A few months ago, Screen Rant reported that a biopic about the legendary Steve McQueen was in the works. It is to be based on McQueen’s autobiography, entitled Steve McQueen: Portrait of an American Rebel, and is to concentrate mainly on his acting career, with just a few dashes of his off-screen liking for motorbikes, fast cars and drugs. However, at the point of the project being announced there was no actor lined up to play him, with Daniel Craig’s name being mentioned merely by film fans on message boards.
However, cut to a few months later and the Steve McQueen biopic is getting ready to go, with a certain mega-famous actor apparently in talks to play the legendary film star: Brad Pitt.
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According to The Examiner, Pitt is, “about to sign on,” to play McQueen, but nothing is said of the reason why he was chosen. There is speculation that it’s because of Pitt’s resemblance to McQueen (he’s not exact, but who is?), as well as him sharing love with McQueen for, “beautiful women, fast cars and motorcycles.” I can see where people are coming from on both fronts – the name recognition doesn’t exactly hurt, either.
Also, Pitt has certainly shown in the past that he has the natural charisma (particularly in the Ocean’s series) to pull off the “king of cool” persona on-screen.
Who better to play the world-renowned film star than the current most famous actor on the planet? I’m not saying that should be the reason to pick who portrays McQueen – it should be about acting talent, particularly the ability for great personification – but it sort of makes sense, in a weird kind of way.
In addition to being wishfully mentioned by film fans that Daniel Craig should be given the role, McQueen’s third wife, Barbara, also expressed interest in him being the one to portray her late husband. I guess, since she probably won’t have anything to do with the biopic, producers Christine Peters and Michael Carenzie aren’t listening too closely to her or any of McQueen’s family members on matters of casting.
Remember, this isn’t absolute concrete news that Pitt is going to be playing the “king of cool,” but it’s at least looking possible. If it does turn out to be Pitt who lands the role, I won’t have any complaints. If they were going for pure resemblance, though, I would go with Craig…
What is your thoughts on the possibility of Brad Pitt playing Steve McQueen? Would you prefer Pitt over Craig?
The Steve McQueen biopic is set to start production sometime later this year.
Sources: The Examiner and Cinematical
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15 Comments
I can see this. Looks like biopics and reboots are the Hollywood buzz-words these days.
I would like to see film makers start using more of this benjamin button technology that they also used for terminator for movies like this and allow steve mcqueen to play himself in his own biopic
Just gonna toss this out there, but when I saw Terminator Salvation, I couldn’t help but think of Steve McQueen every time Sam Worthington was onscreen. This was further cemented when he jumped the fence on the motorcycle, and my friend sitting next to me that I kept telling he looked like Steve McQueen just stared at me in amazement. I say screw Pitt, and let this up and comer take it on.
As much as I liked Steven McQueen, if Pitt is playing him, I’m not going to watch it, oh well.
@huntthejest
I don’t know if I think Worthington looks like McQueen, but I would rather them have him play McQueen any day over Pitt. And Worthington has the acting chops to back it up.
Surely British talent Damian Lewis is the man for the job.
Yeah, I’d really like to see Daniel Craig play him, personally.
Brad Pitt is the best. People shouldn’t hold his good looks against him. I guess they are just jealous…Vivian
Damian Lewis woul be good choice.
But what do you think about “Life On Mars” Actor Jason O’Mara ?
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I don’t think Pitt should play him. I actually enjoy most of what he does, but I think the fact that he’s Brad Pitt is going to overshadow the fact that he’s supposed to be playing Steve McQueen.
Steve McQueen was big in his day, and is arguably still pretty famous, but chances are more of the mainstream knows Pitt better than they do McQueen. I feel like the best way to honor McQueen is to get people to come to the movie to watch his story, not to watch another Brad Pitt vehicle.
Worthington’s a good choice since he’s not famous (yet).
I don’t mind Pitt, but his type of “cool” is way different from McQueen’s “cool”, you have to look at it from the eras. Pitt’s cool is taken from mainstream media’s outlook on what is “cool” which I personally don’t find cool at all, just a fad. McQueen’s cool is taken from the era of grit, muscle cars, manly attitudes, etc.
Look at the pictures, Pitt looks like he belongs on a Vogue Magazine spread, McQueen looks like one of the boys after a long day’s work at the steel mill head out for some beers. The same type of presence that Bronson, Eastwood, Lee Marvin had. That bad ass type of cool that you really don’t find nowadays with young male actors.
Plus I also think that we have made McQueen’s “king of cool” stature as something of a legend which it really should not be. Don’t get me wrong, McQueen is THE MAN, I am named after him, but I think we have romanticized it kinda like James Dean “live fast die young” mantra. Get what Im saying?
Also, like what Josh R said, if you have no idea who McQueen is–being young, and you saw that pic of McQueen on the bike on the Great Escape set, you’d wonder why they call this guy the ‘King of Cool’, he doesn’t look cool at all compared to Pitt on the left, right? Its the way what is identified as what is cool now. Josh R has it right, introduce new audiences to why McQueen was cool in the first place. Pitt can try but he cannot shake away his already pretty boy image, which is his cool.
Or go with Worthington cause right now he seems to be the new guy on the street who actually has the same attitude that McQueen, Bronson, Eastwood and Marvin had back in the day.
@SK-47
I think Daniel Craig gives off the same vibe as McQueen and that’s why I wish he’d play the role.
Vic
@Vic
Yeah, that is what I was thinking as well, both on screen and his personal life, it is like Craig is a remnant of that group of guys. But not he has the James Bond stigma on him, he can shake it off but I can see on some Entertainment news sites ‘James Bond takes on McQueen’ as the headline.
No one can ever play Steve Mcqueen he was the best. I can’t even think of one person. Not even Brad Pitt can fill his shoes..
I really wouldn’t want to see Brad Pitt portraying Steve McQueen either. I don’t hate Brad Pitt, but he’s to popular in his own right to portray Steve McQueen. I think his popularity would definitely overshadow his portrayal of McQueen. I would much prefer to see someone like Craig or someone fairly new to the screen portray him. I think then I would take the McQueen bio pic more to seriously.
Brad Pitt is too much of a pretty boy to play McQueen… We don’t need Steve McQueen worrying about his hair or anything like that…
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