Famed motorcyclist and stunt driver Bud Ekins has died at age 77. Although his name is known only to hardcore movie fans, virtually every baby boomer has seen his most famous onscreen stunt: doubling for Steve McQueen in the legendary motorcyle jump across the barbed wire Swiss border crossing in the 1963 hit The Great Escape. McQueen,who was an accomplished cycle rider in his own right, was not allowed to attempt the stunt for insurance reasons. Thus, he had his old friend and colleague Ekins fly to Germany to perform the dangerous maneuver. The image of "McQueen"'s cycle going over the wire became an iconic photo in the 1960s and kids adorned their walls with posters depicting the scene. This troubled McQueen, who felt he was getting undeserved praise for a stunt he didn't do. Although he openly gave Ekins credit for the achievement, most fans believe to this day that McQueen performed the stunt himself. Ekins considered himself a motorcyclist first and film performer second. He had a list of enviable achievements in the cycling world, though he was occasionally lured back to do stunt work in films like McQueen's Bulllitt and Steven Spielberg's 1941. For Variety's full report click here