Chad McQueen, who followed his father Steve McQueen into the role of actor and racing driver and starred in the first two Karate Kid Films, has died. He was 63.
McQueen died of organ failure on Wednesday at his ranch in Palm Desert, said his 40-year-old friend Arthur Barens The Hollywood ReporterHe was injured in a fall in 2020 and never fully recovered.
In a statement on Instagram, his children Chase and Madison wrote:
“His remarkable journey as a loving father to us and his unwavering devotion to our mother truly exemplified a life of love and dedication. His passion for racing not only highlighted his extraordinary talent, but was also a way of honoring his father’s legacy, a testament to the values instilled in him.
“He has passed on his passion, knowledge and dedication to us and we will carry on not only his legacy but that of our grandfather. As a family, we must navigate this difficult time and we respectfully request privacy as we remember and celebrate his extraordinary life.”
As Cobra Kai student Dutch in Karate Kid (1984) and Karate Kid II (1986), McQueen was not shy about making life difficult for Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso. He did not return for Karate Kid III (1989) or for the current Cobra Kai TV series in which it was mentioned that Dutch served a prison sentence.
Chadwick Steven McQueen was born on December 28, 1960 in Los Angeles and grew up in Malibu. His mother was the Filipino actress Neile Adams. His parents were married from 1956 until their divorce in 1972.
His acting resume also includes roles in the Dick Wolf-written skateboard (1978), Martial law (1991), New York police officer (1993), Death Ring (1992) and Red line (1995).
Like his father, McQueen was an avid car racer and took part in various events. An accident at the Daytona International Speedway in 2006 during practice for the 24 Hours of Daytona ended his racing career.
His company McQueen Racing, founded in 2010 and now run by Chase and Madison, develops high-performance cars and motorcycles.
Steve McQueen was of course the star of films like The great escape (1963), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), The sand pebbles (1966), Thomas Crown is unbelievable (1968), Bullitt (1968) and The escape (1972).
Chad was 19 and died in November 1980 at the age of 50 of a heart attack after a battle with cancer. His other child, his daughter Terry, died in 1998 at the age of 38.
Chad’s survivors include his mother, his second wife Jeanie and another son, Steven, an actor known for his work in the Vampire Diaries and the separation Inheritances.
You can donate in his name to Boys Republic, which provides a home and support to disadvantaged children.
