MovieChat Forums > Steve McQueen Discussion > Why was he so popular?

Why was he so popular?


I don't think he's good looking. Just average looking. So was his acting incredible or something?

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As previous posters have said, he had incredible presence on the big screen, the kind of cool quiet charisma that smoldered for both women & men -- women wanted him, men wanted to be him -- and yet he also had that boyish, even sometimes lightly goofiness that was irresistibly charming … which in the blink of an eye could become an intense steeliness that was both impenetrable & invincible, the sort of force that could easily threaten even the toughest of men without ever having to boast or swagger. And then, in another blink of the eye, he could give you the warmest, friendliest "aw shucks" smile you've ever seen, completely open & honest.

Even among other Stars, he was a Star.

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Yes, McQueen could turn the boyish, innocent charm on and off like a faucet when he chose to. That was part of his mystique - behind all the cool there was a vulnerable and in some ways innocent child still underneath which surfaced fleetingly on a few rare occasions.

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[deleted]

Charisma, acting ability, masculinity, good looks, intelligence, a sense of humor, and on and on. But if you have to have it explained to you, you'll probably never get it.

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