The legendary feud between Steve McQueen and Yul Brynner on the set of The Magnificent Seven only came to an end when McQueen was on his deathbed, two decades after the film's production. The classic Western, airing on BBC Two today, was marred by intense rivalry between the two stars.
The Origins of the Feud
In 1960, Yul Brynner starred in the iconic Western remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Brynner, fresh from his success in The King and I, had significant influence over casting decisions and personally pushed for Steve McQueen to join the film. However, he would later regret this as their relationship on set deteriorated rapidly.
Newspapers began reporting on the feuding between McQueen and Brynner during production. In response, Brynner issued a press statement claiming, "I never feud with actors. I feud with studios." But the reality was far from this assertion.
McQueen's Tactics to Upstage Brynner
As in other films, McQueen was frustrated by his limited dialogue—only seven lines in the original script. To compensate, he went out of his way to draw attention away from Brynner and onto himself. According to co-star Eli Wallach, McQueen would shake his shotgun shells and remove his hat to check the sun during scenes together.
In one notable scene before the Magnificent Seven drive a hearse to the graveyard, McQueen bends down from his saddle to dip water with his hat as they cross a stream. This was the final straw for Brynner, who countered by lighting his cigar and warned McQueen: "If you don't stop that, I'm going to take off my hat, and then no one will look at you for the rest of the film." Brynner then hired an assistant to count how many times McQueen touched his hat while Brynner was speaking.
Childish Rivalry Over Height and Props
The feuding pair also competed over their on-screen height. Brynner would create a small mound of earth to stand on in shots with McQueen, who would respond by kicking the mound over every time he passed. The rivalry extended to props as well. Robert Vaughn recalled that McQueen claimed Brynner's Colt Peacemaker with an ivory grip was "too fancy" for him. McQueen also complained that Brynner's horse was too large, even though Vaughn had the biggest horse on set. When Vaughn pointed this out, McQueen replied, "I don't care about yours. It's Brynner's horse I'm worried about."
The Feud Spreads to the Entire Cast
The tension between Brynner and McQueen became so severe that it affected the other stars of The Magnificent Seven, including Charles Bronson. They all began attempting their own stunts to capture the audience's attention and stand out. Much of this improvisation ended up in the final film, but director John Sturges was reportedly terrified by his loss of control over the cast.
Reconciliation on McQueen's Deathbed
It wasn't until 1980, when McQueen was dying of cancer at age 50, that he phoned Brynner to reconcile and thank him. Brynner asked why he was being thanked, and McQueen replied: "You could have had me kicked off the movie when I rattled you, but you let me stay, and that picture made me. So thanks." Brynner responded: "I am the king, and you are the rebel prince: every bit as royal... and dangerous to cross." Brynner himself died five years later in 1985 from lung cancer at age 65.
