Mike Batayeh, who recurred on the AMC hit series “Breaking Bad,” has died, his family revealed. The actor and comedian was 52.
Batayeh’s family told TMZ that he died of a heart attack in his sleep at home in Michigan on June 1. His sister added that his death was sudden and that he didn’t have a history of heart issues.
“He will be greatly missed by those who loved him and his great ability to bring laughter and joy to so many,” a statement from his family reads.
On “Breaking Bad,” Batayeh played Dennis Markowski, the manager of an industrial laundromat that hid Gustavo Fring’s meth lab. His character was eventually busted and then burned alive in prison on orders from Walter White.
In an interview published on the Macoproject Film Festival website last month, Batayeh said he got into comedy and acting after college, when a friend invited him to join a comedy troupe in California.
He also said he thought he would only appear in one episode of “Breaking Bad” but got asked back for two more.
“[’Breaking Bad’ creator] Vince Gilligan is an anomaly,” he said. “The nicest guy in the world but there’s dark stuff he can put on the page. … He cast me in an episode of his short-lived CBS show ‘Battle Creek,’ which was just after ‘Breaking Bad.’ He kept his word when he wrote a note that we will work together soon. Everyone was very nice. No egos at all that I noticed [during] my time there.”
His career highlight, however, was his guest-starring role as Sanga in the Netflix series “Marco Polo,” he said.
“It filmed in Malaysia, and the cast and crew was massive and from all around the world and were top tier in their field,” he said. “Top accommodations as well… and I took advantage of all the perks!”
Batayeh’s other screen credits include guest-starring roles in “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “JAG,” “CSI: Miami,” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”