Steve McQueen

by Greg Laurie

  Except for the din of the engines, the flight back to Oxnard is quiet. After a while I turn to Mike and ask him (only half kiddingly), to “tell me a happy story.” Oh, how I needed a happy story.

  Turns out, he’s got a good one.

  When the call came after Steve McQueen’s death requesting that Mike and Ken Haas jet back to El Paso, he remembers while driving to the Oxnard airport, “All I could think about was how sad this would be for Steve’s family. We had two Learjets—one for Steve’s family and doctors, the other for Steve’s casket. I flew Steve’s body behind the family plane.” After departing El Paso, Grady Ragsdale entered the cabin and asked if Jugan and Haas could both do a “low pass” when they reached the Santa Paula Airport—an aviator’s tribute. They said they’d be glad to.

  Earlier, Leonard deWitt had conducted three services at Ventura Missionary Church, where McQueen’s regular seat in the balcony was marked with a bouquet of roses and a small American flag. Barbi read the Twenty-third Psalm.

  “When we reduced speed, full flaps, gear down and were about a hundred feet off the ground, making our low pass along runway 22,” Mike says, “a crowd of about fifty people had gathered outside, waving good-bye to Steve. Over the Unicom frequency I heard a voice say, ‘God bless you, Steve.’ Man, talk about goose bumps!”

  A few days later on Sunday, November 9, 1980, a private memorial service was held for Steve at the ranch. Earlier, Leonard DeWitt had conducted three services at Ventura Missionary Church, where McQueen’s regular seat in the balcony was marked with a bouquet of roses and a small American flag. Barbi read the Twenty-third Psalm. The congregation sang the National Anthem in McQueen’s honor.

  The ranch service was more informal. Among the four dozen or so in attendance were his twenty-one-year-old daughter Terry, his nineteen-year-old son Chad, and Steve’s former wives, Neile McQueen and Ali MacGraw. Pastor DeWitt spoke, and so did Sammy Mason.

  “Steve operated at one speed—as fast as he could go,” said Sammy, “and he never knew the word quit. He would always insist on flying as long as possible to total exhaustion. Yet he was always willing to take instruction.”

  Sammy’s most important instructions of all were the ones that were lovingly delivered to Steve, the ones that saved his eternal soul.

  This book has been an amazing journey for me. It’s been a deep privilege to tell the salvation story of a true American icon. I had always been a fan and admirer of Steve McQueen, but along the way I’ve discovered lots of things about him I had not previously known.

  One of the most surprising discoveries, and one that touched me in quite a personal way, was the eerie similarities of our early lives. I don’t often meet someone else raised by an alcoholic mother who later searched for his real father. It happened to Steve, and it happened to me.

  McQueen and I have another thing in common: we both put our faith in Jesus Christ. Steve is in heaven because of that decision.

  It is no small thing that the number-one movie star in the world became a Christian at the peak of his success. The world was McQueen’s oyster. The deeper he drank of her pleasures, the thirstier he became. But in the cockpit of an antique Stearman biplane, a seed was sown in Steve’s heart that germinated in the balcony of Ventura Missionary Church, thanks to the gospel message presented by Pastor Leonard DeWitt.

  Steve’s conversion was absolutely real, and his faith grew stronger through the vicious onslaught of the cancer that ended his life. Today Steve McQueen is more alive than ever. Not just on celluloid but in heaven.

  Steve’s great regret in life was that he was not able to use his massive platform as an internationally known personality to share the story of what Jesus did for him.

  That’s why I wrote this book—to right that wrong.

  One of the influential books Steve McQueen read when he first encountered Jesus Christ was Mere Christianity by Oxford professor C. S. Lewis. In his early life, Lewis was an atheist but came to a deep faith in Jesus Christ and used his scholarly mind to help others see how they could know the Savior personally.

  Steve’s great regret in life was that he was not able to use his massive platform as an internationally known personality to share the story of what Jesus did for him. That’s why I wrote this book—to right that wrong.

  Lewis confronts in that book the dismissive notion that Jesus was merely a good teacher, nothing more. “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher,” he wrote. “He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

  Steve McQueen made his choice.

  He believed, and as a result his sins were forgiven and his past was put behind him. Many of the books and films about Steve’s life tell the story that he came from one of the worst childhoods possible; clawed his way to the top of the Hollywood ladder; was an expert driver and motorcycle rider, a man’s man and a charismatic superstar of cinema; then contracted cancer and died, leaving behind a legacy of cool.

  But there is so much more to his story than that. Yes, Steve did all of the above. But there was always a big hole in his heart, a gaping hole he tried to fill with possessions, accomplishments, fame, women, booze, and drugs. He was not unlike many others in that regard. Maybe this is you.

  Steve was on a search his entire life. Yes, he wanted a father. But more than just his biological father, I think he was always searching for God Himself.

  Steve was once quoted as saying, “I know I’m going to die early, so I’m going to have to grab a big slice of life.” He got a bigger slice than most, but it crumbled to ashes. Steve was on a search his entire life. Yes, he wanted a father. But more than just his biological father, I think he was always searching for God Himself.

  Every man, every woman is on that search.

  What is the script Steve wanted others to read and hear and believe, the one that changed this Hollywood bad boy into a man who came to know God? The Bible calls this singular message “the gospel.”

  It comes down, again, to the definition of the word gospel—“good news”—truly good news in a bad world.

  But before we can fully appreciate the Good News, we need to know the bad. The Bad News is that every man or woman who’s ever drawn a breath has sinned. What does that really mean? The word sin has multiple meanings ranging from “missing a mark” to “crossing a line.”

  You and I have done both.

  God gave us divine standards to live by called the Ten Commandments (not, as some would have us think, the Ten Suggestions). The commandments instruct us to not steal, lie, commit adultery, take God’s name in vain, and more.

  Jesus came to pay a debt He did not owe because you and I owed a debt we could not pay.

  All of us have broken those commandments.

  Maybe you think, Well, I’m not as bad as some people are. While that may be true, you need to know that God doesn’t grade on the curve. The Bible tells us if we “offend in one point” of the law, we are “guilty of all” of it (James 2:10 KJV).

  God’s mark for humanity is perfection.

  “So, who can live like that?”

  The answer is nobody.

  That’s where Jesus comes in. That’s why He came to this earth, in fact. Like Steve McQueen chartering a jet to Mexico, it was really a rescue operation. But this operation was successful.

  Jesus was God born in that Christmas manger in Bethlehem. God became a man and walked among us. God, the sovereign and holy Creator of the universe, had a face. He walked in our shoes; He breathed our air; He lived our lives; then He died our death.


  No one forced Jesus to go to that cross He was nailed to. He did it voluntarily for you and for me. On the cross, He absorbed the judgment of God that should have come on you and me, and Jesus took it upon Himself.

  Jesus came to pay a debt He did not owe because you and I owed a debt we could not pay.

  But He did not stay on that cross.

  Three days later, He rose again from the dead. And now, this same Jesus who lived, died, and rose from the dead is standing right before you as you read these very words, saying, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20 NKJV).

  Jesus is waiting to come into your life.

  As we’ve discovered in this story, Jesus was knocking on Steve’s McQueen’s door relentlessly throughout the years. And finally, when he had come to the “end of himself,” he came to the beginning of God, and he believed.

  I have good news for you—Jesus Christ can come into your life too. Right now!

  But how, you may wonder?

  First of all, you need to admit you’re a sinner. Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, God’s perfection.

  Then, realize Jesus died on that cross for your sins.

  Third, you must repent of your sin. Turn away from those things you regret. To repent means to be sorry for your sins and to change your direction, to hang a McQueen-caliber U-turn in the road of life. Instead of running away from God, you need to run to Him. He welcomes you with open arms.

  Lastly, you need to ask Jesus Christ to come into your life. That is accomplished through prayer.

  You can start right now by saying aloud:

  “Lord Jesus. I know that I am a sinner. I also know that you are the Savior who died on the cross for my sin. Jesus, I am sorry for my sin and I turn from it now. I ask you to come into my heart and life to be my God and friend. I choose to follow you all the days of my life. Thank you for loving me and accepting me, in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

  If you just prayed that prayer, you can know with confidence that Jesus Christ Himself has come to take residence in your heart, just as He did for Steve McQueen, for me, and for countless others down through history.

  If this book has changed your life or outlook, I would love to hear from you personally. You can email me at Greg@harvest.org.

  May God bless you, my friend.

  Proof of Life – Steve McQueen’s original birth certificate, which finally surfaced in 2016 thanks to the dogged efforts of Diane Sharp, head of the Genealogy Collection at the Indiana State Library. The March 24, 1930, birth certificate lists his parents as William McQueen and Jullian Crawford. Courtesy of the Indiana State Library.

  St. Francis Hospital in Beech Grove, Indiana, circa 1927 – This photo was taken approximately three years before Steve McQueen was born. He lived in Beech Grove for the first few years of his life with his mother and maternal grandparents. Courtesy of St. Francis Hospital.

  Thomson homestead – Steve McQueen moved to Slater, Missouri, sometime in the early to mid-1930s to stay with his Uncle Claude Thomson, who ran a bustling hog farm. Claude was the first of several father figures Steve accumulated throughout his life. Courtesy of Slater Main Street News.

  William McQueen with native – a rare and vintage photo of Steve McQueen’s father, William, on one of his many travels as a merchant marine. Steve searched for his father for many years, but the two men never met. Courtesy of Terri McQueen.

  It’s a Drag – Main Street in Slater, Missouri during the 1930s, the same decade when Steve McQueen walked these streets. It was and still is an agricultural and hog farming community, but has seen a steady decline in its population in the last half-century. Courtesy of Slater Main Street News.

  Abbott’s Chapel – Orearville School, the one-room schoolhouse outside of Slater where Steve McQueen was first educated. It now sits just off Main Street and has been converted into a chapel. Courtesy of Marshall Terrill.

  Boys Republic – Steve McQueen’s delinquent behavior as a teen landed him at the Boys Republic in 1945. This team photo of the baseball team is the only physical proof of his 14-month stay at the reform school. He credited Boys Republic with turning his life around and bequeathed $200,000 to them in death. Courtesy of the Boys Republic.

  Marines – Steve McQueen enlisted in the United States Marines in 1947 when he was 17. He was assigned to a tank unit and credits the organization with giving him much needed discipline and a jumping off point for acting. Courtesy of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

  First headshot – A girlfriend once told Steve he was “kooky” and charismatic, and should try his hand at acting. He found a sanctuary at Sanford Meisner’s Playhouse. This is his first professional headshot, circa early 1950s. Courtesy of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

  Girl on the Run – Fame didn’t come very quickly to McQueen and like many other beginners, he took whatever he could to build acting credits. McQueen served as an extra in two scenes in “Girl On the Run,” a 1953 film that was unmemorable and quickly faded into the sunset. Courtesy of Astor Pictures.

  The Great Escape – Steve McQueen was an expert motorcycle rider and used those skills in “The Great Escape,” his breakout role. The World War II epic catapulted McQueen to international stardom in 1963 and made him the first television star to successfully transition to film. Courtesy of United Artists Films.

  Cry Baby Cry –“Hatful of Rain” was Steve McQueen’s first big break on Broadway, but he found the live stage difficult to conquer. Specifically, he didn’t like emoting or long lines of dialogue, which he is doing in this photo with actor Harry Guardino. Sadly, McQueen washed out after three months. Courtesy of Donna Redden.

  The Teacher and his Pupil – Steve McQueen was selected to the prestigious Actors Studio in New York, headed by Lee Strasberg. The famed acting coach respected McQueen’s acting talents, but abhorred his self-serving behavior and asked him to leave. New York was a dead end by the late 1950s, and so McQueen headed for Hollywood. Courtesy of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

  Good Ol’ Josh – America was first introduced to Steve McQueen as bounty hunter Josh Randall in “Wanted: Dead or Alive.” The CBS television series debuted in 1958 and made McQueen a household name. Courtesy of CBS Television.

  A Night on the Town – Steve with first wife Neile and his mother, Julian, for a night on the town in New York City, late 1950s. His mother was a constant source of heartbreak and they barely reconciled their differences when she passed away in 1965. Courtesy of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

  Party Animal – As McQueen’s stardom grew, so did his appetite for drugs, alcohol and indiscriminate sex. Here he is at a party with wife Neile in the late 1960s. Courtesy of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

  The Kids – Steve McQueen’s children, Terry Leslie and Chadwick Steven, brought him great joy. Despite his painful childhood, Steve McQueen was a kind and loving father to his children. Courtesy of Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

  A Fast Machine – Lt. Frank Bullitt and his Ford Mustang took audiences for a thrill ride in 1968’s “Bullitt.” The cop drama was McQueen’s defining role and one of the biggest grossing films of the decade. It minted the actor into a bonafide superstar. Courtesy of Warner-7 Arts.

  Epic Soldier – Director Robert Wise guided Steve McQueen to his first and only Academy Award nomination in “The Sand Pebbles.” The 1966 movie epic was shot almost entirely on location in Taiwan. Courtesy of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

  Paris, Anyone? – Steve McQueen was the No. 1 movie star in the world and wildly popular with the public as evidenced in this 1964 trip to Paris, France, where he and his wife attended the premiere of “Love With the Proper Stranger.” Courtesy of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

  Speed Racer – “Le Mans” was the 1971 racing film that unraveled Steve McQueen’s personal and profession
al life at the start of the decade. While it is hailed as a cult film today, the movie was problematic and underscored McQueen’s out of control ego. Courtesy of National General Pictures.

  Steve and Ali - McQueen found love and box-office success again in “The Getway.” His co-star in the 1972 heist film was Ali MacGraw, whom he later married. Their union was passionate but stormy, lasting approximately five years. Courtesy of Karen Hornbaker.

  Two for the Show – “The Towering Inferno” united two of the decade’s brightest stars in Paul Neman (left) and Steve McQueen (right). The 1974 disaster film gave McQueen an opportunity to catch up to Newman. The foot race left McQueen emotionally drained and wanting to take a break from the industry. Courtesy of Twentieth Century-Fox and Warner Bros.

  Butterfly in Bloom – Steve McQueen hit his creative stride as a safe-cracking thief in “Papillon.” Many believe the 1973 worldwide smash was his finest cinematic work. Courtesy of Allied Artists.

  Bearded and Guarded – After the monster success of “The Towering Inferno,” Steve McQueen grew his hair long and sprouted a large beard and became nearly unrecognizable. In this mid-1970s photo, the light has clearly left his eyes. Courtesy of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

  Learning to Fly – In 1979, Steve McQueen moved to Santa Paula, California, known as the “Antique Airplane Capital of the World” so he could indulge in his latest passion – flying planes. He and Barbara Minty moved into an airplane hangar where they lived with a collection of planes, cars, motorcycles and antique toys. Courtesy of Barbara Minty McQueen.

  Father Figure – In Santa Paula, McQueen not only found a pilot but a father figure in Sammy Mason. His influence on McQueen was profound and eventually led him to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Courtesy of Barbara Minty McQueen.