Young and Hungry Steve McQueen Captured by Roy Schatt in New York City, 1956

The amazing photographs of Steve McQueen taken by Roy Schatt in 1956 are some of the most iconic images of the actor before he became a Hollywood legend. Schatt captured McQueen in a series of striking black and white portraits that exude raw charisma and intensity.

These images were taken around the time McQueen was studying at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, where he was honing his craft as an actor. The portraits highlight his rugged good looks, piercing gaze, and unmistakable cool—qualities that would later define his screen presence in films like The Great Escape (1963) and Bullitt (1968).

Born in New York City, Schatt (1909–2002) is remembered for his ‘method photography’ of personalities associated with The Actors Studio during the Lee Strasberg era, using natural light to capture likenesses of icons such as James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Steve McQueen in candid, unstaged settings. Schatt's work has been exhibited at the International Center of Photography in New York City, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, and the Art Institute of Chicago.