Born on this day in Beech Grove, Indiana, actor Terrence Steve McQueen (1930-1980) once said of his upbringing, "I'm out of the Midwest. It was a good place to come from. It gives you a sense of right or wrong and fairness, which is lacking in our society."

Before acting, McQueen spent time in reform school and was a U.S. Marine, lumberjack, encyclopedia salesman, and bartender. In 1958, he scored the lead in the cult classic The Blob, then landed the starring role in the TV western Wanted: Dead or Alive.

By the 1960s, he was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, drawing $1 million for his role as the tough San Francisco cop in Bullitt (1968), which featured a memorable car chase, called the screen's best by many buffs. He was unforgettable as the singer in Baby, the Rain Must Fall (1965) and gambler in The Cincinnati Kid (1965). He received an Oscar nomination for The Sand Pebbles (1966).

McQueen was a rare breed of movie stars with potent sex appeal. His screen presence was described by NY Times critic Renata Adler as "a special kind of aware, existential cool--less taut and hard-shell like Bogart, less lost and adrift than Mastroianni, a little of both."

An uncompromising antihero with icy blue eyes, clipped unemotional voice, and neat movements, McQueen was trained in martial arts by Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. Throughout his career, he dominated the screen with a dangerous edge. He was exciting to watch in action. "When I believe in something, I fight like hell for it," he once said.

Keep your eyes on the goal: Focus. Concentrate. Do.