You’ve probably seen the movie The Great Escape, starring Steve McQueen. But did you know that his real-life story was even more dramatic? McQueen was born in 1930 in Beech Grove, Indiana, and grew up in turbulent times. After a troubled youth, he joined the military and found his calling as a racing driver. In the 1960s, he became an international movie star, but his private life was often just as tumultuous as his public one. He battled drug addiction and personal demons throughout his life, but ultimately triumphed over them all. McQueen’s story is one of courage and determination, and it is sure to inspire you.
Discover the best quotes from Steve Mcqueen, and much more.
Racing is life. Everything else is just waiting. โ Steve Mcqueen
I liked being in the Marines. They gave me discipline I could live with. By the time I got out, I was able to cope with things on a more realistic level. โ Steve Mcqueen
You see, I don’t believe in that grabbin’ and grabbin’ and stuffin yourself and not givin’ anythin’ or puttin’ it back. โ Steve Mcqueen
I worked hard, and if you work hard you get the goodies. โ Steve Mcqueen
No, I’m not feminist. I’m not, not a feminist. โ Lily Rabe
Ill never be as good an actor as I want to be….but I’ll be good. โ Steve Mcqueen
The person is being confrontational. โ Steve Mcqueen
Various Statements From Steve Mcqueen
If I hadn’t made it as an actor, I might have wound up a hood. โ Steve Mcqueen
The camera movement should be like a cat jumping onto a tableโwith just enough amount of effort and that’s it. That’s enough. โ Steve Mcqueen
I need to have a reason why I’m doing something. Otherwise I’m lost. โ Steve Mcqueen
People try to contain things by putting them into categories. I don’t. โ Steve Mcqueen
I find it difficult to breathe when l’m in the space. There seems to be no oxygen. I want to put people into a situation where they’re sensitive to themselves watching the piece. โ Steve Mcqueen
I always feel I’m an amateur. I don’t most of the time know what I’m doing. โ Steve Mcqueen
I think as an actor, you’re more like a dancer, and you have to use your body. I don’t understand all these questions about nudity. It’s a nonsense. He’s an actor, an artist, so get on with it. โ Steve Mcqueen
More Phrases From Steve Mcqueen
Watching the uk tv version of lynda la plante’s original thriller as a teenager in the 80s had a major impact on me and so it feels very special to be sharing this film with a uk audience. โ Steve Mcqueen
I believe in me. I’m a little screwed up, but I’m beautiful. โ Steve Mcqueen
When I did ‘The Great Escape,’ I kept thinking, ‘If they were making a movie of my life, that’s what they’d call itโthe great escape.’ โ Steve Mcqueen
I don’t know why it (stardom) happenedโbut it’s kinda nice. Maybe it’s because I’m someone off the streets. Maybe people relate to me. โ Steve Mcqueen
Sometimes you have to bend with the breeze or you break. โ Steve Mcqueen
When I walk out into the street or go to the toilet, I don’t think of myself as being black. Of course, other people think of me as black when I walk into a pub. Obviously being black is a part of me. โ Steve Mcqueen
Every time I start thinking the world is all bad, then I start seeing people out there having a good time on motorcycles. It makes me take another look. โ Steve Mcqueen
Deeper Quotes From Steve Mcqueen
The world is as good as you are. You’ve got to learn to like yourself first. โ Steve Mcqueen
Stardom equals freedom. It’s the only equation that matters. โ Steve Mcqueen
When a horse learns to buy martinis, I’ll learn to like horses. โ Steve Mcqueen
I hope you find what you’re looking for. โ Steve Mcqueen
Anything that doesn’t make sense, I don’t want to give too much of my brain to. โ Steve Mcqueen
Redundant Thematics
In Steve Mcqueen Statements
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I have difficulty putting words in peoples’ mouths. The best dialogue is very, very thin dialogue; you let people improvise and then basically you record what they’ve improvised and then write it down. โ Steve Mcqueen
As far as art and filmmaking is concerned, I don’t see there’s any separation; it’s just one continuous thing. โ Steve Mcqueen
Amazing Thoughts From Steve Mcqueen
Often the best way to relax is just to go back to work. โ Steve Mcqueen
I don’t want to talk about nonsense because it doesn’t help me. โ Steve Mcqueen
When you’re racing, it’s life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting. โ Steve Mcqueen
The hammer dropped at $ 3.4 million, but with buyers’ fees, The total cost is $ 3.74 million. โ Steve Mcqueen
One of the things that make motorcycling so great is because it never fails to give you a feeling of freedom and adventure. โ Steve Mcqueen
I’m not sure that acting is something for a grown man to be doing. โ Steve Mcqueen
Sometimes you have to say goodbye to the things you know and hello to the things you dont. โ Steve Mcqueen
Some Interesting Quotes From Steve Mcqueen
The Navajos have a saying they live by: ‘A land where there is time enough and room enough.’ I want that, too. โ Steve Mcqueen
I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth. โ Steve Mcqueen
I did have wonderful things to draw from, from my own experience and also just from friends and people I’d gone to school with who were very much immersed in this world right now. โ Lily Rabe
I will say that I’ve been lucky enough never to have to do a job I didn’t want to do, or a play I wasn’t in love with. โ Lily Rabe
Nobody trusts anyone, or why did they put tilt on a pinball machine. โ Steve Mcqueen
When I believe in something, I fight like hell for it. โ Steve Mcqueen
For a long time I was cautious of working with my parents because I wanted to feel separate from them in the community. Now there’s no more wasting time. โ Lily Rabe