Chad McQueen, ‘Karate Kid’ Actor and Son of Steve McQueen, Dies at 63

“Karate Kid” actor Chad McQueen, the only son of legendary racing driver Steve McQueen, died Wednesday at the age of 63.

The father of three died of organ failure at his Palm Desert home after never fully recovering from injuries suffered in a fall in 2020, his longtime friend and attorney told The Hollywood Reporter and The New York Times.

A message from McQueen’s wife, Jeanie, and their two children, Madison and Chase, on the actor’s Instagram page asked for privacy as they “remember and celebrate his extraordinary life.” McQueen also leaves behind a son from a previous marriage, Steven, known for starring on “The Vampire Diaries.”

“His remarkable journey as a loving father to us, along with his unwavering commitment to our mother, is a perfect example of a life filled with love and dedication,” the Instagram post read. “His passion for racing not only showcased his exceptional talent, but also served to honor his father’s legacy, a testament to the values ​​he was instilled with. He passed on his passion, knowledge, and dedication to us, and we will continue not only his legacy, but that of our grandfathers as well.”

The surviving child of the late Steve McQueen and Filipina actress Neile Adams (his older sister, Terry, died of respiratory failure at age 38 in 1998), McQueen followed in his father’s footsteps as an actor who at one point left the public eye to focus on car racing. But while his father, once the world’s highest-paid actor, only took a break from acting to compete in motorcycle races, McQueen has retired from the entertainment world entirely to devote himself fully to it.

His Hollywood journey, however, began in 1984, when he was cast as the antagonist Dutch in “The Karate Kid” and reprised the role in “The Karate Kid Part II.” He went on to produce or star in projects like “Martial Law,” “Death Ring” and “Red Line” before retiring from acting after a role in 2001.

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He then competed in various races for years before a 2006 accident ended his career. But in 2010, he founded McQueen Racing, a custom car and motorcycle company now run by Chase and Madison, according to its website.

Jon Hurwitz, one of the creators of Netflix’s “Karate Kid” series “Cobra Kai,” said in a post on X that McQueen almost reprised his role as Dutch in the series, but “his racing injuries limited his abilities.”

“Dutch was perhaps the purest Cobra of them all. Ruthless and dangerous through and through. That’s what we loved about him. And it was all thanks to Chad McQueen’s performance,” Hurwitz wrote. “Fans are now mourning a Karate Kid legend.”