Chad McQueen played Dutch in two The Karate Kid films (Picture: Columbia Pictures)
Chad McQueen, Steve McQueen’s son best known for his role in Karate Kid, has died aged 63, his family has confirmed.
McQueen played Dutch in the original 1984 film and its sequel The Karate Kid II two years and appeared in other movies including 1993’s New York Cop.
He died on Wednesday at his ranch in Palm Springs, California, his wife Jeanie and children Chase and Madison said in a statement.
McQueen died of progressive organ failure, his attorney Arthur Barens told The Hollywood Reporter. He sustained an injury in a fall in 2020 and never fully recovered.
His family told Variety: ‘It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our father, Chad McQueen.
‘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.
McQueen died in Palm Springs, California, his family confirmed (Picture: Briquet-Hahn/ABACA/Shutterstock)
McQueen was the son of legendary actor and racing driver Steve McQueen (Picture: Snap/Shutterstock)
‘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.’
In The Karate Kid films, McQueen’s character Dutch was a martial arts thug and a member of the Cobra Kai mob.
McQueen was an avid racing driver like his father (Picture: MediaPunch/Shutterstock)
McQueen appeared in other films including New York Cop (Picture: Dave Lewis/Shutterstock)
It was reported he was set to reprise his role in recent The Karate Kid spin-off series, Cobra Kai, on Netflix, but it never materialised.
McQueen’s other acting credits include Martial Law, Death Ring and Red Line, while as a producer he won a Telly Award for his documentary Filming at Speed.
His final acting role was Manny Carlotti in 2001 film The Fall.
Outside of Hollywood, like his father he was a keen racing driver and started his motoring career at the Sports Car Club of America.
McQueen also had an extensive racing career outside of Hollywood (Picture: BEI/Shutterstock)
McQueen competed in various races from the Motocross to the Baja 1000.He suffered a near-fatal crash in 2006 while practicing for the Daytona International Speedway Rolex 24 event.
In 2010, he founded company McQueen Racing, which develops high-performance cars and motorbikes.
McQueen was born on December 28, 1960, he was the King of Cool Steve McQueen’s only son and his mother was actor Neile Adams.
He was married three times to horse trainer Jill Henderson White Pasceri, Stacia Toten and Jeanie Galbraith.
McQueen shared son actor The Vampire Diaries actor Steven Mcqueen with Toten and son Chase and daughter Madison with Jeanie.
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