Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980) was an Acaemy Award-nominated American movie actor, nicknamed "The King of Cool". His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. After appearing in the 1974 film The Towering Inferno, he became the highest paid movie star in the world. McQueen was combative with directors and producers; regardless, his popularity put him in high demand and enabled him to command large salaries.