Chad McQueen: The Karate Kid star and son of Hollywood legend Steve McQueen dies aged 63

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Chad McQueen, who was best known for his roles in The Karate Kid movies and for being the famous offspring of one of Hollywood’s biggest icons, has dies at the age of 63.

The actor, who was son of the late legend Steve McQueen, died on Wednesday, September 11. His attorney and friend Arthur H Barens confirmed the news, but did not disclose a cause of death.

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His family later released a statement on his own verified Instagram account, which read: “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. He passed his passion, knowledge and dedication down to us and we will continue not only his legacy but our grandfathers as well.”

Chad followed his famous father’s footsteps into the world of Hollywood as well as feeding a burgeoning passion for race car driving. He is best known to fans of The Karate Kid films after portraying the Dutch in the 1984 hit blockbuster and again in its sequel two years later.

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His other acting credits include films such as New York Cop, Red Line and Squanderers. However, he paused his Hollywood career to pursue his love of race car driving, telling The Associated Press in 2005: “I didn’t find acting fun anymore. So, I decided to give racing a total commitment.”

He founded custom car company McQueen Racing, which is now run by his own family - his son Chase and daughter Madison. He also raced professionally, most notably taking part in the famous 24 Hour of Le Mans race, and the 24 hours of Daytona race. He also produced two documentaries about his famous father called ‘I Am Steve McQueen’ and ‘Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans’.

McQueen was the one of two children of the Hollywood actor and his wife Neile Toffel. His sister, terry, died of respiratory failure at age 38 in 1998. He is survived by his wife Jeanie and three children - Chase, Madison and Steven.

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