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The “chickenshit” co-star Paul Newman couldn’t stand working with: “Every day is like going to the dentist”
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.
In short
- 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.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A thoughtful case for McQueen is that equal billing and comparable dialogue mattered to his standing in a film built around two major stars. If Newman had more lines, asking for the imbalance to be addressed could be seen as a reasonable effort to protect his role and contractual or professional status, rather than mere vanity.
The case against
A thoughtful case for Newman is that repeated monitoring of dialogue and demands for added lines can make collaboration difficult and shift attention from the film to a contest between its stars. Even if McQueen had legitimate concerns about his standing, the reported rivalry may have burdened the production and undermined the ease of working together.