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Throughout The Vampire Diaries' eight seasons on the air, the show managed to cultivate the kind of fan following that still cares deeply years later. While there are many reasons why Vampire Diaries fans want to know every interesting detail about how the show was made, the series' talented cast played a major role in that.
Given that Nina Dobrev And Ian Somerhalder dated in real life and eventually had a headline-grabbing breakup, they are the cast members who've been discussed the most. However, several other The Vampire Diaries actors deserve to be talked about a lot more.
From the first until the sixth season, Steven R. McQueen was a big part of The Vampire Diaries' success. After departing the show before the seventh season began Steven returned for the eighth season and he guest-starred in the spin-off series Legacies.
Long before Steven became a TV star, he was born with a history in the entertainment industry since his grandfather is the legendary actor Steve McQueen. With that in mind, it begs an obvious question, what kind of relationship did Steven have with his movie star grandfather?
What Kind Of Relationship Did Steven R. McQueen Have With Steve McQueen?
When celebrities have children, most people assume that their children grow up having it easy due to their parent's wealth and fame. What a lot of people fail to consider, however, is how difficult it might be to follow in your famous relative's footsteps.
Of course, there have been some celebrity kids who've managed to meet and even surpass their relative's accomplishments. On the other hand, some stars are so celebrated that it seems impossible that anyone could live up to them, including their children.
When Steven R. McQueen was born, he had so much to live up to that it is staggering.
First off, Steven's father is a martial artist, a former actor from the Karate Kid movies, and a racecar driver who also founded a racing company. On top of that, Steven's mother Stacey also is a former actor and she is a humanitarian.
Even though Steven's parents are impressive, it is his grandfather Steve McQueen who really left his mark on the world. Easily one of the most famous actors of his generation, millions of fans lined up to pay their money to see Steve on the big screen.
Unfortunately for Steven, he never got to meet his legendary grandfather because the elder actor passed away in 1980 and Steven was born in 1988. However, thankfully for Steven, he got a chance to know his famous grandfather a lot better.
In 2014, the documentary I Am Steve McQueen was released and it gave Steven the chance to understand his grandfather and his legacy better. Following the documentary's release, Steven was interviewed by The Wrap.
During the resulting conversation, Steven spoke about how it affected him to see actors he looked up to lavishing praise on his grandfather in the documentary.
“I've always looked up to Gary Oldman. He's always been one of my favorite actors since I can't even remember when. I went the day that they interviewed him and I was in awe, just kind of listening to him speak and getting to shake his hand. It was an incredible experience. I was overwhelmed.”
More importantly, Steven spoke about how the documentary made him feel and what he hoped other young viewers would get out of it.
“I saw the documentary for the first time last night. It was incredible. I never got to meet my grandfather and I'm sure the younger audiences don't know much about him. So, it was cool for myself to learn about him, and hopefully, some people that watch.”
Finally, the most interesting thing Steven said in the interview is that even before he saw that documentary, his grandfather had a huge effect on his life. As Steven revealed, he wouldn't be an actor today if it wasn't for the influence his grandfather had on him even though they never met.
According to Steven, watching his grandfather's movies caused him to have an epiphany that changed the direction of his life. “I was like, ‘Wow, this guy's pretty cool. Maybe, I want to give this a shot.'”
How Did Steve McQueen Pass Away?
After Steve McQueen took Hollywood by storm, he went on to star in several movies that are now considered to be all-time classics. Most notably, Steve headlined movies like The Great Escape, The Blob, The Magnificent Seven, Bullitt, and Papillon among others.
Thanks to the beloved movies that Steve starred in and the effortless charm he carried himself with during interviews, he was often labeled as the "king of cool". Considering the reputation that Steve had throughout his career, many people thought of him as untouchable.
Tragically, no matter how beloved and respected someone may be, that doesn't make them immortal. Still, it was shocking when the world learned that Steve passed away in 1980 at only 50 years old.
After developing a persistent cough and giving up smoking, Steve continued to have trouble breathing. As a result, Steve saw a doctor in December 1970 and he was diagnosed with a form of cancer known as pleural mesothelioma.
As it turns out, developing pleural mesothelioma is associated with asbestos exposure. During an interview, Steve blamed his cancer on being exposed to asbestos in the suits he wore while driving racecars and the insulation that was used on sound stages.
After further tests revealed how quickly Steve's cancer was spreading in his body, doctors told him there was nothing they could do. Not willing to give up, Steve traveled to Mexico to get an unconventional treatment that reportedly cost him $40,000 a month.
After that treatment failed, Steve again traveled to Mexico since American surgeons thought an operation to remove his tumors was too dangerous. After finding Mexican surgeons who were willing to remove the tumors, Steve had a heart attack within hours of the surgery and he passed away.
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