Steve McQueen broke all the rules: A word with his widow and author Marshall Terrill

“If Steve McQueen wanted something, he didn’t ask — he simply took. If someone got in his way, he didn’t say sorry — he said, ‘Screw you.’ McQueen was someone who would speak out in situations where polite people never would. He would break the rules…” Hang tight as the King of Cool’s widow Barbara Minty and biographer Marshall Terrill tackle their favorite subject in an exclusive interview. In the accompanying shot the on top of the world superstar, in between classics “The Great Escape” and “The Cincinnati Kid,” stares intently into the camera in an aqua blue Polo shirt circa 1964. Photography by William Claxton

Steve McQueen’s widow Barbara Minty McQueen and biographer Marshall Terrill are pleased with Steve McQueen: The Last Mile…Revisited. Featuring tons of photos from Minty’s private collection and accompanying passages documenting her three and a half years together with the King of Cool, the memoir was three decades in the making.

Affectionately called “Barbi” by her friends, Minty did not begin speaking on her late husband or meeting with fans until roughly 25 years after his death. The former model is also a proud advocate for raising awareness of the dangers of being exposed to asbestos-containing materials. Minty made the bold step of taking her special cause to the nation’s capital, where she addressed the U.S. House of Representatives. Mesothelioma was ultimately responsible for her husband’s untimely passing on November 7, 1980, at the criminally early age of 50.

The down-to-earth widow accepted an invitation to serve as guest of honor at MidAmerica Auctions in Pebble Beach, the site of an auction for several of her husband’s prized motorcycles. Jay Leno was in town, and the comedian interviewed her on his popular web series, Jay Leno’s Garage. Her only other national talk show appearance so far happened on the Late Show with David Letterman some five years earlier in 2007.

Meanwhile, Terrill is a reporter at Arizona State University. In his spare time, he is a prolific biographer with 22 tomes to his credit. Seven of those probe the inner-most thoughts of the King of Cool. Steve McQueen: The Life and Legend of a Hollywood Icon is the place to start.

Another recommended Terrill book is Steve McQueen: A Tribute to the King of Cool, which leads with a foreword by Minty. Rather than being a straight biography, it is 384 pages filled with passages written by McQueen’s closest friends and associates. With over 600 black and white and color photographs, often full-page, the massive coffee table book is every collector’s dream.

In an exclusive conversation, the dynamic duo touch on a number of intriguing topics. Stick around to learn why McQueen had a tendency to get into trouble on movie sets, whether he was still a driven individual when he found true love for the third time, why…