The King of Cool: A Hollywood legend at ease off the set and on the racetrack

Following a childhood that was unsettled, troubled and sometimes abusive, Steve McQueen built a career on his ability to play brooding and rebellious characters. It’s unsurprising, then, that McQueen made an ideal occupant for the place in front of Barry Feinstein’s lens. What makes Unseen McQueen unexpected is the fact that it’s hard to think of the icon as ‘unseen by any standards. From a Harper’s Bazaar cover to the numerous movie stills from the likes of The Thomas Crown Affair and The Towering Inferno, Steve McQueen’s image is easily recognisable.

So what makes Feinstein’s perspective unique? His proximity to the star. As a friend of McQueen – who shared his love for racing bikes and cars – Feinstein was able to capture an intimate view of McQueen that shows an unusual warmth to the usually ice-cool actor, while proving once again that McQueen’s detached, thoughtful persona was more fact than film fiction.