It’s always a bit disappointing to find out that an actor you admire was a real wanker – but in Steve McQueen’s case it doesn’t come as a surprise. McQueen was always so good at being too cool for school on screen you couldn’t help but suspect he was like that in real life. And its all too plausible to that McQueen’s characters got up to some of the less pleasant things McQueen got up to – unprofessional attitudes during filming, smacking his wife around, difficulties with drug and alcohol, pretension.
Like a movie character, McQueen could blame a lot of his problems on a troubled upbringing – prostitute mother, absent father, juvenile delinquency. After service in the marines he wound up in New York and started studying acting. His great talent soon became apparent, as did his tendency towards wankerdom. He benefited from marriage to his first wife Nellie, who seems to have been the great love of his life (even though he cheated on her with great and constant enthusiasm). Nellie gave him tremendous emotional, career and financial support; eventually McQueen started to get regular work (like Paul Newman and Robert Redford, anthology television was a rich source of roles for him), becoming a star with Wanted: Dead or Alive.
Few movie stars had better instincts for what worked than McQueen – he was a rare actor who constantly asked for less lines, who knew he could say it better with looks. He had a real knack for picking commercial vehicles, too – something like The Thomas Crown Affair and Towering Inferno might seem an obvious hit, but The Sand Pebbles or Bullitt were not without risk (or maybe tastes have just changed a lot). And he had a skill about what films to avoid – when McQueen was quiet through the 70s, you get the feeling he didn’t really miss much (films offered included Gable and Lombard). It was only towards the end of the 70s his magic touch deserted him.
This is a well-researched, entertaining biography which certainly doesn’t hide the faults of its subject – or stint on praise. It’s written in a flowing, showy style that seems to be favoured by British biographers, but you get used to it (although at times you do find yourself muttering “Ok, calm down, and get on with it). There are some hilarious bits – McQueen proposed marriage to Ali MacGraw by presenting her with a pre-nup, McQueen secretly hoped to get a foursome with his wives. Surprisingly touching, too, at the end with McQueen’s battle against cancer (where he showed considerable bravery), and his embracing of God. Great actor. Great wanker.
No comments:
Post a Comment