Steve McQueen's on-set behavior might surprise you

Plus, how he learned to make a "standing leap" onto a horse!

March 4, 2025, 9:43AM By MeTV Staff

CBS Television Distribution

Unruly conduct goes hand-in-hand with Hollywood success. The more money an actor makes, the more opportunity there is just to act horribly. Unfortunately, we can all rattle off a list of rude— and potentially dangerous— stories involving our favorite movie and television stars. Sure, the disastrous behavior might turn off some fans, but for the most part, the money faucets stay on,

It might surprise you, then, when one of Hollywood's most notorious bad boys left behind a great impression with an early role. While Steve McQueen may have had a bitter feud with a horse, he was otherwise pretty well-behaved on the set of Wanted: Dead or Alive, at least according to one of the show's producers.

In a 2023 interview, producer/director Norman S. Powell spoke at length about his work on bygone Western television shows. In particular, he briefly touched on his time on Wanted: Dead or Alive, where he worked closely with the show's star, Steve McQueen.

Powell described McQueen as "perfectly professional," and said the actor "always knew his lines."

"He was prepared to go," said Powell. "He was good-humored and was an outstanding guy and we became friends."

Fans might be interested to learn that McQueen didn't really have his heart set on becoming a Western star. In fact, when he first showed up, he was missing one particular skill that every cowboy needs.

"I don't think he had ever ridden [a horse] before," said Powell. "In no time he was incredible. He had a unique way of mounting the horse. He would do kind of a standing leap and jam one leg like Roy— he was watching Roy Rogers movies, I guess, because that's what Roy did."

Wanted: Dead or Alive ran for three seasons from 1958 to 1961. McQueen would take his horse-riding skills on to a prolific movie career, where sometimes he'd trade the equine mode of transportation for cars!