Steven R McQueen

It was in 1897 that Bram Stoker created the most legendary figure in vampire lore: Count Dracula. Ever since, undead bloodsuckers have cropped up with ferocious regularity in pop culture but these days it seems like they’re particularly at home on our TV screens, with current prime time hits ranging from sexy, salacious HBO thriller True Blood through to the more PG-13 smash, The Vampire Diaries.
“I think there has always been some sort of appeal in vampires because they would be the one predator above us on the food chain,” theorises 23-year-old Steven R. McQueen, grandson of iconic film star, Steve McQueen, “I think before, they were monsters to be feared, but now they are more relatable to a teenager’s life style. Except they eat people.”
In the first two seasons of the show, McQueen’s character, Jeremy Gilbert, found himself on a dark path involving hard drugs, following the deaths of people he cared about, only to die at the end of season two. Luckily he was resurrected in time for season three, with a side effect of his second chance at life being the ability to see dead people. Supernatural elements aside, does McQueen have any similarities to his own character?
“I hope not,” he laughs, “Jeremy’s been through more stuff than anybody should do, and of course when you portray someone, you try to connect certain things with yourself but it’s tough because he’s a bit darker than most.” However, McQueen finds his vocation a great way to channel his creative needs, “We’re playing make-believe at the end of the day and I do believe that our greatest tool is our imagination. In a sense, the work is therapeutic as I can go through things day to day and I find it to be a great outlet.” First experiencing acting in third grade, McQueen didn’t tackle acting full time until the mid-noughties, when he began to appear in shows such as CSI: Miami and Without A Trace, before landing the role of Jeremy in 2009. (He also had a leading role in last year’s blockbuster B-movie, Piranha 3D). Despite being in a show that involves “vampires, werewolves, Frankenstein – you name it!” McQueen’s own curiosities are much more down to earth (he would rather lose himself in history than fiction). However, he does have a childhood fantasy he still likes to indulge. “I read lots of comics growing up,” he says. “A lot of Marvel and DC. Batman, though, is my favourite because he doesn’t have any super powers.” Much like his on-screen persona, a human character that has real problems to deal with. Could Jeremy be an extension of The Dark Knight himself? “I guess so,” he supposes. “I won’t disagree with you.”
Having admitted that he doesn’t have a compelling interest in fictional beings, can McQueen tackle another fantasy: who would be his dream date? “Scarlett Johansson,” he says, quick as a flash. And what would they do? “Whatever she wants,” he grins.

[Originally published in Wonderland Magazine Issue 28, November 2011. Photography Danielle Levitt]