Recently, Chad McQueen, best known for his work as Dutch in Karate Kid, passed away. The actor and former professional racer dies at 63 years old.
TMZ reports that he suffered an injury a few years ago that ultimately sidelines him. Unfortunately, the injury causes a progressive organ failure that eventually takes his life. Chad dies at his ranch in Palm Desert, California, according to his attorney Arthur Barens.
Friends and Fans Mourn The Loss of Actor and Racer Chad McQueen
Cobra Kai showrunner Jon Hurwitz mourns the loss of the actor and former professional racer amidst the tragic news. Jon credits his work as Dutch as to why they work so hard at the time to reel him in for the show. "Dutch may have been the purest Cobra of them all. Merciless and dangerous through and through. That's what we loved about him. And it was all because of Chad McQueen's performance," Jon writes. "When interviewing writers for Cobra Kai, if the candidate didn't know who Dutch was, it was an uphill battle for them. If they brought him up unprompted, their chances of making the staff skyrocketed. Dutch was that important to us."
Chad didn't immediately jump upon joining the hit show. Jon tweets how various injuries leave McQueen largely skeptical of joining. His heart eventually gets there and agrees to join the show. Unfortunately, physical ailments and timing never allow for Dutch to make screens once again.
One fan expresses their sadness of losing another piece of their childhood in Chad McQueen. It forces them to question their own mortality and how to make the most of their time left on Earth. "The older I get the more child hood actors are passing away. Father Time always wins," they sigh. "We never know how many more days we have on this earth. I'm definitely on the down hill slope myself."
