Chad McQueen, ‘Karate Kid’ Actor, Passes Away at 63

Chad McQueen, the actor who played antagonist Dutch in the first two Karate Kid films and was the son of movie star Steve McQueen, has died. He was 63 years old.

His family announced the death in a post on Mr McQueen’s official Instagram account on Thursday but did not give a cause. He died on September 11, his lawyer told The Associated Press.

In “The Karate Kid” (1984), Mr. McQueen played Cobra Kai student and bully Dutch who, along with Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and his gang, torments protagonist Daniel Larso (Ralph Macchio). gives He reprized the role in the sequel, “The Karate Kid Part II” (1986), but did not return for the franchise’s third installment or the current “Cobra Kai” television series, despite interest from its producers. .

His later work included leading roles in ’90s action films such as the dystopian “Firepower,” in which he played an undercover police officer, and “Red Line,” in which he was a car thief.

Chadwick Steven McQueen was born on December 28, 1960 in Los Angeles. His father achieved international fame as the star of action and adventure films, including “The Great Escape” (1963) and “Bullitt” (1968), and his mother Nellie. Adams was a Filipino-American actress, singer, and dancer.

Like his father, Mr. McQueen enjoyed auto racing and in 2010 founded McQueen Racing, a performance vehicle company. He began racing dirt bikes at the age of 9, his company shared on social media, and grew up around movie sets.

He raced in Sports Car Club of America and International Motor Sports Association events, earning podium finishes, according to his company.

Since 2001, he has focused primarily on racing, but a near-fatal accident at Daytona International Speedway several years later ended his racing career.

He told Porsche’s official magazine that during a practice session before the 24 Hours of Daytona event, his car, a Porsche 911 GT3, rolled several times, causing serious injuries including a broken spine. Screws and steel plates were needed for stabilization. Mr. McQueen had been in a coma for about a month.

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He kept many of his father’s cars and motorcycles, and his company contributed to several films about the elder McQueen.

Mr. McQueen’s first marriage, to Stacey Totten, ended in divorce. The couple had one son, Steven R. McQueen, an actor known for his television roles in “The Vampire Diaries” and “Chicago Fire.”

In 1993, Mr. McQueen married Jeanie Galbraith, with whom he had two children, Chase and Madison, who both joined McQueen Racing. Apart from his wife and children, he is also survived by his mother.

His father died of a heart attack in 1980 at the age of 50 after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in his neck. A sister, Terri McQueen, died in 1998 at age 38.