McQueen: “I live for myself and I answer to nobody.”
Posted on 03/24/2010 1:06:39 PM PDT by Daffynition
Three Weeks in Steve McQueen's World
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. Intrigued by his dramatic backstory and his off-screen exploits — McQueen was a reformed delinquent who got his thrills racing cars and motorcycles — LIFE sent photographer John Dominis to California to hang out with the 33-year-old actor and see what he could get. Three weeks and more than 40 rolls of film later, Dominis had captured some astonishingly intimate and iconic images, photos impossible to imagine in today's restricted-access celebrity world. Only a handful of those photos have ever been published… but now, in celebration of what would have been McQueen's 80th birthday (March 24), LIFE.com presents these never-before-seen gems from that legendary assignment, along with insights from Dominis about the time he spent with the man who would become known as the King of Cool.
Pictured: At his home in Palm Springs, McQueen practices his aim before heading out for a shooting session in the desert.
McQueen: “I live for myself and I answer to nobody.”
John Dominis was (is?) a great photographer.
What ever “it” is in terms of masculine coolness, e.g., women love him,
guys want to be like him...
Steve McQueen had a mega-dose of it.
I saw one documentary on him on PBS in Los Angeles over five years
ago...the guy was even trying to go deeper in literature and philosophy
before he exited the scene.
Maybe he’d never have made it to “renaissance man”, but he was
giving it a good try.
Actor Steve McQueen (R) and pals Jim Corbin (L) and Dave Resnic (C) practicing shooting during hunting trip in Sierra Madra Mountains.
Wow. I had no idea he was such a mensch.
Great thread. Watching Le Mans right now on TCM. Junior Bonner is next. ;o)
I remember laughing my head off when I first saw that particular shot - because the leaf rear suspension had no traction bar and the live rear axle was just oscilating forward and back like it was going to tear itself apart. Funny the things you notice as a 10 year old.
Great story.
Steve McQueen
R Lee Ermey
RandallFlagg
Nice to know my birthday is shared by these awesome folks.
In order to get some time off from a previous committment so that he could be in “The Magnificent Seven”, McQueen took his wife out for a spin, told her to “hold on tight”, and drove the car off the road, wrecking it. She must have been a patient woman. :’)
I went to see Bullitt in the movie theater when it came out.
Three times.
McQueen was one of those actors who, just by being in a movie, made that movie twice as good as it would have been otherwise. There are very few actors who can do that. I think Nevada Smith is still my favorite McQueen movie.
bump
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