‘The Karate Kid’ star Chad McQueen dies at 63

Hollywood actor Chad McQueen, best known for his role in the first two “The Karate Kid” movies, has died at the age of 63.

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His friend of 40 years Arthur Barens confirmed the actor-racer’s death due to organ failure in Palm Desert after sustaining an injury from a fall in 2020, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Best known for portraying the bully Dutch in ‘The Karate Kid’ movies, Chad McQueen was the son of veteran Hollywood actor Steve McQueen.

His children Chase and Madison wrote in a statement posted to Instagram: “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 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.”

Apart from playing Dutch in ‘The Karate Kid’ (1984) and ‘The Karate Kid Part II’ (1986), Chad McQueen also starred in “Skateboard” (1978), “Martial Law” (1991), “New York Cop” (1993), “Death Ring” (1992) and “Red Line” (1995).

He adopted his liking for auto racing from his father, and began racing at the age of 10. McQueen won his first race, a children-only Le Mans event created on the set of his father’s 1971 film “Le Mans.”

However, his racing career ended after a crash at Daytona International Speedway in 2006 while practicing for the 24 Hours of Daytona event.

The Hollywood actor later founded a company named McQueen Racing in 2010 which develops high-performance cars and motorcycles.

His father Steve McQueen is best known for films such as “The Great Escape” (1963), “The Cincinnati Kid” (1965), “The Sand Pebbles” (1966), “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968), “Bullitt” (1968) and “The Getaway” (1972).