Mike Batayeh, who played the laundromat manager in ‘Breaking Bad’ has passed away at 52.
According to what his family told TMZ, Mike passed away at his home on June 1, while he was sleeping. The actor’s cause of death was reportedly a heart attack, which his sister Diane found untimely as Mike didn’t have a history of heart disease.
Mike’s family issued the following statement after his passing:
“He will be greatly missed by those who loved him and his great ability to bring laughter and joy to so many.”
Mike appeared in three episodes of ‘Breaking Bad’ as Dennis Markowski, who was the manager of LavanderÃa Brillante industrial laundromat, where Walter White and Jesse Pinkman worked together for Gustave Fring. Apart from his work on the series, he also appeared in the films ‘American Dreamz,’ ‘This Narrow Place,’ and ‘Detroit Unleaded.’
After Batayeh’s death, the White Stripes’ Jack White took to his Instagram to pay tribute to the actor. As it turns out, Mike was a family friend of White:
White’s Instagram post read:
“Mike Batayeh, a comedian and actor who played laundromat manager Dennis Markowski in ‘Breaking Bad,’ has died of cardiac arrest, his manager confirmed to CNN. ‘Mike was a family friend and fixture in Southwest Detroit when I was a child, and I have always been proud of him for making it to the great levels he did. He was a warm soul and always had a funny take on situations. He will be missed by many. My love and respect to the Batayeh family who has always been so kind.’ – Jack White III.”
Batayeh is survived by five siblings and an extended family.