Steve McQueen's Son Passes at 63

Chad McQueen was also known for starring in 'The Karate Kid'Photo bySandy MillaronUnsplash

Like his father, the legendary Steve McQueen, he pursued acting and racing throughout his life.

On Wednesday September 11th, actor and race car driver Chad McQueen died at his ranch in Palm Springs after suffering from organ failure. His family has since confirmed his passing on social media.

Chad McQueen was born in Los Angeles in 1960 and raised in Malibu. He was very close to his father until his death from cancer in 1980 at the age of 50.

Later in the 1980s, McQueen became known for playing the bully Dutch in the hit movie The Karate Kid. He reprised his role two years later in The Karate Kid Part II. Other acting credits included Red Line, Firepower and Death Ring.

While he appeared in 2001's Fall: The Price of Silence, McQueen decided to leave his acting career behind in the 1990s in order to further pursue race car driving. Throughout his sports career, he competed in several events.

In 2006, a crash at the Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the 24 Hours of Daytona event sadly ended his time racing. However, his love for race car driving never faded. In 2010, McQueen founded McQueen Racing, an organization that builds custom high-performance cars.

In the fall of 2020, NcQueen was injured in a fall. He never fully recovered and the incident contributed to his passing. Among those who expressed their gried was Hayden Schlossberg, one of the creators and executive producers of Cobra Kai on Netflix. The show serves as a spin-off to The Karate Kid and Schlossberg revealed that he tried to get McQueen to reprise his role but it wasn't able to be worked out.

Chad McQueen was 63 years old. He is survived by his mother, his wife Jeanie and his three children Chase, Madison and Steven. His family has shared that donations can be made to Boys Republic, which provides support and shelter for disadvantaged children, in his memory.

Sources: Hernandez, B. A. (2024, September 12). Chad McQueen, son of Steve McQueen and Dutch in “Karate Kid,” dies at 63: “the mcqueen legacy is one of a kind.” Peoplemag. https://people.com/chad-mcqueen-dead-son-of-steve-mcqueen-karate-kid-actor-age-63-8711902

Barnes, M. (2024b, September 12). Chad McQueen, “Karate Kid” actor and son of film star Steve McQueen, dies at 63. The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/chad-mcqueen-dead-karate-kid-steve-mcqueen-1236000439/

Pedersen, E. (2024, September 13). Chad McQueen dies: “Karate Kid” bad guy & son of screen legend was 63. Deadline. https://deadline.com/2024/09/chad-mcqueen-dead-steve-mcqueen-son-1236086775/