The four-time Emmy award-winning producer J. Michael ‘Mike’ Mendel passed away September 22, 2019, two days before his fifty-fifth birthday. The cause of his death has yet to be confirmed, however, according to a statement that was released by his wife, Juel Bestrop who is a casting director and Emmy winner, he passed away from natural causes.
Who was Mike Mendel?
Mike Mendel was born September 24 1964, in Virginia, United States. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in TV and Film Production at Syracuse University.
During his summer break, he would work as a production assistant at Syracuse University, for “All my Children” and “Loving” both of which were American soap operas.
Mike Mendel joined “The Simpsons” in 1989 after working postproduction on “The Tracey Ullman”, he also worked as a line producer and worked between James L. Brooks’ Gracie Films and Fox.
He also worked on different T.V. shows such as “The PJs”, “Drawn Together” and “Napoleon Dynamite”, to name a few.
He married Juel Bestrop who is also an acclaimed director and Emmy winner. In 1999 She won the Emmy award for the “outstanding casting for a limited series movie or special” for her work in the television series “Winchell”.
Juel and Mike have two children, Jacob Mendel, and Jesse Mendel.
When his fellow co-workers and friends in the industry heard about his passing, condolences were sent out to his family where they reminisced over their fond memories with the producer.
Adult Swim, the television network where Mendel worked as a producer for their T.V. show ‘Ricky and Morty’, released a statement, “all of us at Adult Swim are devastated by the untimely passing of Mike Mendel”. They praised him about his accomplishments as a producer for 25 years, and how he served as an inspiration for the upcoming generations of artists, writers, and creators.
Co-creator and voice of ‘Rick and Morty’, Justin Roiland also sent out his condolences to Mike’s family on his official twitter feed. He tweeted “my friend, partner, and line producer Mike Mendel passed away. I am devastated. My heart breaks for his family. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you by my side Mike.
I’m destroyed.”
Emmy Awards
Mendel started out his career as a producer of the popular animated T.V. shows “The Simpsons”, the first episode was launched on 17th December 1989. He produced the show from 1989 until 1999 and worked on 207 episodes.
He won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program for his work on “The Simpsons”, in 1995 he won for “Lisa’s Wedding” season 6, episode 19, in 1997 he was announced as the winner for “Homer’s Phobia” season 8, episode 15, and again in 1998 for “Trash of the Titans” season 9, episode 22.
On December 2, 2013, Adult Swim a television network owned by Turner Broadcasting launched a Television Series called “Ricky and Morty” where Mendel worked as a producer. He produced22 episodes’ of the show, and won his fourth Emmy "Outstanding Animated Program", for the episode “Pickle Rick” season 3, episode 3, in 2018.
