Steve McQueen - Living On The Edge
In the summer of 1970 McQueen and author Michael Munn took a road trip
in England while the actor’s film Le Mans was on hold. McQueen told
stories of being a kid on the street, petty theft, rolling drunks, gangs
and losing his virginity to a whore who took cakes in exchange for
sexual favours.
Munn met McQueen on other occasions, last
speaking in 1980, and in this poignant, personal account, recalls the
story of one of the greatest American anti-heroes of all time. Dubbed
the King of Cool, his life was anything but. His childhood was hard – he
rarely attended school and didn’t like to sleep at home where his
mother entertained men. Full of anger, the young McQueen suffered trying
to control it – indeed, it became part of his acting persona. He once
stole a knife from a butcher’s store and went home to kill his mother
and stepfather.
McQueen spent time in a school for wayward
children and joined the merchant navy, escaping to become a towel boy in
a brothel in the Dominican Republic, before returning to the US to
steal cars and break into stores and houses. He joined the Marines
before finally falling into acting.
This is the fascinating
story of McQueen from boyhood to American superstar: a complicated man
who could be difficult to work with but also a delight, have many famous
lovers yet be paranoid and jealous. The author has interviewed a host
of stars and directors to get closer to the true character of this
extraordinary man.
