Chad McQueen, son of legendary star of the big screen, Steve McQueen, and one of the stars of “The Karate Kid,” has passed away at the age of 63. According to a close friend of McQueen, the actor died due to organ failure after being seriously injured in a fall back in 2020, from which he never really fully recovered. Being a fan of The Karate Kid franchise, this loss hurts. Please take a moment to pray for McQueen’s family.
According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, McQueen passed away on Wednesday of organ failure at the ranch he owned in Palm Desert. His close friend, Arthur Barens, spoke to the outlet and shared the information about his death.
McQueen’s children, Chase and Madison, took to Instagram where they wrote, “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. 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.”
“He passed his passion, knowledge and dedication down to us, and we will continue not only his legacy but our grandfather’s 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,” they added.
One of the roles McQueen was most well known for was the part of Cobra Kai student Dutch in 1984’s “The Karate Kid.” The actor did not end up coming back to reprise his role in the series’ third entry, nor did he make any appearances in the “Cobra Kai” television series on Netflix. It was revealed during the show that his character, Dutch, was in prison.
Chadwick Steven McQueen was born in Los Angeles on Dec. 28, 1960, and raised in Malibu. His mother was Filipino-born actress Neile Adams. His parents were married from 1956 until their 1972 divorce. His acting résumé also included roles in the Dick Wolf-written Skateboard (1978), Martial Law (1991), New York Cop (1993), Death Ring (1992) and Red Line (1995). Like his dad, McQueen was enthusiastic about auto racing. He began auto racing at age 10, winning his first race, a children-only Le Mans event created on the set of his father’s 1971 film Le Mans. His professional racing career started with events in the Sports Car Club of America series.
A crash at Daytona International Speedway in 2006 while practicing for the 24 Hours of Daytona event 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, of course, was the star of such films as The Great Escape (1963), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), The Sand Pebbles (1966), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Bullitt (1968) and The Getaway (1972).
Chad lost his father at the age of 19 when he passed away from a heart attack in November 1980 at the age of 50. Steve McQueen had also just had a battle with cancer. Chad’s sister, Terry, died in 1998. She was only 38.
“Chad’s survivors also include his mother; his second wife, Jeanie; another son, Steven, an actor known for his work on The Vampire Diaries and the spinoff Legacies; and his grandson, Michael,” the report concluded.
"*" indicates required fields