Steve 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).
| Steve McQueen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Terence Steven McQueen March 24, 1930 Beech Grove, Indiana, United States |
| Died | November 7, 1980 (aged 50) Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico |
| Cause of death | Malignant mesothelioma |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1953–1980 |
| Spouse(s) | Neile Adams (m. 1956–72) (divorced) Ali MacGraw (m. 1973–78) (divorced) Barbara Minty (m. 1980) |
| Children | Chad McQueen (b. 1960) Terry Leslie McQueen (1959–1998) |
| Relatives | Steven R. McQueen (grandson) |
