Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980) was an American movie actor and one of the most popular and highly-successful box-office superstars of the 1960s and 1970s. With penetrating slate-blue eyes, unconventional and craggy good-looks, he had a rugged machismo presence. Sometimes flashing an insolent smirk, he projected a tenaciously undaunted and captivating on-screen persona that also extended into his off-screen life. In the process, he gained wide acclaim for his memorable portrayals of brashly determined, bold and introverted loners. He was nicknamed ?The King of Cool?, for his steely-cool demeanour, smoldering moodiness and a dynamic sense of raw nonchalance whenever he encountered danger in his films. McQueen was also a combative and archetypal ?difficult movie star? who didn?t like directors or producers giving him a hard time. In retaliation, he irritated them, and would only work if paid his astronomical asking salary (although it was later revealed that he secretly gave away a lot of his money to charity and needy causes). McQueen was also paranoid about people taking advantage of him which led to difficulties in his personal relationships. He used his celebrity to have relationships with as many women as possible when he reached his peak in the late 1960s when sex, drugs, and rock and roll were also becoming a significant part of youth culture. However, he was fiercely loyal to his male friends.

Trivia

• Prefab Sprout released an album entitled "Steve McQueen" in 1985.
• In an episode of the television show That '70s Show, Hyde makes the comment "Steve McQueen is a total badass" after failing to come up with an escape plan, in reference to The Great Escape.
• In an episode of the television show The Simpsons, Homer states that Bart's idol is McQueen. Marge points out that he's actually Homer's idol.
• McQueen was honored in the 2002 Sheryl Crow song called "Steve McQueen" off the album C'mon C'mon. He also 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, a la the baseball field in Field of Dreams.
• 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.
• Along with Martin Sheen and James Dean, he is mentioned in the R.E.M. song "Electrolite."
• On the song "Gene by Gene" by Blur on their album Think Tank, the narrator claims to "...ride a bullet like Steve McQueen."
• 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 liked anybody 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"
• Toward the end of his life, McQueen became a born again Christian.