Jeremy Renner to Play Mesothelioma Cancer Victim Steve McQueen in Film

Three decades have done little to
diminish our fascination with
legendary actor Steve McQueen, who died tragically at age 50 of the
asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Today he remains a fixture in pop culture
and garners more attention than the
majority of deceased celebrities.

Now one of the most exciting actors of
our generation – Jeremy Renner is tapped to play McQueen in a new bio-
pic. The as of yet unnamed movie will
be produced by The Combine, a
production house Renner set up
specifically to make the McQueen
picture.

Writer and director James Gray is said to be basing his screenplay on
Marshall Terrill's books Portrait of an American Rebel and The Life and Legend of a Hollywood Icon.

After shooting what would be his last
film, The Hunter in 1979, McQueen was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare but aggressive form of cancer whose
only known cause is exposure to
asbestos. According to his wife
Barbara Minty McQueen, the actor
rarely talked about his mesothelioma, but did say in an interview that is was
caused by asbestos.

McQueen reportedly told doctors he
had regularly used asbestos-lined
suits when he would ride his
motorcycles, and had stripped
asbestos from pipes as a punishment
when he served as a Marine earlier in his life.

After seeking out an experimental
surgery in Juarez, Mexico after
American doctors declared he was too
weak for any surgical procedures,
McQueen passed away on November
7, 1980.

It is unclear if the new film will cover
his later years and struggle with mesothelioma.