'60s Legend Steve McQueen Often Demanded Free Things On Film Sets (But He Had A Great Reason)

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The following article includes allegations of child abuse.

Steve McQueen died in 1980 at just 50, but his legend as one of Hollywood's coolest leading men has lived on. The Academy Award-nominated actor embodied the dashing tough guy persona on the screen. And, off-screen, he didn't seem to be all that different. McQueen had famously long fights with fellow actors Paul Newman and Yul Brenner that make Lindsay Lohan's biggest celeb feuds look tame, and was reportedly a difficult actor for directors to work with. One aspect of McQueen's on-set attitude that was often derided was his demand that studios supply him with personal items like toothbrushes and toothpaste in bulk, and even clothes. But the actor wasn't hoarding the items; he was sending them to the place that changed his life for the better. 

McQueen would take the items studios were contractually obligated to give him and bring them to the Boys Republic, a California boarding school for troubled youth that he had once attended himself. Along with sending the boys much-needed items, McQueen would also answer letters that the teens at Boys Republic would send him. And, when he wasn't working, the star would sneak off to the school, leaving the press behind and spending weekends there to meet with the young men and show them that they too could have a better life. He even brought his then-wife, Ali MacGraw — an Old Hollywood celeb who can still rock a red carpet look – to visit the boys. In 1962, he set up a scholarship at the boarding school, ensuring that every year, one graduate would be able to go to the college of his choice. Even now, McQueen's legacy continues to help the Boys Republic through the Steve McQueen Car and Motorcycle Show, which has raised over $4 million for the school. 

Steve McQueen's father, a circus stunt pilot, abandoned the family when the actor was still a baby. His mother, searching for a way to provide for her son, ended up in a string of abusive relationships, marrying more terrible men than McQueen could count. Before he turned 10, McQueen ran away and, perhaps hoping to follow in his father's footsteps, joined the circus. In time, McQueen returned to Los Angeles. Not unlike his rival Paul Newman, McQueen ran into trouble with the law. After he was caught stealing hubcaps, McQueen's mom felt she had no choice but to hand her son over to the Boys Republic. It ended up being the best thing she could do for him. 

The movie icon would later say that the school was where his life started to turn around, but it wasn't easy. After years of abuse, McQueen was quick to distrust authority figures and tended to lash out at others. This put McQueen into a cycle of punishment at the school until one man, Mr. Panter, broke the rhythm by instead encouraging McQueen to "Give life an honest shot." In Marshall Terrill's "Steve McQueen: Portrait of an American Rebel," McQueen credits Panter with turning his life around, saying: "No one in authority ever talked to me like that. No one seemed to give a damn about my future life as an adult – but he did, and it meant a lot to me."

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.