The name Steve McQueen is synonymous with cool. He was a man’s man, complicated, brave, enigmatic, passionate, and untamed. His exploits on movie screens only hinted at what he was truly like. In Spike TV’s new documentary, we hear about him from friends, family and some famous fans whose own careers have emulated McQueen, but admittedly could never come close to outshining “The King of Cool”.
From Spike TV:
SPIKE TV TO PREMIERE NEW DOCUMENTARY CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND WORK OF HOLLYWOOD LEGEND STEVE McQUEEN
“I Am Steve McQueen” Debuts Tuesday, June 24 Featuring Compelling Interviews With McQueen’s Close Group Of Friends And Family And An All-Star Cast
New York, NY, June 3, 2014 – Spike TV pays homage to one of Hollywood’s iconic movie stars, Steve McQueen, in the original Spike TV documentary “I Am Steve McQueen.” The 90-minute special, narrated by Robert Downey Jr., will premiere on Spike TV, Tuesday, June 24 at 9:00pm ET/PT.
“I Am Steve McQueen” tells the incredible life story of this legendary actor, racer, and cultural icon. Extensive interviews, movie clips, archival footage and sound bites chronicle his extraordinary career while focusing on the correlation between his on-screen and off-screen experiences. The film is produced by Derik Murray and directed by Jeff Renroe.
“I Am Steve McQueen” is told through the eyes of the people that knew him best including much of his family that followed his path into acting including son Chad, (“Karate Kid”), his grandson Steven (“Vampire Diaries”), granddaughter Molly (“Carjacked”) and former wives Neile Adams McQueen (“This Could Be The Night”), Ali MacGraw (“Love Story”), and his widow former model Barbara Minty McQueen. Also featured will be an array of luminaries from Hollywood including Gary Oldman, Pierce Brosnan, Marisa Miller, Robert Vaughn, Randy Couture, John Gilmore, Zoe Bell, Norman Jewison, Kristin Kreuk, and Ben Mankiewicz.
Known as the “King of Cool,” McQueen will forever be known in cinematic lore by his rugged good looks, bad-boy persona, and searing charisma. He grew from a small-town thug to become the highest paid and most sought-after actor of his generation. McQueen’s credits include “The Sand Pebbles” (for which he was nominated for an Academy Award), “The Thomas Crown Affair,” “The Getaway,” “Papillon,” “The Magnificent Seven,” and “The Towering “Inferno.”
McQueen lived fast and drove faster, channeling his passion for racing cars and motorcycles into seminal stunts and chase scenes in classic movies like “The Great Escape” and “Bullitt.”
“In a time of social upheaval, McQueen’s art imitated his life through the cinematic expression of his own true essence,” said Derik Murray, Executive Producer. “McQueen became a symbol of American freedom and individuality and this documentary truly captures his unforgettable spirit.”
Spike TV’s Kevin Kay, Christopher Martello, and Jaimee Kosanke serve as Executive Producers along with Chad McQueen, and Dave Green from McQueen Racing LLC; Tim Gamble from Thunderbird, and Derik Murray, Paul Gertz, Kent Wingerak, Robert Pirooz, David Reeder, and Ali Pejman from Network Entertainment.
The documentary is the latest in Spike TV’s original “I Am” series. The network debuted the critically-acclaimed ‘I Am Bruce Lee” in 2012, also produced by Derik Murray.
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
Editor’s Note dated October 23, 2014:
Video link updated because original from SPIKE is no longer available.
