No, Steve McQueen and Paul Newman were not friends. In fact, their relationship was characterized by intense professional rivalry and mutual dislike.
Their animosity primarily stemmed from disputes over top billing in Hollywood. The extent of their strained relationship was revealed in the book Paul and Me, which detailed how much the two celebrated actors hated each other due to these competitive issues.
A prime example of this rivalry surfaced around the epic disaster movie The Towering Inferno in 1974. At that time, Steve McQueen believed he had ascended to Paul Newman's level of stardom and was in discussions to co-star alongside him. This perception of equal standing further fueled the friction between the two iconic figures, underscoring their competitive dynamic rather than any bond of friendship.
