Michael Batayeh, an actor best known for his brief role on the Emmy-winning series Breaking Bad and a popular comedian in the Arab-American community, died at his home in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He was 52 years old.
His sister Ida Vergollo said he died in his sleep on June 1 after suffering a heart attack. A coroner later found heart problems, she said.
Mr. Batayeh appeared in “Breaking Bad” as Dennis Markowski, the permanent manager of a laundromat who served as a cover for a meth lab. The character was killed after showing interest in speaking to the Drug Enforcement Agency in exchange for immunity.
As a comedian, Mr. Batayeh has performed in major clubs in New York City and Los Angeles, as well as nationally and internationally.
He has also appeared on several popular television series, including It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Bernie Mac Show, and Boy Meets World.
Mr. Batayeh’s role as a taxi driver in 1998’s Everyone Loves Raymond signaled to his family that he had arrived as an entertainer, according to Ms. Vergollo, “because that’s when my father first saw his last name on television.” She said, “My Dad was so proud of him and let him know that.”
Michael Anthony Batayeh was born on December 27, 1970 in Detroit, the seventh child of Abraham, a Ford factory worker, and Victoria (Dababneh).
The couple emigrated to the United States from Jordan in 1955. Michael Batayeh attended Wayne State University for three years before dropping out and moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the arts and start his own comedy troupe with a friend.
“From the time he was very, very young, he was actually made into an artist,” said Ms. Vergollo, who recalled that her brother began playing the tabla, a hand drum, at the age of five and continued to do so throughout his adult life continued.
“My dad would drag him onstage at all the weddings,” she said.
Mr. Batayeh is survived by his sisters Ida Vergollo, Diane Batayeh-Ricketts, MaryAnn Joseph, Madeline Sherman and Theresa Aquino. His eldest sister, Jeannie Batayeh, died of cancer in 2016.
Mr. Batayeh often used his family as fodder for comedies. “He made fun of us a lot,” Ms. Vergollo said.
And his affinity for accents endeared him to the Arab-American community, said Ms. Vergollo, who described him as “just right.”
At the invitation of the Jordanian royal family, he appeared at a comedy festival in Amman, the capital of Jordan, his sisters said. He was also featured in a comedy special for Showtime Arabia.
The family is asking for memorial donations for an organization that provides recreational and mentoring programs for youth in southwest Detroit.
“He told us how important it was and how good it made him feel when he came home and spoke to children or caregivers who wanted to start,” Ms Vergollo said.
“He cared about his community and wanted to give back,” she said, “and that’s the kind of person he was.”