Devasting news out of the movie industry, as Chad McQueen, actor who played Dutch of the Cobra Kai dojo in the “Karate Kid” action film franchise, has died at the age of 63. According to reports, Arthur Barens, the interpreter’s lawyer, said his client died at his ranch in Palm Desert, California, as a result of organ failure.
McQueen suffered an injury a few years ago that caused progressive organ failure, which ended up deteriorating his health and causing his death. Sources indicated that at the time of his death, the actor was with his children, his life partner and his lawyer, who remembered him as “a unique man.”
The only son of Steve McQueen, Chad, is remembered for playing Dutch in the 1984 hit, “Karate Kid,” a role he reprized in the 1986 sequel. Additionally, he is known for his starring role in the 1993 film, “Firepower.”
He did not continue playing that role
Despite rumors, Chad did not play his character in the final season of the “Karate Kid” spin-off series “Cobra Kai”, his lawyer said. Outside of Hollywood, McQueen was a professional racer, competing in different types of races such as the Baja 1000 and Motocross. He won the World Mini Grand Prix when he was just 12 years old.
The real reason for Chad McQueen’s absence from the series is because he retired from acting in 2001 to be a racing driver, which is why his schedule was busy to return for a new story with his role.
Although the actor could not, the creators of “Cobra Kai” Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg did not give up and contacted him to propose his return. “We had approached Chad McQueen about returning as Dutch in season 2. We couldn’t do it,” they said.