Sept. 13 (UPI) — Chad McQueen — an actor best known for his role of Dutch, a member of the villainous Cobra Kai in the first two Karate Kid movies — is dead at the age of 63.
“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,” his family said in a statement on Instagram Thursday.
“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.”
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The only son of the late Hollywood film icon Steve McQueen, he is survived by his wife Jeanie and children Chase and Madison.
TMZ reported the younger McQueen, who was also a passionate motorsports competitor, died Wednesday at his home in Palm Desert, Calif.
The cause was organ failure related to an old injury.
His other credits include New York Cop, Firepower and Red Line.
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 did not reprise his role of Dutch in the Karate Kid sequel series Cobra Kai.
One of the showrunners Jon Hurwitz said on X that he was expected to film a scene in the sixth and final season of the series, but his health didn’t permit it.
“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,” Hurwitz said.
“We always wanted Chad McQueen to appear on the show. And it almost happened a couple of times. Chad was torn. His racing injuries limited his capabilities, but he loved the idea of playing again with his pal, @william_zabka. They had so much fun together while making Karate Kid.”
