Steve McQueen's Widow Wants Daniel Craig for a Biopic
Filed under: Action, Drama, Casting, Western, Daniel Craig
I'm not sure how much we need a biopic about Steve McQueen, who was arguably the coolest movie star ever, but that isn't stopping the actor's widow from suggesting the person to play him. Barbara McQueen Brunsvold, who was McQueen's third wife and who was only married to him for less than a year before he died, wants Daniel Craig to portray the Bullitt star if there's ever a movie about him. She recently co-authored a book of photographs of her and McQueen's three-and-a-half years together, titled Steve McQueen: The Last Mile. Whether she hopes to sell the rights to her story is unclear. McQueen, who died of cancer in 1980 (well, technically of two heart attacks following surgery), has been the subject of many books, including one by his first wife, actress Neile Adams, called My Husband, My Friend: A Memoir, and one by actress Barbara Leigh called The King, McQueen and the Love Machine: My Secret Life with Elvis Presley, Steve McQueen and the Smiling Cobra, either of which is probably more detailed about the time periods in which Craig would most suitably appear.
Though Craig doesn't look too much like McQueen, I have to agree that he may be the closest thing possible; plus, he's almost as cool. Brunsvold states that Craig, "kinda has that swagger, the good looks -- if I wasn't married I'd date him." The only other actor who might be be able to pull it off is Colin Farrell, who supposedly idolizes McQueen and credits him as his greatest influence. Anyway, because this isn't a real project just yet, there isn't much point in giving the suggestions much thought. But here's an uninteresting and useless bit of trivia, at least: McQueen starred in the original version of The Thomas Crown Affair, which was remade with Pierce Brosnan in the lead. Brosnan and Craig have both played James Bond.
[via Fark.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-17-2009 @ 8:40PM
Cloclo said...
Daniel Craig is too manly and muscular, plus his facial traits are too chiseled and angular. What made Steve McQueen so appealing was his boyish face, his cute smile, his devilish blue eyes and his cockiness and legendary coolness.
The closest actor that has just about all these traits is JEFFREY DONOVAN from Burn Notice (check out his photo album).
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9-25-2009 @ 12:33AM
tracy said...
I dont know how this article popped up in one of my recent google searches......but heck, I will have to comment after reading it.
Daniel Craig for Steve McQueen? Hell NO....yeah, Craig is cool and all that but I don't think he can carry the charater. A Steve McQueen biopic is something huge.....which in most (successful) cases require an actor who is not so hugely blockbuster-popular. They need to cast someone whom everyone knows/recognises but not hugely popular. My final verdict: DAMIAN LEWIS. He is a damn good actor, plus he is cool & charming in his own way plus he does look like Steve McQueen. In case some may ask, Damian who?....he was the lead in HBO Band of Brothers and NBC Life.
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6-22-2007 @ 5:40PM
YouFaceTheTick said...
Craig doesn't look like McQueen? Say wha? Craig looks strangely like McQueen's offspring. He's thicker than McQueen but otherwise it wouldn't be a stretch to see them as related.
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6-22-2007 @ 9:54PM
Peter Howell said...
Check out Craig in Layer Cake.
He seems like he's auditioning to be Steve McQueen.
And I think he does look like him.
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6-25-2007 @ 2:01PM
mseve68 said...
Colin Farrell? Not in a million years would he be able to pull this off. And I really don't want to see him with blonde hair again. Daniel Craig would be the better choice.
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7-06-2007 @ 9:43AM
Ray said...
..and Pierce Brosnan was in "The Matador" with Greg Kinnear who was in "As Good As It Gets" with Jack Nicholson who was in "A Few Good Men" with KEVIN BACON!!!!!!!
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10-30-2007 @ 5:59PM
mxbishop said...
The best person to play Steve McQueen would be Damien Lewis of "Band of Brothers" fame. You can currently see him on a new TV show called "Life".
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7-12-2008 @ 11:44PM
leon said...
I agree. I really hope a movie comes out sooner than later. Steve McQueen is a fantastic story worth the telling. I hope they start in his childhood where all his problems began. He is an American icon....so get busy Hollywood!