‘Karate Kid’ Star Chad McQueen, Son of Steve McQueen, Dies at 63
The Karate Kid actor and race car driver Chad McQueen, the son of acting and racing icon Steve McQueen, has died. He was 63.
Chad’s family confirmed the passing in separate posts on Chad and Steve’s Instagram accounts, revealing he died on Wednesday, September 11, in Palm Springs, California. A cause of death was not provided.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our father Chad McQueen,” said a statement from Chad’s wife, Jeanie, and their two children, Chase and Madison.
“His remarkable journey as a loving father to us, along with his unwavering commitment to our mother, truly exemplified a life filled with love and dedication,” the statement continued. “His passion for racing not only highlighted his exceptional talent, but also served as a way to honor his father’s legacy, a testament to the values instilled in him.”
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They added, “He passed his passion, knowledge and dedication down to us and we will continue not only his legacy but our grandfathers as well. As a family we need to navigate this difficult time and we kindly ask for privacy as we remember and celebrate his extraordinary life.”
Born on December 28, 1960, in Los Angeles, California, Chad was the son of actors Steve McQueen and Neile Adams. He was an avid motor enthusiast from a young age, racing in dirt bike competitions before moving on to auto racing.
His acting career took off after playing Dutch in The Karate Kid, a role he reprised two years later for The Karate Kid Part II. His other credits include the action films Martial Law, Death Ring, and Red Line. Chad’s final acting role came in the 2001 film Fall.
Karate Kid/YouTube
After retiring from acting, Chad appeared as himself in various motorsports-related programs, including Celebrity Rides and Hot Rod TV. He also served as a producer on his documentary Filming at Speed. Chad also produced two documentaries about his father, I Am Steve McQueen in 2014 and Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans the following year.
Following the news of Chad’s passing, Cobra Kai creator Jon Hurwitz took to social media to share how he’d spoken to the late actor about potentially reprising his role of Dutch for the Karate Kid spinoff series.
Dutch may have been the purest Cobra of them all. Merciless and dangerous through and through. That’s what we loved about him. And it was all because of Chad McQueen’s performance.
When interviewing writers for Cobra Kai, if the candidate didn’t know who Dutch was, it was an… pic.twitter.com/SHcM8jkQfR
— Jon Hurwitz (@jonhurwitz) September 13, 2024
“Unfortunately, Chad was unable to join us when it came time to shoot. At the end of the day, it wasn’t meant to be. But Dutch will always be remembered as a badass’ badass in the Miyagiverse. He kicked ass,” Hurwitz said.
He added, “The fandom mourns a Karate Kid legend today. I’m so grateful I had the honor of spending an afternoon with him. Sending much love and strength to his wonderful family. May Chad rest in peace.”
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