October 27, 2006. Circa 1965: American actor Steve McQueen (1930-1980) and his first wife, actress Neile Adams, smile as they attend a Broadway play, New York City. Following their marriage, she was the third wife of actor, after Filipina-American actress Neile Adams and Ali MacGraw. Bill, McQueen began studying acting in New York at Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse and at HB Studio[26] under Uta Hagen. So to piss him off, I'd start lobbing empty beer cans down the hill into his driveway. The company called on McQueen's granddaughter, actress Molly McQueen, to make the announcement. Best known for The Great Escape, Papillon, Bullitt and The Thomas Crown Affair, actor Steve McQueen’s legend lives on — with a little help from his first wife. [127] Team Downey, the production company of Robert Downey, Jr. and his wife Susan Downey, expressed an interest in developing Yucatán for the screen. –, Persico Newhouse, Joyce J. The Puma shares the same number plate of the classic fastback Mustang used in Bullitt, and as he parks in the garage (next to the Mustang), he pauses and looks meaningfully at a motorcycle tucked in the corner, similar to that used in The Great Escape. And McQueen quickly swept the actress off her feet  — they married later that year. McQueen remains a popular star, and his estate limits the licensing of his image to avoid the commercial saturation experienced by other dead celebrities. The film was scrapped and Newman was brought in by Allen to make When Time Ran Out, which was a box office bomb. John Dominis/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images. For the British film director, see. "[25], In 1952, with financial assistance provided by the G.I. [106], McQueen had an unusual reputation for demanding free items in bulk from studios when agreeing to do a film, such as electric razors, jeans, and other items. McQueen's 1963 metallic-brown Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta sold for US$2.31 million at auction on August 16, 2007. The lovebirds tied the knot on 16 January 1980 after a couple of years of dating. –. – "Big legend in a small town – Action film hero lived quiet life in Santa Paula before 1980 death." [7][12] Several biographers have stated that Julia Ann was an alcoholic. Cocaine later became his “constant companion.”, The Associated Press shared that the most shocking part of Adams’ memory was her claims that McQueen was physically abusive after she admitted her own fling with a European Oscar winner. (Getty). As the Great Depression set in shortly thereafter, McQueen and his grandparents moved in with Lillian's brother Claude at his farm in Slater. [147] Tag Heuer continues to promote its Monaco range with McQueen's image.[148]. Rugged, moody, and combative with directors, but beloved by moviegoers. Julia's second marriage had ended in divorce, and she had married a third time. [7] McQueen expressed having good memories of living on the farm, noting that his great-uncle Claude "was a very good man, very strong, very fair. American actor Steve McQueen (1930 - 1980) and his wife, Philippine-born actress Neile Adams, sit together in a sulphur bath, Big Sur, California, June 1963. Steve McQueen Facts & Wiki [7][29] He appeared as a musical judge in an episode of ABC's Jukebox Jury that aired in the 1953–1954 season. "[14], Dyslexic and partially deaf due to a childhood ear infection,[7] McQueen did not adjust well to his new life. Philippine-born actress Neile Adams lies on top of her husband, American actor Steve McQueen (1930-1980), on a deckchair next to the pool at their home, Palm Springs, Calif., May 1963. But as McQueen’s career skyrocketed in Hollywood, their hot romance cooled down in the late ‘60s. [144] McQueen was left-handed and wore the watch on his right wrist. [121], On November 7, 1980, McQueen died of heart failure at 3:45 a.m. at the Juárez clinic, 12 hours after surgery to remove or reduce numerous metastatic tumors in his neck and abdomen. Worthington, Roger. Out of the cornfield comes McQueen. When he later became famous, he regularly returned to talk to the boys and retained a lifelong association. (Getty). He made his 185 million dollar fortune with 12 Years a Slave. McQueen expressed interest in the Rambo character in First Blood when David Morrell's novel appeared in 1972, but the producers rejected him because of his age. “Steve told me after the picture that he had had a fling with her,” said Adams. William Friedkin wanted to cast McQueen as the lead in the action/thriller film Sorcerer (1977). Despite metastasis of the cancer throughout McQueen's body, Kelley publicly announced that McQueen would be completely cured and return to normal life. The inscription read "To Steve – who has been a son to me. [105], Two months after Charles Manson incited the murder of five people, including McQueen's friends Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring, the media reported police had found a hit list with McQueen's name on it. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Sinatra saw something special in McQueen and ensured that the young actor got plenty of closeups in a role that earned McQueen favorable reviews. (Getty). Steven is known for his role as “Jeremy Gilbert” in The drama The Vampire Diaries until 2015. (Getty), “Everybody was having free love and free sex,” she said. [7] McQueen served until 1950, when he was honorably discharged. [132] Kenneth R. Morefield of Christianity Today said it "offers a timeless reminder that even those among us living the most celebrated lives often long for the peace and sense of purpose that only God can provide. The two met in 1956 and after a whirlwind romance were married months later. [19], At age 16, McQueen left Chino Hills and returned to his mother, now living in Greenwich Village, New York. Friedkin later remarked that not casting McQueen hurt the film's performance at the box office. [125], In November 1999, McQueen was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. [6][7][8] McQueen, of Scottish descent, was raised a Roman Catholic. She alleged McQueen held a gun on her and “exacted the story of the transgression between slaps.”. Stars who married their high school sweethearts — and are still together, 'SNL' mocks 'dumbest' impeachment trial after Trump acquitted again, Janet Jackson speaks out for first time following Justin Timberlake's apology to her, Britney Spears, 'Bachelor' host Chris Harrison 'stepping aside' following backlash over racism controversy, 'Bachelorette' star Rachel Lindsay reveals plans to quit franchise: 'I can't do it anymore'. Another UK band, The Automatic, released a single called Steve McQueen as the lead single to their 2008 album This is a Fix. [151] Phillips later removed the watch from the auction block. – "The Independent: Close Encounters of the Third Kind 9 pm Film4". Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. [7] (In his autobiography,[33] Eli Wallach reports struggling to conceal his amusement while watching the filming of the funeral-procession scene where Brynner's and McQueen's characters first meet: Brynner was furious at McQueen's shotgun-round-shake, which effectively diverted the viewer's attention to McQueen.) In the 1970 film Le Mans, he famously wore a blue-faced Monaco Ref. McQueen and Lewis instantly clashed, the meeting was a disaster, and the role went to Garner. [96], McQueen was a practitioner of martial arts; he was both a student of and friend to fellow actor Bruce Lee. His first lead role was in the low-budget sci-fi film The Blob (1958), quickly followed by roles in The St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959) and Never So Few (1959). [115][116][117] McQueen paid for Kelley's treatments by himself in cash payments which were said to have been upwards of $40,000 per month ($124,000 today) during his three-month stay in Mexico. [35], Also in 1963, McQueen starred in Love with the Proper Stranger with Natalie Wood. It was released in the United States under the title Two Wheels Good because of a legal conflict with McQueen's estate. [12] He soon became an excellent racer and went home each weekend with about $100 in winnings (equivalent to $1,000 in 2019). [135] The archive has preserved several of McQueen's home movies. In 2012, McQueen was posthumously honored with the Warren Zevon Tribute Award by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO). [88] MacGraw suffered a miscarriage during their marriage. Neile Adams. Steven R. McQueen was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 13, 1988. 1133, which led to its cult status among watch collectors, purchasing six watches of the same model for the shoot of the film. [63] Both teams crashed repeatedly. On one occasion he actually pulled it on his first wife, Neile Adams, demanding to know … [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. Everett Collection; Dave Benett/Getty Images. "[18] Ultimately McQueen became a role model and was elected to the Boys Council, a group who set the rules and regulations governing the boys' lives. They had a contract with the German Nürburgring, and after John Frankenheimer shot scenes there for Grand Prix, the reels were turned over to Sturges. Still, she stressed the movie star was completely devoted to their two children. [50] 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. [51] The farmer tosses his keys to McQueen, who drives off in the new Mustang. – "Writers find fame with franchises". McQueen was subsequently hired for the films Never Love a Stranger; The Blob (his first leading role), which depicts a flesh eating amoeba-like space creature; and The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery. Closer Weekly shared that after McQueen’s affair with actress Ali MacGraw, his co-star in 1972’s “The Getaway,” Adams slammed on the brakes and the couple divorced in 1972. [48][49] 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). [136], In 1998, director Paul Street created a commercial for the Ford Puma. [13] He later recalled "When a kid doesn't have any love when he's small, he begins to wonder if he's good enough. He tried to keep the condition a secret, but on March 11, 1980, the National Enquirer disclosed that he had "terminal cancer". Iverson Movie Ranch: History, vintage photos. Directed by Norman Lloyd. “I had never been on a motorcycle before," the 86-year-old told Closer Weekly in the magazine’s latest issue. In 1971, McQueen starred in the poorly received auto-racing drama Le Mans, followed by Junior Bonner in 1972, a story of an aging rodeo rider. He was under contract to Irwin Allen after appearing in The Towering Inferno and offered a part in a sequel in 1980, which he turned down. 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 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 ensur… British clothing brand J. Barbour and Sons created a Steve McQueen collection, based on his ownership of a Barbour International motorbike jacket. Steve and Neile divorced quietly in 1972, and on 31 August 1973, Steve married American actress Ali MacGraw, and the marriage lasted for five years before they divorced in 1978. [5], Terrence Stephen McQueen was born on March 24, 1930, at St. Francis Hospital in Beech Grove, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis. Friedkin would not agree to this condition, and cast Roy Scheider instead of McQueen. Steve McQueen with his family. ", "Downey Jr. Launches Production Company; Lines Up Steve McQueen's 'Yucatan, "Steve McQueen: American Icon – Coming Soon To Digital HD", "Encore showings for "Steve McQueen: American Icon, "REVIEW: Steve McQueen's faith explored in powerful new documentary", "Ford Puma 'Steve McQueen' Directed by Paul Street", "2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt rocks Detroit with Molly McQueen", "Steve McQueen's possessions to be auctioned today", "Mecum Unveils Bullitt Mustang Hero Car to be Auctioned at Kissimmee 2020 | News", "Famous Left-Handers – he signed into what's my line with his right hand and his gun is on his right hip – not sure he is left handed", "Steve McQueen's Monaco From 'Le Mans' Brings Home $2,208,000 At Phillips, Setting New Heuer Record", "Exclusive: The Secret History of Steve McQueen's Rolex Submariner", "Steve McQueen's Rolex Submariner Is Coming to Auction", "3rd Moscow International Film Festival (1963)", "Motorcycles: What I like in a bike—and why", FBI Records: The Vault – Terrence Steven (Steve) McQueen, The Great Escape – New publication with private photos of the shooting & documents of 2nd unit cameraman Walter Riml, Photos of the filming The Great Escape, Steve McQueen on the set, Photos and commentary on Steve McQueen shooting an episode of. [104] McQueen learned the martial art Tang Soo Do from ninth-degree black belt Pat E. McQueen raced in many top off-road races on the West Coast, including the Baja 1000, the Mint 400, and the Elsinore Grand Prix. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images McQueen Toffel, Neile, (1986). Hollywood legend Steve McQueen's marriage was destroyed by "free love," said ex-wife Neile Adams in a candid interview with Closer Weekly. His shortness of breath grew more pronounced, and on December 22, 1979, after filming The Hunter, a biopsy revealed pleural mesothelioma,[108] a cancer associated with asbestos exposure, for which there is no known cure. McQueen appeared again on Trackdown in Episode 31 of the first season, but not as Josh Randall. On 9-10-1969 Steve McQueen (nickname: Steven Rodney McQueen) was born in London, United KIngdom. Steve McQueen was the ultimate anti-hero. A year later, McQueen married MacGraw. He was not popular with the other boys at first: "Say the boys had a chance once a month to load into a bus and go into town to see a movie. After discovering a mutual interest in racing, McQueen and Great Escape co-star James Garner became good friends and lived near each other. [45][46] Spielberg offered to take the crying scene out of the story, but McQueen demurred, saying that it was the best scene in the script. "[7], After the 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. When they bought their first Palm Springs home, he reportedly drove into the desert to buy peyote. Only one member of the "B" team finished the six-day event. [89] Friends later claimed that MacGraw was the one true love of McQueen's life: "He was madly in love with her until the day he died." Market data provided by Factset. They had a lot in common, as both hailed from broken homes and overcame adversity on their way to success. [101] This was due in part to the influences of his flying instructor, Sammy Mason, Mason's son Pete, and Barbara herself. At 29, McQueen got a significant break when Frank Sinatra removed Sammy Davis Jr. from the film Never So Few after Davis supposedly made some mildly negative remarks about Sinatra in a radio interview, and Davis's role went to McQueen. He was also a heavy cigarette smoker. Yucatán is described as an "epic adventure heist" film, scheduled for release in 2013 but still unreleased in February 2016. I learned a lot from him. Filed under albums , bee gees , 10/7/16. Frankenheimer was unable to meet with McQueen to offer him the role, so he sent Edward Lewis, his business partner and the producer of Grand Prix. [7] Here, McQueen began to change and mature. Barbara was Steve’s third wife; before her, he was married to Neile Adams, which lasted from 1956 until 1972 with whom he had two children. In June 2018, Phillips announced McQueen's Rolex Submariner[149][150] to hit the auction block in September that year. He then married actress Ali MacGraw in 1973 but the two divorced in 1978. In that episode, he played twin brothers, one of whom was an outlaw sought by Culp's character, Hoby Gilman. McQueen's departure from his great-uncle's home was marked by a very special memento given to him on that occasion. A new documentary movie, Steve McQueen: The Man and Le Mans, lifts the lid on the not-so-secret life and luck with the ladies despite getting married three times throughout his lifetime. This isn’t the first time Adams has been candid about her tumultuous marriage to McQueen. McQueen was born in Beech Grove, Indiana, to Julia Ann (Crawford) and William Terence McQueen, a stunt pilot. His new stepfather beat him to such an extent that at the age of nine he left home to live on the streets. [17] McQueen was caught stealing hubcaps by the police and handed over to his stepfather, who beat him severely, ending the fight by throwing McQueen down a flight of stairs. ... and Brumos passed to his wife, Deborah. “If he could get free love out there, why would he work hard for it at home?”. [58]:93[66], In a segment filmed for The Ed Sullivan Show, McQueen drove Sullivan around a desert area in a dune buggy at high speed. Once they got married, she put her own career on the side and focused on her husband’s. Steve McQueen was the second album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, which was released in June 1985. McQueen's character spoke one brief line: "Alts iz farloyrn." “As kids, they were never exposed to the troubles that Steve and I had,” she told the Associated Press at the time. In the interviews in the DVD release of Wanted, Trackdown star Robert Culp claims credit for bringing McQueen to Hollywood and landing him the part of Randall. Adams also discovered McQueen’s drug use early in their marriage. [7] Randall's special holster held a sawed-off .44–40 Winchester rifle nicknamed the "Mare's Leg" instead of the six-gun carried by the typical Western character, although the cartridges in the gunbelt were dummy .45–70, chosen because they "looked tougher," Coupled with the generally negative image of the bounty hunter (noted in the three-part DVD special on the background of the series), this added to the antihero image infused with mystery and detachment that made this show stand out from the typical TV Western. [14] His first off-road motorcycle was a Triumph 500 cc, purchased from Ekins. [7] Once there, he abandoned his new post, eventually being employed in a brothel;[13] afterwards, McQueen made his way to Texas and drifted from job to job including selling pens at a traveling carnival, working as a lumberjack in Canada, and a 30-day assignment on a chain gang in the Deep South for vagrancy. He said he taught McQueen the "art of the fast-draw," adding that, on the second day of filming, McQueen beat him. The Thomas Crown Affair is a 1968 American neo noir heist film directed and produced by Norman Jewison and starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway.It was nominated for two Academy Awards, winning Best Original Song for Michel Legrand's "The Windmills of Your Mind". He then met two sailors from the Merchant Marine and volunteered to serve on a ship bound for the Dominican Republic. [64] 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)".[65]. [7] Reportedly, he delivered his first dialogue on a theatre stage in a 1952 play produced by Yiddish theatre star Molly Picon. From "My Husband, My Friend" book by McQueen' first wife. –. [87] McQueen and Adams divorced in 1972. Beck, Marilyn, Stacy Jenel Smith. [141][142] The 1970 Porsche 911S purchased while making the film Le Mans and appearing in the opening sequence was sold at auction in August 2011 for $1.375 million. Many other women have claimed to have been in a relationship with Steve, including Barbara Leigh who is a former actress, Lauren Hutton who was a model and an actress, and Mamie Van Doren who is an actress and … She married Toffel in 1980 and the pair stayed together until his death in 2005. But even in his drug-abused state, he always stopped short of harming the children.”. McQueen's first breakout role came on television. That was Bud Ekins." [24] He remembered the Marines as a formative time in his life, saying, "The Marines made a man out of me. American actor Steve McQueen on the set of "Bullitt," directed by Peter Yates. Both had neglected childhoods, and they seemed deeply in love. [2]:106[21][22] He later said he had enjoyed his time in the Marines. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. I learned how to get along with others, and I had a platform to jump off of. Late Husband - Steve McQueen Talking about Minty's personal life, she is the widow of American superstar, Steve McQueen. And they lost out because one guy in the bungalow didn't get his work done right. “She would be the first in a long line of ‘flings’ that would plague us — me — throughout our married life.”. He is an actor and producer, known for The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and Firepower (1993). [7] At the age of eight, he was taken to Indianapolis by his mother, who lived there with her new husband. [citation needed], McQueen was an avid motorcycle and race car enthusiast. He has been married to Jeanie Galbraith since December 22, 1993. 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). He starred as Jimmy Borelli in the NBC drama Chicago Fire from 2015 through 2016. *Many McQueen biographies and sites have his name listed as Terrence (or Terence) Steven McQueen, however, his ex-wife Neile McQueen refers to him as Steven Terrence in this excerpt from the her book My Husband, My Friend: "Terrence William McQueen left his wife, Julian Crawford McQueen, almost as soon as baby Steven Terrence was born to them on March 24, 1930, in Beech Grove, Indiana." [14]:212–13[118] Using the name "Samuel Sheppard", McQueen checked into a small Juárez clinic where the doctors and staff were unaware of his actual identity. "[7], Claude gave McQueen a red tricycle on his fourth birthday, a gift that McQueen subsequently credited with sparking his early interest in racing. That was the start of our romance!”. McQueen and Barbra Streisand were tentatively cast in The Gauntlet, but the two could not get along, and both withdrew from the project. “Surprisingly and thankfully, he slowly straightened himself up and gave me a look of such hatred that I cringed,” she wrote. McQueen made occasional visits to the school to spend time with the students, often to play pool and speak about his experiences. “Steve was loving and affectionate with them — that never changed,” said Adams. Faced with the choice of driving for 24 hours in the race or driving for the entire summer making the film, McQueen opted for the latter. In a Las Vegas casino, an unpleasant little man hopes to use a young man's wish to impress the young woman he has just met to pressure the young fellow into accepting a macabre bet. ALI MACGRAW RECALLS 'CHEMICAL' RELATIONSHIP WITH STEVE MCQUEEN. (Photo by John Dominis/The LIFE Premium Collection via Getty Images via Getty Images) STEVE MCQUEEN WITH PLAGUED WITH INSECURITIES CAUSED BY HIS TROUBLED CHILDHOOD, REPORT SAYS. Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980),[4] nicknamed the "King of Cool", was an American actor. [62], McQueen's ISDT competition number was 278, which was based on the trials starting order. Archive footage of McQueen was used to digitally superimpose him driving and exiting the car in settings reminiscent of the film. Kelley's only medical license (until revoked in 1976) had been for orthodontics. [7], According to photographer William Claxton, McQueen smoked marijuana almost every day; biographer Marc Eliot stated that McQueen used a large amount of cocaine in the early 1970s. Steve McQueen was married three times and in at least two of those marriages, he cheated on, physically abused, and used drugs with his wives. Steve McQueen was a struggling actor when he picked up Broadway star Neile Adams for their first date in 1956 — and she was in for the ride of her life. Actor Steve McQueen & wife, Philippine-born actress Neile Adams, at home in swimsuits, June 1963. [7] He eventually left the Boys Republic at age 16. He took an unauthorized absence by failing to return after a weekend pass expired, staying with a girlfriend for two weeks until the shore patrol caught him. He refused the co-starring role in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” because he insisted on top billing over Paul Newman. Steve McQueen and Neile Adams were married in 1956. [118], In late October 1980, McQueen flew to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, to have an abdominal tumor on his liver (weighing around five pounds (2.3 kg)) removed, despite warnings from his U.S. doctors that the tumor was inoperable and his heart could not withstand the surgery. McQueen and Adams divorced in 1972. “I have great memories from that time,” she says in a new book, Steve ­McQueen: The Cooler King. McQueen wanted to drive a Porsche 917 with Jackie Stewart in that race,[57] but the film backers threatened to pull their support if he did. [61] 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. McQueen looked up at his stepfather and said, "You lay your stinking hands on me again and I swear, I'll kill you. [102][103], McQueen followed a daily two-hour exercise regimen, involving weightlifting and, at one point, running 5 miles (8 km), seven days a week. On December 12, 2020, one of the last six models sold and one of two held in private hands was sold for a record US$2.208 million at a Phillips auction in New York, becoming the most expensive Heuer watch sold at auction. [14], While still attending Stella Adler's school in New York, McQueen dated Gia Scala. [30], McQueen had minor roles in productions, including Peg o' My Heart, The Member of the Wedding, and Two Fingers of Pride. This article is about the American actor. McQueen then asked Friedkin to let MacGraw act as a producer, so she could be present during principal photography. [131] The film received mostly positive reviews. That car has been in possession of the same family since 1974 and hidden away from the public until now, when it was driven out from under the press stand and up the center aisle of Ford's booth to much fanfare.[138]. McQueen sometimes drank to excess; he was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1972. [55] In the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring race, Peter Revson and McQueen (driving with a cast on his left foot from a motorcycle accident two weeks earlier) won with a Porsche 908/02 in the three-litre class and missed winning overall by 21.1 seconds to Mario Andretti/Ignazio Giunti/Nino Vaccarella in a five-litre Ferrari 512S. [56] This same Porsche 908 was entered by his production company Solar Productions as a camera car for Le Mans in the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans later that year. [7] At age 14, he left Claude's farm without saying goodbye and joined a circus for a short time,[7] then drifted back to his mother and stepfather in Los Angeles—resuming his life as a gang member and petty criminal. According to his first wife, McQueen began carrying a handgun at all times in public, including at Sebring's funeral. There were complications with the project which was eventually shelved, although a 1964 screenplay does exist.[47]. He worked for director Sam Peckinpah again with the leading role in The Getaway, where he met future wife Ali MacGraw. In the commercial, a farmer builds a winding racetrack, which he circles in the 2005 Mustang. "The day I left the farm", he recalled, "Uncle Claude gave me a personal going-away present—a gold pocket watch, with an inscription inside the case." [122] According to the El Paso Times, McQueen died in his sleep.[123]. McQueen was offered the lead in Raise the Titanic, but felt that the script was flat. He gave up cigarettes and underwent antibiotic treatments, without improvement. Legal Statement. All rights reserved. McQueen died shortly after passing on The Towering Inferno 2. DVD Video: Steve McQueen, The Essence of Cool. "Steve McQueen Returns to Reform School" 1963, accessed February 7, 2011. However, there was controversy whether or not the watch was his personal watch worn by McQueen himself or if the watch was bought, engraved, then gifted. After starring in 1965's The Cincinnati Kid as a poker player, McQueen earned his only Academy Award nomination in 1966 for his role as an engine-room sailor in The Sand Pebbles, in which he starred opposite Candice Bergen and Richard Attenborough (with whom he had previously worked in The Great Escape).[14]. In late 1955 at the age of 25, McQueen left New York and headed for California, where he moved into a house on Vestal Avenue in the Echo Park area, seeking acting jobs in Hollywood. [failed verification][58]. That marriage lasted until McQueen’s death in 1980 at age 50 from a heart attack after surgery for cancer. After the killings, McQueen took to carrying a loaded Magnum pistol at all times. [119][120], McQueen returned to the U.S. in early October. Leonard DeWitt of the Ventura Missionary Church presided over McQueen's memorial service. “Memories of Steve and me, getting up each morning, with Steve having tea while sitting on the front porch and eating scrambled eggs with salsa.