The iconic role nobody wanted Steve McQueen to play: “No way, you’re not right for the part”
Even several decades on from his untimely d_ath in 1980, few actors embody the idea of on-screen coolness quite like Steve McQueen.
The Indiana-born star was as hot as hot could be during the 1960s, the perfect vessel for the growing counterculture movement that resented authority and respected a headstrong individual who bowed to no one.
His performances in The Magnificent Seven, Bullitt, and The Great Escape are still as captivating now as they were over 60 years ago, and McQueen’s legacy has snowballed into a character all of its own.
Another stellar performance from the man also known as ‘Harvey Mushman’ can be found in the 1968 heist movie, The Thomas Crown Affair. The titular character, played by McQueen, is a rich and handsome businessman who has grown tired of getting everything he wants.
To inject some excitement into his life, he plans a bank robbery. This gets him entangled with reporter Vicki Anderson (Faye Dunaway), which makes things far more complicated than he could have imagined.
The movie, which was directed by the legendary Norman Jewison, received mixed reviews from contemporary critics, with one of the few consistent high points being McQueen’s acting.
A good-looking success story with a self-destructive streak – McQueen basically was Crown. Casting him should have been a no-brainer, but in reality, it was anything but.