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Steve McQueen said that he wanted to leave Wanted Dead or Alive to pursue a film career, but CBS refused
"I've felt for some time that Westerns are on the way out," said the actor.
Steve McQueen was never one to hold back his true feelings on personal matters. The actor became known for his blunt nature, with plenty of audiences even admiring him for it as they grew to love him on the Western series Wanted Dead or Alive.
But when the television series ended after a few years, McQueen admitted that he wasn't necessarily disappointed to see his character, Josh Randall, ride off into the sunset one final time.
"Personally, I'm glad to be out of it," said McQueen during an interview with the Associated Press. "But I get burned up when I think about what happened to the show."
McQueen's issue was less with the series itself and more with the network it premiered on. The actor felt that CBS rescheduled the series' time slot to the detriment of the show.
"For two seasons, it was in the Saturday night lineup - at 8:30, right after Perry Mason," said McQueen. "We had a good, strong show with great ratings. Then this season, CBS made some sort of deal about Checkmate, and they bounced us out and over to Wednesday nights. I knew then that the show would be tromped - Wednesday night is death row on CBS, and they stuck us opposite The Price is Right."
While the new schedule served as the death knell of Wanted Dead or Alive, McQueen maintained that the series most likely wouldn't have lasted long anyhow.
"I've felt for some time that Westerns are on the way out, and last year I wanted to leave the show," said McQueen. "We got into a terrible hassle about it, but they wouldn't let me down. What still bothers me is that I was turning down picture offers right and left."
After the series ended, McQueen was able to pursue a career in film, just as he had always dreamed of. "It's fantastic," said the actor. "I know that swinging from television to motion pictures is always a precarious thing. But two major studios have offered me great deals - one picture a year for five years for $1 million and a percentage of the profits, and I can do other things as well."
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