> Steve McQueen (1930-1980) had a relatively short film career, but is remembered as one of the most laconic and electrifying, not to mention coolest, actors of a generation. McQueen's screen presence was so intense that he was rarely upstaged by other actors. There's a reason that when most people think of The Magnificent Seven (1960) or The Great Escape (1963), it is McQueen that comes to mind right away - despite the ensemble casts. Following notable roles in the low-budget horror film The Blob (1958) and a starring turn in the CBS western series Wanted: Dead or Alive, McQueen caught the eye of director John Sturges, who subsequently cast him in the scene-stealing part of a cheeky soldier in Never So Few (1959), a WWII film that starred Frank Sinatra and Peter Lawford. Sturges cast him in his next film as well, and in The Magnificent Seven, McQueen made an even bigger impression as a calculating yet wry gunfighter opposite Yul Brynner. His growing, rebellious reputation off screen perfectly matched this solidifying screen image. After memorable stints in the comic The Honeymoon Machine (1961) and the intense combat drama Hell Is for Heroes (1962) (one of his most underrated films), Sturges cast him a third time in the film that finally made him a superstar: The Great Escape. As the memorable "Cooler King," McQueen radiated pure charisma, and he performed many of his own motorcycle stunts.

> McQueen jumped at the chance to earn $100,000 playing an action hero in The Great Escape. In addition to the salary, he was to receive first-class air transportation for his wife, two children, and their nurse and $750 per week in living expenses, all of which was tax-free due to the European location. His screen credits called for his name to lead the cast and appear above the film's title in equal-size type. He also made a major script demand, that his role feature an extended and exciting motorcycle chase. The motorcycle scenes were not in the real-life breakout but were added at McQueen's suggestion because of his own passion for motorcycles. Although McQueen did his own motorcycle riding, there was one dangerous motorcycle stunt he did not perform: the hair-raising 60-foot jump over a border fence. McQueen attempted the jump, but crashed, fortunately without major injury. McQueen's friend Bud Elkins, who was managing a Los Angeles area motorcycle shop when recruited for the stunt, eventually performed it. This stunt marked the beginning of a new career for Elkins, as he later stunt-doubled for McQueen in the influential and spectacular car chase sequence in Bullitt (1968). Despite Elkins covering for McQueen in the risky jump stunt in The Great Escape, McQueen played stuntman for other actors during production. In one scene, he doubles as a German motorcycle soldier who is pursuing McQueen's character. So in a sense, he is chasing himself via the invisible art of editing. Motorcycle enthusiasts claim to be able to tell which soldier is actually McQueen, based on his riding style. McQueen was the consummate speed freak both on and off the screen, having collected more than 40 speeding tickets from German police while shooting The Great Escape on location.