Steve McQueen’s son Chad McQueen, best known for his role in The Karate Kid, has died aged 63.
READ MORE: Why is ‘Cobra Kai’ ending after six seasons?
McQueen’s lawyer Arthur Barens told TMZ that he died of organ failure at his ranch in Palm Springs on Wednesday (September 11).
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our father Chad McQueen,” his wife Jeanie and children Chase and Madison said on social media. “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 honour 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.”
He was best known for his role as Cobra Kai member Dutch in the original 1984 film The Karate Kid and its 1986 sequel The Karate Kid Part II.
Despite many of the original film’s cast returning for the more recent sequel series Cobra Kai, co-creator Jon Hurwitz, who paid his respects on social media, said McQueen came close to appearing on the show but despite several attempts it fell through.
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
He wrote: “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 uphill battle for them. If they brought him up unprompted, their chances of making the staff skyrocketed. Dutch was that important to us.”
Hurwitz said that ahead of the sixth season of Cobra Kai, word got out that McQueen was interested in joining the show and despite going out to visit him, when it came to shooting the scenes, McQueen was unable to attend.
“At the end of the day, it wasn’t meant to be,” Hurwitz added. “But Dutch will always be remembered as a badass in the Miyagiverse. He kicked ass. He hated Danielle. And he loved riding bikes with his boys.”
Sean Kanan, who played Mike Barnes in The Karate Kid Part III and Cobra Kai, also paid tribute to McQueen on social media, saying: “He made an unforgettable impression on the Karate Kid universe. Wishing his family strength and peace during this difficult time. RIP Chad.”
I never met Chad McQueen but was saddened to learn he passed. He made an unforgettable impression on the Karate Kid universe. Wishing his family strength and peace during this difficult time. RIP Chad. #ChadMcQueen
— Sean Kanan (@seankanan) September 12, 2024
McQueen also appeared in a host of other films including Fever Pitch in 1985, New York Cop in 1993, Jimmy Hollywood in 1994, Red Line in 1995, Papertrail in 1998, Fall: The Price Of Silence in 2001, and he won a Telly Award for his documentary Filming At Speed.
But he then quit acting to focus on his career in auto racing which saw him compete in 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring.
“I didn’t find acting fun anymore,” McQueen told the Associated Press (via The Independent) in 2005. “So, I decided to give racing a total commitment.”
He continued to race professionally but suffered a near-fatal crash in 2006 while practising for the Daytona International Speedway’s Rolex 24 event which ended his professional racing career.
McQueen went on to produce a number of documentaries about his father including I Am Steve McQueen and Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans.
Meanwhile, it was recently confirmed that Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio will co-star in an upcoming Karate Kid film.
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