Chad McQueen dies at the age of 63, but, at the time of this writing, the cause of death has not been released. McQueen’s claim to fame as an actor will forever be cemented as a member of the original Cobra Kai students, Dutch, who mercilessly terrorized Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) 40 years ago in The Karate Kid (1984). And as most devoted cinephiles already know, the late actor was also the son of Hollywood heavyweight Steve McQueen. The McQueen family released a statement (per Variety) confirming the actor’s death, which reads as follows:
“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 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.”
The statement from the McQueen family’s children continues as follows:
“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.”
Chad McQueen’s Legacy Beyond the Dojo
Sadly, Chad McQueen never appeared on Cobra Kai during the show’s run, at least to this point. McQueen’s obstinate character, Dutch, who was arguably an even worse foil for Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) to deal with in the original Karate Kid than Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), is revealed to be rotting away in prison during the Netflix series. However, it wasn’t a one-and-done situation for McQueen. Dutch does make a cameo in 1986’s The Karate Kid Part II at the beginning of the film.
The iconic sequence features Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) and John Kreese (Martin Kove) facing off after the latter nearly chokes the life out of Johnny in the parking lot of the All Valley tournament. And true to form, Dutch doesn’t seem the least bit interested, as McQueen’s one action in the scene is to turn away while Johnny struggles to breathe — some friend.
McQueen’s acting credits date back all the way to the little-known 1978 film Skateboard, which featured Leif Garrett and Alfred Hitchcock’s daughter, Pat. And the same year that McQueen starred as Dutch in The Karate Kid, the actor also made a single appearance on Kenny Johnson’s V science fiction television series.
McQueen also showed up in a smattering of other titles, including 1995’s steamy and sexy Number One Fan, in which McQueen starred in the lead role opposite Catherine Mary Stewart. It’s without question one of his most impressive performances, as he commands the screen as a man who finds himself in a sordid Fatal Attraction of his own.
But McQueen’s legacy ultimately lies with his Hollywood family. Chad’s father, Steve McQueen, is one of Tinseltown’s most well-known and well-regarded talents. And Chad worked on a couple of projects about his dad as an executive producer, including the 2014 biography I Am Steve McQueen and 2015’s documentary Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans. In addition to both being talented actors, father and son shared a love of cars, and Chad became a professional racer. However, an accident took him by surprise and could have killed The Karate Kid actor. McQueen wrote in a 2022 Instagram post:
“As many of you know I got into a bad race car accident in 2007. I have been racing my whole life It’s a very fun sport but also very dangerous. this year they found a blood clot on my brain and I went into emergency surgery to remove the clot it has been a long recovery but I am now fully recovered and better than ever. The other day my daughter got married to the love of her life and I just want to say this is what life is all about. God Bless – Chad McQueen.”
Chad is survived by his wife, Jeanine Galbraith, and his three children: 28-year-old Madison, 29-year-old Chase and 36-year-old Steven. Like his father and grandfather before him, Steven R. McQueen has made quite the name for himself in Hollywood, too. Most fans will immediately recognize Steven as Jeremy from The Vampire Diaries television series.
Since the showrunners of the popular Netflix series have been incredibly secretive about who will appear during the rest of Cobra Kai Season 6 in Parts 2 and 3, there’s no way of knowing at this point if Chad McQueen ever shot any footage for the show’s swan song. But whether Dutch returns or not, McQueen will always be a beloved member of the Cobras, even though he did kick Daniel in the eye to start their long-awaited fight at the All Valley karate tournament.
Rest in peace, Chad McQueen.
