McQueen, Steve (Terrence Steve McQueen)

Deaf in his left ear from age 6, caused by a mastoid infection. At age 20, while scuba diving, the damage became permanent when his eardrum ruptured from the water pressure while he was scuba diving. Born into a dysfunctional family near Indianapolis, he led a troubled youth until being "straightened out" by a stay at Boys Republic, a reform school in California. 1946-1957, he kicked around in a variety of jobs plus a military enlistment until he entered TV acting in 1957. He made the jump to movies and became a major star, winning an Academy Award (Oscar) in 1966 for his role in The Sand Pebbles. Reporters considered him a difficult and uncooperative person to interview, because McQueen's deafness made him concerned that he might misunderstand their questions and give answers that could make him look foolish. His health declined in the mid-1970s, and in 1979 he was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer, from which he died the next year.