DETROIT, MICHIGAN: 'Breaking Bad' star Mike Batayeh who played Dennis Markowski in two seasons of the series died at the age of 52. He is survived by his five sisters and many nephews and nieces.
"He will be greatly missed by those who loved him and his great ability to bring laughter and joy to so many," read a statement issued by his family, reported TMZ.
How did Mike Batayeh die?
Batayeh died after suffering a heart attack in his sleep while at his Michigan home on June 1. The actor who did the role of a manager at Gustavo's laundromat in the show from 2011-2012 did not have a history of heart problems, according to his sister Diane.
Batayeh who resided in Los Angeles was a native of Detroit. He has acted in films such as 'American East', 'American Dreams', 'Gas', 'Don't Mess With The Zohan' and a leading role in 'Detroit Unleaded'. He has been part of several popular television shows including 'The Shield', 'Everybody Loves Raymond', and 'Sleeper Cell.' He rose to fame as a comedian and is also known as a voiceover artist who worked for 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' released in 2014. He also made his appearance on 'Boy Meets World' and 'CSI: Miami'.
The actor was also among the first wave of Western comics who performed in the Middle East for local audiences. Batayeh also filmed 'Showtime', a comedy special performed in Dubai.
He played the role of Dennis Markowski in three episodes of the crime drama television series 'Breaking Bad' where his character managed the Lavandería Brillante industrial laundromat. The place served as an entry for the meth lab where Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) and Walter White (Bryan Cranston) worked at.
Batayeh's last on-screen role was Nacho of 'Prank of America', a TV movie released in 2018.
Tributes pour in for Mike Batayeh
After the news of Batayeh's death broke out, fans paid their respects to the late actor. In the posts about the comedian, social media users shared their tribute to him where one person wrote, "He was a comedian's comedian and loved by so many. He was always armed with his quick wit, pirate's smile, and his intrinsically optimistic laugh. He was a good man with a giant heart." Another person described him as the "funniest guy (they) knew", and a third person who said that they had worked with Batayeh wrote, "He was a very talented actor and comedian but more importantly a great friend."
