPebbles''.
14
15	Began a RomanceOnTheSet with Creator/AliMacGraw, his co-star in ''Film/TheGetaway'', causing her to divorce her husband, legendary Creator/{{Paramount}} studio head Robert Evans.
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17	He died of a heart attack while undergoing surgery for cancer in 1980 shortly after the release of his final film ''Film/{{The Hunter\|1980}}''. His son Chad played Dutch, one of the "Cobra Kais" in ''Film/TheKarateKid'' (1984) and is currently known as a professional race-car driver and his grandson, Creator/StevenRMcQueen, is a regular on the series ''Series/TheVampireDiaries''.
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19	A friend and student of Creator/BruceLee, he was one of the pallbearers after Lee's untimely death. During his time with the Marines he saved the lives of five men when the tank they were driving broke through the ice during an Arctic exercise.
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21	His IMDB article (only three digits!) can be found [[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000537/ here]].
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23	Not to be confused with the British film director Creator/{{Steve McQueen\|Director}}, who was named after him.
24	----
25	!!Steve [=McQueen=] on TV Tropes:
26
27	* ''Film/SomebodyUpThereLikesMe'' (1956)
28	* ''Film/{{The Blob\|1958}}'' (1958)
29	* ''Series/WantedDeadOrAlive'' (TV series)(1958-1961)
30	* ''Film/TheGreatStLouisBankRobbery'' (1959)
31	* ''Film/NeverSoFew'' (1959)
32	* ''Film/{{The Magnificent Seven\|1960}}'' (1960)
33	* ''Film/HellIsForHeroes'' (1962)
34	* ''Film/TheGreatEscape'' (1963)
35	* ''Film/LoveWithTheProperStranger'' (1963)
36	* ''Film/TheCincinnatiKid'' (1965)
37	* ''Film/NevadaSmith'' (1966)
38	* ''Film/TheSandPebbles'' (1966)
39	* ''Film/{{Bullitt}}'' (1968)
40	* ''Film/{{The Thomas Crown Affair\|1968}}'' (1968)
41	* ''Film/TheReivers'' (1969)
42	* ''Film/LeMans'' (1971)
43	* ''Film/OnAnySunday'' (1971) (documentary, AsHimself)
44	* ''Film/TheGetaway'' (1972)
45	* ''Film/{{Papillon\|1973}}'' (1973)
46	* ''Film/TheToweringInferno'' (1974)
47	* ''Film/{{The Hunter\|1980}}'' (1980)
48	----
49	* ActingForTwo: The famous bike scene in ''The Great Escape'' had to be done with a stunt double in his place. So Steve instead doubles as the German motorcyclist who hits the wire.
50	* BadassDriver: [=McQueen=] was an avid racer under the alias Harvey Mushman, from touring car racing to off-road motorcycle racing, and often did his own driving stunts in films because he was already as good or better than any stunt double. He owned at least 100 motorcycles and cars ''each''. Part of what made the car chase in ''Bullitt'' so revolutionary is that he was able to be seen actually driving for about half of the chase.
51	* TheDanza: In ''The Blob'' as Steve Andrews.
52	* DawsonCasting: In his first film, ''The Blob'', he played a teenager, at the age of twenty-seven.
53	* FriendlyRivalry: With fellow '60s-'70s leading man Creator/PaulNewman. The two even got to be DuelingStars in ''The Towering Inferno''.
54	* FriendToAllChildren: [=McQueen=] could sometimes be difficult to work with. But he was unwaveringly kind to children who visited his set or when he encountered fans.
55	* MagnumOpusDissonance: Despite ''The Great Escape'', ''The Magnificent Seven'', and ''The Thomas Crown Affair'' being his best-known roles, and ''The Sand Pebbles'' getting him his Oscar nomination, his personal favorite was in ''Bullitt''.
56	* MethodActing: He learned to play polo for ''The Thomas Crown Affair''.
57	* NoStuntDouble: He insisted on doing most of the stunts in ''Bullitt'' himself.
58	* TheOtherMarty: Creator/SammyDavisJr was dropped from ''Never So Few'' after arguments with Music/FrankSinatra, and replaced with Steve.
59	* PlayingAgainstType:
60	** In ''The Reivers'', a more family-friendly project, where he was a bit more comedic.
61	** As a suave billionaire in ''The Thomas Crown Affair'', in contrast to his tougher AntiHero image.
62	** In ''Junior Bonner'' he plays a rodeo rider participating in a rodeo competition, which sounds like a fit to his image... except that the film is mostly centered on his efforts to reunite with his brother and estranged parents.
63	* ProductionPosse: He, Creator/JamesCoburn and Creator/CharlesBronson all starred in both ''The Magnificent Seven'' and ''The Great Escape''. Both films were directed by John Sturges and scored by Music/ElmerBernstein.
64	** He also appeared in three films with his friend Don Gordon: ''Bullitt'', ''Papillon'', and ''The Towering Inferno''.
65	* TheRedStapler:
66	** His desert boots and tweed jacket in ''Bullitt'' became quite popular after the movie.
67	** Ditto for his Persol sunglasses in ''The Thomas Crown Affair''.
68	* StarMakingRole: The TV series ''Wanted: Dead or Alive'' is what brought him to the attention of Hollywood, and ''The Magnificent Seven'' solidified his status.
69	* ThrowItIn:
70	** During ''The Great Escape''' Fourth of July scene, Goff says "no taxation without representation". Hilts looks at him and says "What?" -- which was Steve reacting to an ad-lib by Jud Taylor.
71	** During ''Bullitt'' he actually missed the turn in the chase scene, resulting in the reverse burnout.
72	* WagTheDirector: He was infamous for this.
73	** On ''The Magnificent Seven'', he sought to steal the spotlight from most of the other cast members. Creator/YulBrynner gave himself a ScullyBox in the form of a mound of earth to make himself appear taller than Steve, who took to kicking it between takes. This one-upmanship spread to the rest of the actors.
74	** His (anachronistic!) motorcycle stunt in ''The Great Escape'' was put in at his own insistence. Although insurance reasons meant that he couldn't do the stunt himself.
75	** The gratuitous fight scene in ''The Cincinnati Kid'' was added at his insistence.
76	** In ''The Towering Inferno'' he and Creator/PaulNewman were contractually required to have the exact same amount of lines each. But [=McQueen=] made sure that his character did not appear until an hour in, meaning that Newman would have used up most of his by the time [=McQueen=] came into the film.
77	** Attempted this when he was initially cast as Willard in ''Film/ApocalypseNow'', repeatedly pressuring Creator/FrancisFordCoppola to rewrite the tortured Willard into the cool badass [=McQueen=] was accustomed to playing. Instead he got recast.
78	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
79	** ''Film/TheBodyguard'' was originally conceived as a vehicle for him back in the 1970s, but it didn't get made until 1992 - this time with Creator/KevinCostner in the lead.
80	** He wanted to play Rambo in ''Film/FirstBlood'' as well. Once again, his death halted the project.
81	** During a reclusive period in the late '70s, he turned down roles in the films ''Film/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest'', ''Film/ABridgeTooFar'', ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'', ''Film/TheDriver'' and ''Film/ApocalypseNow''.
82	** He also turned down both ''Film/DirtyHarry'' and ''Film/TheFrenchConnection'' because he didn't want to do any more cop movies after ''Bullitt''.

Context Creator / SteveMcQueenActor