[96] MacGraw suffered a miscarriage during their marriage. He died of what appears to have been a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs, during surgery. Prados old Fort LTD, used as a makeshift hearse, recently had been in the repair shop. Spy novelist Jeremy Duns revealed that McQueen was considered for the lead role in a film adaptation of The Diamond Smugglers, written by James Bond creator Ian Fleming; McQueen would play John Blaize, a secret agent gone undercover to infiltrate a diamond-smuggling ring in South Africa. Word circulated among Juarez news media that McQueens body was at the mortuary and reporters and television crews converged on the funeral home. "Costner Sings to Houston's Debut". Steve McQueen 70 languages View history Tools Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930 - November 7, 1980) [4] was an American actor. Vintage Steve McQueen Photos That Prove Hell Always Be The King Of Cool. Kelley not only claimed to have cured his own pancreatic cancer, but devised a regimen so baseless that the American Cancer Society had to formally reject it. [110] McQueen believed that asbestos used in movie sound stage insulation and race-drivers protective suits and helmets could have been involved but he thought it more likely that his illness was a direct result of massive exposure while removing asbestos lagging (insulation) from pipes aboard a troop ship while he served in the Marines. That same year, the actor portrayed an elegant thief in The Thomas Crown Affair. By the time Sam Peckinpah's crime-thriller classic The Getaway came out in 1972, Steve McQueen was not only America's leading man but also the highest-paid actor in the world. Me? Unfortunately for McQueen, he was banned from racing at Le Mans for insurance reasons. [151] Phillips later removed the watch from the auction block. His body was then transported from the funeral home to El Paso International Airport in an old Ford LTD and put on a Lear Jet that landed in Los Angeles at 4 p.m. that day. Using G.I. Santos said the actor knew the surgery would be risky. McQueen's focused portrayal of the taciturn second lead catapulted his career. According to director John Frankenheimer and actor James Garner in bonus interviews for the DVD of the film Grand Prix, McQueen was Frankenheimer's first choice for the lead role of American Formula One race car driver Pete Aron. McQueen developed a persistent cough in 1978. October 27, 2006. By testimony of McQueen's son, Chad, Steve owned around 100 classic motorcycles, as well as around 100 exotics and vintage cars, including: In spite of numerous attempts, McQueen was never able to purchase the Ford Mustang GT 390 he drove in Bullitt, which featured a modified drivetrain that suited McQueen's driving style. So, when I got the part in Grand Prix, I called him. By the time of The Getaway, McQueen was the world's highest-paid actor,[39] but after 1974's The Towering Inferno, starring with his long-time professional rival Paul Newman and reuniting him with Dunaway, became a tremendous box-office success, McQueen all but disappeared from the public eye, to focus on motorcycle racing and traveling around the country in a motor home and on his vintage Indian motorcycles. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Current one is: November 7. Soon, it spread to his stomach, liver, and neck. American actor Steve McQueen, and his young daughter Terry, circa 1964 | Photo: Getty Images Advertisement On the other hand, McQueen could have any woman he wanted. The aggressive form of lung cancer is caused by severe exposure to asbestos, which McQueen believed he inhaled in the marines while removing insulation from a warships pipes. He was combative with directors and producers, but his popularity placed him in high demand and enabled him to command the largest salaries. But on March 18, 1980, the National Enquirer robbed him of that hope by publishing an article headlined Steve McQueens Heroic Battle Against Terminal Cancer. It spread like wildfire. A rattling old Ford carried Steve McQueen's body from a Juarez funeral home to El Paso International Airport after losing his fight with cancer Friday morning. McQueen died shortly after passing on The Towering Inferno 2. Bruce Lee testifies to Steve McQueen's toughness as a Jeet Kune Do student of his. He later appeared as the titular Nevada Smith, a character from Harold Robbins's novel The Carpetbaggers portrayed by Alan Ladd two years earlier in a movie version of that novel. He was a man sure of himself and very sincere, Santos said. Worthington, Roger. In June 2018, Phillips announced McQueen's Rolex Submariner[149][150] to hit the auction block in September that year. Summoned to Los Angeles, the 12-year-old McQueen was routinely beaten by his stepfather. In 1974, McQueen became the highest-paid movie star in the world, although he did not act in film for another four years. Santos said McQueens condition seemed to stabilize after the operation. McQueen looked up at his stepfather and said, "You lay your stinking hands on me again and I swear, I'll kill you."[7]. McQueen straightens the sign on Lee's casket while mutual friend James Coburn watches on from behind. [24] He remembered this period with the Marines as a formative time in his life, saying, "The Marines made a man out of me. ", In 1973, McQueen was one of the pallbearers at Bruce Lee's funeral along with James Coburn, Bruce's brother Robert Lee, Peter Chin, Dan Inosanto, and Taky Kimura.[98]. [28], Long enamored of cars and motorcycles, McQueen began to earn money by competing in weekend motorcycle races at Long Island City Raceway. [65] UK monthly magazine Motorcycle Sport commented: "Riding Triumph twins[the team] rode everywhere with great dash, if not in admirable style, falling off frequently and obviously out for six days' sport without too many worries about who was going to win (they knew it would not be them)".[66]. American actor Steve McQueen (1930 - 1980) with his first wife, actress Neile Adams, circa 1965 [left]. McQueen has a smoke in his Firestone racing suit at the Riverside Raceway. Steve McQueen died on November 7, 1980 at 50 years old in a hospital in Mexico, but did cancer really kill the legendary actor? When he had the opportunity to drive in a movie, he performed many of his own stunts, including some of the car chases in Bullitt and the motorcycle chase in The Great Escape. McQueen gets ready for the grueling 12 Hours of Sebring race. He was the ultra-cool male film star of the 1960s, and rose from a troubled youth spent in reform schools to being the world's most popular actor. McQueen and his daughter, Terry, whom he had with wife Neile Adams, strolling around rainy Los Angeles. My mother didn't love me, and I didn't have a father. With Sanford Meisner's acting techniques firmly under his belt, the young actor nabbed minor roles in several plays before making his Broadway debut in 1955's A Hatful of Rain. Fans of Hollywood history know Steve McQueen as the "King of Cool" and one of the film industry's most iconic stars. Ever the race car driver, McQueen was arrested for speeding as well as drunk driving. [120][121], McQueen returned to the U.S. in early October. Steve McQueen. The procedure took about 30 minutes. Sheppard, alias actorSteve McQueen, went to Santos Clinica de Santa Rosa looking for reprieve from the painful cancer that was killing him. Marshall Terrill, the author of six previous books about Steve McQueen, is putting out a seventh to honor of the 40th anniversary of the beloved actor's death on November 7th. After a troubled youth that included time in reform school, McQueen served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the late 1940s. Bill-funded financial aid, McQueen studied at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse. The lead roles were filled by Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke. His disinterested father, William, abandoned him within months. [54] At one point, using editing, McQueen is seen in a German uniform chasing himself on another bike. After this incident, McQueen's stepfather persuaded his mother to sign a court order stating that McQueen was incorrigible, remanding him to the California Junior Boys Republic in Chino. McQueen poses with his special racing model, the Jaguar XK-SS, and his horse, on the set of the CBS western. He then studied acting and began competing in motorcycle races. Steve and Ali divorced in 1978 after five tumultuous years. Out of the cornfield comes McQueen. 34 Steve Mcqueen Dies Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Editorial Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 34 Steve Mcqueen Dies Premium High Res Photos Browse 34 steve mcqueen dies stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. McQueen reunited with his mother yet again in 1946, this time in New York. Leonard DeWitt of the Ventura Missionary Church presided over McQueen's memorial service. McQueen raced in many top off-road races on the West Coast, including the Baja 1000, the Mint 400, and the Elsinore Grand Prix. Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesMcQueens addictions saw him arrested for drunk driving on June 22, 1972, in Anchorage, Alaska. , Shields, Mel. More: Old El Paso brand launched in the Upper Valley. His other popular films include Love With the Proper Stranger (1963), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Nevada Smith (1966), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Bullitt (1968), Le Mans (1971), The Getaway (1972), and Papillon (1973). Then, suddenly, on Nov. 7, 1980, he was dead. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. In 2007, 27 years after his death, Forbes said McQueen remained a popular star and still the "king of cool" and was one of the highest-earning dead celebrities. Browse 2,132 steve mcqueen actor photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images. [100][101] McQueen was cremated, and his ashes were spread in the Pacific Ocean. "After that, he became more paranoid and wouldn't let me go anywhere without a gun.". Advertisement. So, it got to him a little bit, finally by his son. Friedkin later remarked that not casting McQueen hurt the film's performance at the box office. This photo was taken near a sign on his property that read: "Anyone caught in here better have a damned good reason.". McQueen received an Academy Award nomination for his role in The Sand Pebbles (1966). On November 7, 1980, the actor Steve McQueen, one of Hollywood's leading men of the 1960s and 1970s and the star of such action thrillers as Bullitt and The Towering Inferno, dies at the age of. "[7], Claude gave McQueen a red tricycle on his fourth birthday, a gift that McQueen subsequently credited with sparking his early interest in car racing. [14] He was also set to co-drive in a Triumph 2500 PI for the British Leyland team in the 1970 London-Mexico rally, but had to turn it down due to movie commitments. McQueen was a sponsored ambassador for Heuer watches. Would you let us cut through? Here's what we know about the actor's heir. You can navigate days by using left and right arrows. Big production spent a lot of money and stayed in China too long there, in Taiwan. In the spring of 1963, Steve McQueen was on the brink of superstardom, already popular from his big-screen breakout as one of The Magnificent Seven and just a couple months away from entering the Badass Hall of Fame with the release of The Great Escape. Rosales, assigned to provide The Times and The Associated Press with news photographs, followed the story from the clinic to Prado Funeral Home in Juarez and finally to El Paso International Airport where the casket containing McQueens body was flown to Los Angeles. Ever stoic, he registered under the pseudonym Samuel Sheppard and signed off for the operation. McQueen reloading his shotgun while taking a smoke break. In a 1986 memoir, Adams revealed how he beat her bloody after she revealed an affair with an Oscar-winning actor, and he beat her time and time again until she divorced him in 1972. [95], In Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1973, McQueen married actress Ali MacGraw, his co-star in The Getaway, but this marriage ended in a divorce in 1978. And in 1977, MacGraw and McQueen went their separate ways. McQueen also appears as a character in Tarantino's novel of the same name. And although Vargas had only known him for two days and didnt even realize who McQueen was, he unwittingly uttered the most accurate and concise obituaries ever written of Hollywoods King of Cool: He was a man sure of himself and very sincere.. The actor was still in pain after the operation. And although McQueen thanked Mexicos unregulated approach to alternative solutions for helping to save my life in October 1980, his condition would only worsen. When Bullitt became a huge box-office success, Warner Brothers tried to woo him back, but he refused, and his next film was made with an independent studio and released by United Artists. The farmer tosses his keys to McQueen, who drives off in the new Mustang. [123] According to the El Paso Times, McQueen died in his sleep.[124]. [9][10] His parents never married. "Cinema Paradiso: The True Story of an Incredible Year in Film". Footage was shot in modern-day San Francisco, set to the theme music from Bullitt. McQueen fires off some shots during target practice in the desert. After Never So Few, the film's director John Sturges cast McQueen in his next movie, promising to "give him the camera". It took 30 minutes and yielded the complete picture of McQueens cancer-riddled organs. Over 40 years after his untimely death from mesothelioma in 1980, Steve McQueen is still considered hip and cool, and he endures as an icon of popular culture. [30], McQueen had minor roles in stage productions, including Peg o' My Heart, The Member of the Wedding, and Two Fingers of Pride. A staff writer for All Thats Interesting, Marco Margaritoff has also published work at outlets including People, VICE, and Complex, covering everything from film to finance to technology. [53] Although the jump over the fence in The Great Escape was done by Bud Ekins for insurance purposes, McQueen did have considerable screen time riding his 650cc Triumph TR6 Trophy motorcycle. But before the glamorous Hollywood parties, celebrity friends, romances, and race car antics, the Indiana-born kid had to overcome some serious hurdles. [17] McQueen was caught stealing hubcaps by the police and handed over to his stepfather, who beat him severely. [34] When Johnny Carson later tried to congratulate McQueen for the jump during a broadcast of The Tonight Show, McQueen said, "It wasn't me. Steve McQueen, Jessica Chastain, Meryl Streep, Julius Tennon, Viola Davis, Gina Prince-Bythewood, George C. Wolfe and Jayme Lawson Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Fatal Attraction premiere . McQueen played a detective in one of his most popular movies, 1968s Bullitt, which featured a spectacular car chase through the streets of San Francisco. . That comment certainly got a much-needed laugh on a somber day, but it was true. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. McQueen was offered the lead male role in Breakfast at Tiffany's, but was unable to accept due to his Wanted: Dead or Alive contract (the role went to George Peppard). Steve McQueen atop the motorcycle that helped launch him to stardom in. Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, McQueen and his wife Neile Adams read the paper while on the set of, Director Norman Jewison (left) discusses some of the scenes for, Bill Ray/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images. Steve McQueen, Palm Springs, 1963. Autopsy: The Last Hours of Steve McQueen will work to uncover the truth and expose the star's mysterious death through examining extensive medical records. [101][102], McQueen followed a daily two-hour exercise regimen, involving weightlifting and, at one point, running 5 miles (8km), seven days a week. John Dominis/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images After the 1969 Manson Family murders, Steve McQueen didn't go anywhere without a gun. '"[16] Soon he was running with a street gang and committing acts of petty crime. McQueen appeared again on Trackdown in Episode 31 of the first season, in which he played twin brothers, one of whom was an outlaw sought by Culp's character, Hoby Gilman. In 1947, the 17-year-old McQueen joined the Marines and sailed off to the Dominican Republic, where he quit to work as a towel boy at a brothel. He followed this with a physically demanding role as a Devil's Island prisoner in 1973's Papillon, featuring Dustin Hoffman as his character's tragic sidekick. Trish Long may be reached at tong@elpasotimes.com or 915-546-6179. In December 1979, McQueen was diagnosed with lung cancer. Bike in gear, cigarette in mouth, and McQueen is ready to tear out of his driveway. [143] The car sold without reserve for $3.4million ($3.74million after commissions and fees). [28], On November 2, 1956, he married Filipino actress and dancer Neile Adams,[86] with whom he had a daughter, Terry Leslie (June 5, 1959 March 19, 1998[87][88]), and a son, Chad (born December 28, 1960). [87] In her autobiography, My Husband, My Friend, Adams stated that she had an abortion in 1971, when their marriage was on the rocks. It was the Sharon Tate murders in 1969 that reminded the man of his mortality long before he'd have to face it. Nonetheless, he's seen here attending the trials before filming. The world's eyes were on El Paso. He meant everything to me. Santos said he believes McQueen might have been referred to his clinic by other patients treated for cancer. In 2012, McQueen was posthumously honored with the Warren Zevon Tribute Award by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO). In the end, Steve McQueens legacy is one of reserved confidence and the pitfalls of male rage. [125], McQueen was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers in April 2007 in a ceremony at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. [60] Initially let down with transport arrangements by a long-established English motorcycle dealer, Triumph dealer H&L Motors stepped-in to provide a suitable vehicle. Terrence Stephen McQueen was born on March 24, 1930, in Beech Grove, Indiana. Beck, Marilyn, Stacy Jenel Smith. Steve McQueen was the silent type for a modern era, capable of turning the tables against any threat on screen. "I think it's safe to say that it would have been impossible not to fall in love with Steve," she later admitted. The destination was Southwest Air Rangers terminal at the El Paso International Airport. On November 7, 1980, Steve McQueen died of a heart attack after undergoing surgery to remove numerous cancerous tumors in his abdomen and neck. American actor Steve McQueen at the wheel of a boat, circa 1965. hollywood walk of fame star steve mcqueen - steve mcqueen actor stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images Williams said, "Whether men realize it or not, he's the standard everyone's been chasing for 40 years.". They were hangared at Santa Paula Airport an hour northwest of Hollywood, where he lived his final days. Kelley wasnt even a cancer specialist, but a disgraced orthodontist whose treatment approach for McQueen involved coffee enemas and animal cell injections. McQueen and his crew after a long day of shooting. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! He was nicknamed the "King of Cool" and used the alias Harvey Mushman in motor races. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. At the 2018 North American International Auto Show the GT 390 was displayed, in its current non-restored condition, with the 2019 Ford Mustang "Bullitt". Inside The Tragic Death Of Steve McQueen, Hollywoods King Of Cool. "You wanna know what a real legend is, look at Duke Wayne. Santos, a Juarez surgeon and kidney specialist, earned a medical reputation years ago in Juarez for treating injured bullfighters. Whiskey connoisseur? He was only 50 when he died, leaving behind a complicated legacy of mismanaged masculinity, worldwide adulation, and a rare cinematic footprint. Enter a date in the format M/D (e.g., 1/1), https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/king-of-cool-steve-mcqueen-dies, Hillary Clinton is elected to the U.S. Senate, Election results between Al Gore and George Bush too close to call, Canadas transcontinental railway completed, Magic Johnson announces he is HIV-positive, Jeannette Rankin becomes first U.S. congresswoman, Soviet master spy is hanged by the Japanese, First issue of "The New Republic" published. The operation was performed from 8 to 11 a.m. Thursday. Even contemporary news anchor Brian Williams admitted as much of the man aptly dubbed the "king of cool." He appeared on Dale Robertson's NBC western series Tales of Wells Fargo as Bill Longley. [62] On arrival in Germany, the team, with their English temporary manager, were surprised to find a Vase "B" team, comprising expat Americans living in Europe, had entered themselves privately to ride European-sourced machinery. And by 1960, he had been on Broadway stages and in films with Paul Newman and Frank Sinatra. For Ali MacGraw, who began a love affair with McQueen while filming The Getaway, McQueen's stoic composure was a welcome change from typically showy Hollywood actors in the industry. Yucatn is described as an "epic adventure heist" film, scheduled for release in 2013 but still unreleased in February 2016. Kelley's dental license, his only medically related license (until revoked in 1976) had been for orthodontics, a field of dentistry, not medicine. In interviews associated with the DVD release of Wanted, Robert Culp of Trackdown claims credit for bringing McQueen to Hollywood and landing him the part of Randall. "Steve was the ultimate movie star," explained Robert Vaughn, his costar in The Magnificent Seven. Terrence Steven McQueen was born on March 24, 1930, in Beech Grove, Indiana. Men wanted to be him and women couldnt help but notice him. The Hollywood daredevil races his Jaguar XK-SS down Sunset Boulevard in the early 1960s. When McQueen appeared in a two-part Westinghouse Studio One television presentation entitled The Defenders, Hollywood manager Hilly Elkins took note of him[32] and decided that B-movies would be a good place for the young actor to make his mark. Meanwhile, women believed there was deep-seated pain and fragility behind McQueen's facade. He gained national attention when the man called Sheppard suddenly died in his Juarez clinic at 2:50 a.m. Friday. 18 Pictures Of Steve McQueen's Incredible Car Collection By Michael Van Runkle Updated Feb 14, 2022 The King of Cool, Steve McQueen, had an absolutely astonishing car collection. He made his Broadway debut in 1955 in the play A Hatful of Rain, starring Ben Gazzara. El Paso Times reporter Ramon Renteria reported from Juarez: Dr. Cesar Santos Vargas felt sympathetic toward the ailing man who called himself Sam Sheppard. His great-uncle Claude gave McQueen a special gift at his departure. [7][40] He turned down parts in Ocean's 11,[41] Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (his attorneys and agents could not agree with Paul Newman's attorneys and agents on top billing),[7][40] The Driver,[42][43] Apocalypse Now,[14]:172 California Split,[44] Dirty Harry, A Bridge Too Far, The French Connection (he did not want to do another cop film),[7][40] Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Sorcerer. "Writers find fame with franchises". "Big legend in a small town Action film hero lived quiet life in Santa Paula before 1980 death." [7] At age 14, he left Claude's farm without saying goodbye and joined a circus for a short time. [90], Mamie Van Doren claimed to have had an affair with McQueen and tried hallucinogens with him around 1959. "By that he meant that he didn't want to be lumbered with speaking plot. McQueen and Lewis instantly clashed, the meeting was a disaster, and the role went to Garner. And from that time on, we were talking again. Vargas later told the press that McQueen displayed an immense will to live during the few days that he knew him. On September 28, 2017, there was a selected showing in some theaters of his life story and spiritual quest, Steve McQueen American Icon. Steve was originally slated to do that movie, but he couldn't get along with Frank Frankenheimer. Well, it's sex appeal, that's what it is. He had a one-off outing in the British Touring Car Championship in 1961, driving a BMC Mini at Brands Hatch, finishing third. [126], In November 1999, McQueen was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. [116][117][118] McQueen paid for Kelley's treatments by himself in cash payments which were said to have been upwards of $40,000 per month (equivalent to $132,000 in 2021) during his three-month stay in Mexico. McQueen made his last public appearance on March 28 in Oxnard, California. ", because he planned to do Le Mans, which was another title at the time. Sinatra saw something special in McQueen and ensured that the young actor got plenty of closeups in a role that earned McQueen favorable reviews. He removed as many tumors in McQueens neck and liver as he could. It was later discovered McQueen donated these things to the Boys Republic reformatory school,[106] where he had spent time during his teen years. He first appeared in Season 1 Episode 21 of Trackdown in 1958. For a while, the actor was able to eat small chunks of ice. Santos said the abdominal tumor was so large that it would have been only a matter of time before it would have choked him to death. Two years earlier, McQueen had developed a chronic cough in 1978. [51] Quigley Down Under was in development as early as 1974, with McQueen in consideration for the lead, but by the time production began in 1980, McQueen was ill and the project was scrapped until a decade later, when Tom Selleck starred. His stepfather beat him to such an extent that at the age of nine he left home to live on the streets. [49][50] He was offered the title role in The Bodyguard (to star Diana Ross) when it was proposed in 1976, but the film did not reach production until years after McQueen's death (which eventually starred Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston in 1992). The G.I. Less than a year later, on Nov. 7, 1980, he died from complications from it at age 50 in a Mexico hospital. When Vargas received Sam Sheppard, he found a very huge tumor in the right lung which was malignant and had spread to his left lung, neck and down into the intestines. The doctor said his patient had been in great pain and he was barely able to walk even with a cane when he arrived.
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