# The “chickenshit” co-star Paul Newman couldn’t stand working with: “Every day is like going to the dentist”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-chickenshit-co-star-paul-newman-couldnt-stand-working-with-every-day-is-like-going-to-the-dentist/
- Published: 2026-11-06T19:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T20:50:30+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/chickenshit-co-star-paul-newman-couldnt-stand-working-with/
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment

## Key points

- Newman likened working with McQueen to a dentist visit.
- McQueen reportedly sought equal dialogue and billing.
- The film earned over $200 million; Newman reportedly made $12 million.

## Summary

Paul Newman said working with Steve McQueen on the 1974 disaster film *The Towering Inferno* was like “going to the dentist”, describing a rivalry over status and screen time. The account portrays McQueen as closely monitoring their dialogue and pushing for his part to be expanded, showing how competition between the two stars shaped the production.

Newman recalled that McQueen objected after discovering he had 20 fewer lines, prompting the producer to add dialogue to McQueen’s role. The article says their contest for equal billing had also affected an earlier opportunity to star together in *Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid*. *The Towering Inferno* went on to earn more than $200 million worldwide, and Newman reportedly received an estimated $12 million from his share of the box office, though the payday did not ease his feelings about the film.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.