Chad McQueen, ‘Karate Kid’ star and Steve McQueen’s son, dead at 63
Actor Chad McQueen, best known for starring in the first two entries in the Karate Kid franchise and the son of Hollywood icon Steve McQueen, has passed away at the age of 63.
Taking after his father in more ways than one, McQueen developed many of the same interests from an early age, once again reiterating that the apple has a habit of falling not too far away from the tree. McQueen passed away after suffering organ failure at his home in the Palm Desert.
McQueen started racing dirt bikes and cars as a child, which shouldn’t have been all that surprising when classic movies like The Great Escape and Bullitt showcased his father’s penchant for reaching high speed. Furthermore, he even won a children’s version of the famous Le Mans race that was built on the set of the film of the same name that starred his dad in the lead role.
Additionally, the late actor took a couple of cues from his father’s The Towering Inferno co-star and occasional nemesis Paul Newman, by becoming a professional racing driver who competed for years before a serious injury suffered on the track practising for a major race in 2006 effectively ended his career behind the wheel.
In a statement shared on social media, his mother, Neile Adams McQueen and his children, Jeanie, Chase, and Madison, confirmed McQueen’s passing. “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,” it read.
The family also highlighted how “his passion for racing not only highlighted his exceptional talent but also served as a way to honour his father’s legacy, a testament to the values instilled in him.”
As an actor, McQueen gained the most prominence for playing the nefarious Dutch in 1984’s The Karate Kid and its 1986 sequel, where he formed one-third of the villainous Cobra Kai dojo trio alongside William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence and Martin Kove’s John Kreese.
However, despite the huge popularity of Netflix’s sequel series Cobra Kai, McQueen was the only one of the three who didn’t return in any capacity as either a recurring cast member or a guest star. Co-creator Hayden Schlossberg confirmed that he did reach out to try and make it happen, though, adding that “fans will always remember his wild character.”
McQueen didn’t come close to emulating his father’s success on the big screen, lending his name to genre flicks including Cynthia Rothrock actioner Martial Law, Joe Pesci’s Jimmy Hollywood, and Michael Madsen’s Red Line, but he hadn’t appeared in a film since 2001’s The Fall, after which it became clear racing had always been his first love.
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