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The Cobra Kai family lost an original member of the dojo when actor Chad McQueen passed away at the age of 63 on September 11, 2024. The son of Hollywood icon Steve McQueen, Chad succumbed to organ failure after sustaining an injury from a fall in 2020, per The Hollywood Reporter.
McQueen, an avid race car driver, was best known for portraying menacing Cobra Kai member Dutch in 1984’s The Karate Kid. Johnny (William Zabka) was the leader of Cobra Kai, but Dutch was the unpredictable loose cannon of the group, the platonic ideal of a terrifying teenage bully. Dutch radiated an intense intimidation that jumped off the screen.
Cobra Kai honored the memory of Chad McQueen with a tribute card at the end of the Season 6 episode “Benvinguts a Barcelona.”
Photo: NetflixThe character of Dutch had been referenced numerous times in Netflix’s Cobra Kai and an appearance on the series seemed likely.
“We always wanted Chad McQueen to appear on the show,” Cobra Kai co-creator Jon Hurwitz wrote on Twitter. “And it almost happened a couple of times. Chad was torn. His racing injuries limited his capabilities, but he loved the idea of playing again with his pal William Zabka.”
McQueen was set to reprise his role as Dutch in the final season of the series. The creative team wrote a scene for him that would’ve taken place late in the season. Per Hurwitz, “Dutch was still badass. The scene had pathos.” But it wasn’t meant to be.
“Unfortunately, Chad was unable to join us when it came time to shoot,” Hurwitz wrote. “At the end of the day, it wasn’t meant to be. But Dutch will always be remembered as a badass’ badass in the Miyagiverse. He kicked ass. He hated ‘Danielle.’ And he loved riding bikes with his boys.”
Chad is survived by his mother, his second wife Jeanie, and their kids, as well as his son Steven R. McQueen, who starred in The Vampire Diaries, and his grandson, Michael
Cobra Kai Season 6, Parts 1 and 2 are now streaming on Netflix.
English (US)