Actor Chad McQueen, son of Hollywood legend Steve McQueen, has died at age 63. Mr. McQueen’s attorney, Arthur H. Barens, issued a statement saying his client had “sustained an injury” in 2020 and never fully recovered. The actor was best known for portraying bully Dutch in the Karate Kid movies of the 1980s.
Born in Los Angeles in 1960 to actors Steve McQueen and Neile Adams, McQueen raced dirt bikes from age nine and won the World Mini Grand Prix at twelve. He said he inherited his love of motorbikes and fast cars from his famous father. After enjoying a long and successful career in motor racing, a crash ended his career in 2006, and he went on to found McQueen Racing, a company that develops high-performance cars and motorcycles.
Mr. McQueen declared his racing days behind him after he was seriously injured at the Daytona International Speedway’s Rolex 24 event in Florida. He suffered multiple broken bones, including his lower leg, vertebrae, and ribs.
Acting was a second great passion for McQueen. In addition to portraying Dutch in Karate Kid and Karate Kid II, he starred in action films such as Martial Law, Red Line, and Death Ring.
Producers of Cobra Kai, a Netflix series that revived the Karate Kid movies, invited McQueen to make a guest appearance on the show, but several attempts to pin it down were unsuccessful. The show’s producer, Jon Hurwitz, tweeted that “it almost happened a couple of times,” but McQueen’s racing injuries “limited his capabilities.”
Mr. Hurwitz paid tribute to the actor and called him “unique and hilarious.” He described driving to the star’s ranch in Palm Springs and receiving a warm welcome when he got there. They discussed a guest appearance for the actor, but he was ultimately unable to commit.
McQueen married Stacia Toten in 1987, but the marriage was short-lived, and the couple divorced three years later. They had one son, Steven R. McQueen, who would also become an actor and star in TV shows including The Vampire Diaries and Chicago Fire. Chad McQueen married Jeanie Galbraith in 1993, and they had two sons.
