One of the most popular film stars of the 20th century was Steve McQueen. He was a popular box office draw for his antihero persona. In the 1960s, he was a popular icon in the counterculture movement. His persona also made him a leading figure in the motor racing world.
Early life
There are few people who have made a mark in pop culture more than Steve McQueen. His name is synonymous with “cool”, and he’s one of the most celebrated and recognizable actors in the history of film.
At a young age, McQueen had a troubled upbringing. His mother had a drinking problem, and she sent him to live with his grandmother and great uncle Claude. When he was nine, his mother left him with her new husband. The couple moved to Los Angeles. But their marriage fell apart when McQueen began to hang out with juvenile delinquents. He was sent to a boys’ reform school, and then sent to a family farm in Missouri.
After being released from the Marines, McQueen joined a local gang and was a regular getaway driver. His girlfriend at the time was a budding actress. They married and had a son. Their relationship was complicated by McQueen’s drug use and his own alcoholism.
McQueen was an actor and a member of the Actors Studio. He also acted in television series and movies. In addition to being a popular movie star, McQueen was a famous motorcycle racer.
At the end of his life, McQueen died of cancer at the age of 50. It was a rare form of lung cancer. A tumor was discovered in his right lung. However, his condition was deemed untreatable. X-rays showed that the cancer was asbestos-related.
Steve McQueen’s father was a pilot for a barnstorming flying circus. He was also a stunt man. During his early life, he performed aerobatic tricks in festivals.
As a teenager, Steve McQueen joined a Junior Boys’ Republic in California. But his mother’s drinking and abusing drugs began to affect his schooling.
Military service
When Steve McQueen was seventeen years old, he joined the Marine Corps. He spent three years in the military, and he was honorably discharged.
After his stint with the Marines, he enrolled in acting classes. Then he decided to go to New York and study at the Actors Studio. His first role was a bit part in Somebody Up There Likes Me. This was the beginning of a career in Hollywood.
While in the Marines, McQueen was assigned to an armoured unit. He received a commendation for rescuing five Marines during a training accident.
While still serving in the Marines, he was demoted to Private seven times. During his time in the Corps, he was also AWOL on several occasions. In 1949, McQueen was fined $90 for being absent without leave.
When he left the Marines, he was able to use his GI Bill money to enroll in Neighborhood Playhouse. Afterwards, he moved to Long Island and competed in motorcycle races.
Throughout his life, McQueen was concerned for the poor and helped those in need. He donated to the Boys Republic, an organization that helps children. Later, he was a member of the President’s Honor Guard and he worked to protect Harry S. Truman’s yacht.
In 1979, he was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and can cause scars and inflammation. It is hard to diagnose mesothelioma because it can present itself at any time between 10 and 50 years after exposure.
Despite his struggles in the Marines, McQueen received an honorable discharge. His heroic actions were enough to overcome his long history of demotions.
Film roles
If you’re a fan of Hollywood, you may already know that Steve McQueen was a big star in the late 1960s. His breakout role was as a bounty hunter in the Western TV show Wanted: Dead or Alive. He also starred in the hit movie The Great Escape.
Steve McQueen starred in many popular movies in the 1970s. In addition to his film roles, he also had a stint as a pilot for a television series.
Steve McQueen started his career in Hollywood with a bit part in Paul Newman’s Somebody Up There Likes Me. He then moved on to a starring role in a horror film, The Blob. Unlike most B-movies, this one involved a gelatinous alien that terrorizes small towns in Pennsylvania.
McQueen went on to a career spanning more than two decades. He starred in several major movies, including The Sand Pebbles and The Getaway. And, as a result of his work, he received an Academy Award nomination.
McQueen’s career continued with roles in The Thomas Crown Affair, Papillon, and The Great Escape. However, his last two roles – Bullitt and An Enemy of the People – were duds.
For most of his career, McQueen was known for his lead roles in hit films. His performances in these films are some of his most memorable. But, despite his stellar performance, his roles also left him with little development as an actor.
After his success in Wanted: Dead or Alive, McQueen began starring in films with more complex themes. During this time, he appeared in several other Westerns. One such film was the remake of The Magnificent Seven.
Another was the auto-racing drama Le Mans. McQueen’s final film role was as a bounty hunter in The Hunter.
Relationship with Keith Moon
Steve McQueen and Keith Moon were not exactly the best of friends. Their relationship was explosive.
Moon was a bit of a prankster and was known for his youthful pranks. One of the most memorable pranks involved dressing up in a Nazi uniform and chasing after a bunch of drunks.
In the 1970s, Moon was known for his attention seeking. He would make late night phone calls to Townshend. He also tried to invite McQueen to his housewarming party. But he never did it again.
Nevertheless, Moon did have an impressive set of achievements. He was the lead singer of the rock band The Who. He was also a member of the Oldfields. Interestingly, he was not particularly graceful. His health steadied in Mauritius.
It’s no secret that Moon and Entwistle spent copious amounts of time on their nights out. They also went to extravagantly priced clinics in Weybridge and Cedars Sinai.
Moon was also known for his tiniest of accomplishments. He supposedly drank a glass of port for breakfast. A Rolls Royce belonged to his friend Andrew Loog Oldham, who was also the manager of the Rolling Stones.
Among other things, Moon was a fan of the movie the Towering Inferno. When his wife Ali MacGraw was pregnant, he was ready to give up his lucrative career. However, he did agree to make a film called Convoy.
He was also the proud owner of a loaded Magnum pistol. And he carried it at all times.
Despite his many demons, Moon still managed to impress on the one hand. He could also be amusing and fun one day. Sadly, his life ended with an accidental overdose.
Death
Steve McQueen was a famous actor and movie star. He was 50 years old when he died. His death was controversial.
McQueen was diagnosed with cancer in the early 1970s. In his fight with the disease, he chose to go against the conventional medical advice of the United States.
McQueen traveled to Mexico for his treatment. The kidney specialist in Mexico offered him a radical plan for treatment. It involved injecting him with live cells from sheep. This practice was widely controversial.
The doctor in Mexico claimed that the therapy would cure a wide range of diseases. However, orthodox American physicians were skeptical.
Steve McQueen went to Mexico for his cancer treatment, even though the United States doctors advised him against it. The doctors said that McQueen’s condition was terminal.
When the doctors told him that they were unable to extend his life, he decided to pursue alternative methods. After a trip to Mexico, Steve’s condition worsened. At one point, McQueen rubbed castor oil on his body. He also wore a flame-retardant driving suit.
Before his death, Steve McQueen made his last public appearance in Oxnard, California. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Long Beach, California.
Despite his death, Steve McQueen remains an icon to millions of fans. He was a great film star, as well as a great racing car and motorcycle enthusiast. Although he was a man of great integrity, he was a deeply insecure man.
The actor’s death has generated questions from fans. Some claim that his death is fake, while others believe that he still lives.
Steve McQueen was a famous film star and a great racecar and motorcycle enthusiast. He died of pleural mesothelioma in 1980 at age 50.
