On June 1, 2023, actor and comedian Mike Batayeh (Gas, Detroit Unleaded) unfortunately passed due to a sudden heart attack in his sleep while residing in his Michigan home. The Batayeh family has stated that this was very sudden and that Batayeh had no previous history of heart complications.
According to CNN Entertainment, the family has also made the statement that “he will be greatly missed by those who loved him and his great ability to bring laughter and joy to so many.”
Batayeh, a Detroit native, has starred in many memorable and iconic shows over the years. His most notable performance being his portrayal of Dennis Markowski in AMC’s Breaking Bad. Batayeh’s character was the manager of a laundromat that doubled as a front for the main characters’ meth lab.
He has also made appearances in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Bernie Mac Show and CSI: Miami.
Batayeh also made regular appearances doing stand up comedy. He was a regular performer at The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, California, which has debuted many famous stand-up comics such as Eddie Murphy (You People, Daddy Day Care), Jim Carrey (Bruce Almighty, The Truman Show) and Dave Chappelle (A Star is Born, You’ve Got Mail). Batayeh has also played stand up shows at many reputable venues across the United States.
In light of this devastating loss of a true talent, according to Batayeh’s manager, a memorial service is planned to take place in Plymouth, Michigan next week.