‘Breaking Bad’ actor Mike Batayeh’s final film ‘really hit my heart,’ director says

Mike Batayeh’s final film role may be a surprising one — but the movie’s creator hopes it will have a lasting impact.

The “Breaking Bad” actor — who died suddenly on June 1 at age 52 — took a part in, of all things, a 16-minute student flick by a senior filmmaker at the University of Michigan late last year. 

“He was kind of like a mentor,” its director and co-writer, 22-year-old Mohamed Khashafa, exclusively told The Post about the project, which is titled “Ya Satir.” 

“He was telling me that a lot of the reason that he wanted to be a part of the project was to kind of help out the next generation of Arab creatives,” Khashafa said, recalling that Batayeh told him that Hollywood “wasn’t very diverse or welcoming” to the community.

In an early cut of the movie previewed by The Post, Batayeh plays the father of a high school student (portrayed by fellow student Izabella Mins-Haddad) who is experiencing growing pains while preparing for a debate competition before heading off to college.

And even though Michigan resident Batayeh’s single scene in the movie — which wrapped production in late December — is a mere two minutes long, his portrayal meant the world to Khashafa, whose family is from Yemen.

“It really hit my heart that the role kind of reminded him of his own father. Actors pull from personal life or from different characters they already know,” said Khashafa, 22, who said the “lighthearted coming of age” film’s title roughly translates to “Oh, Lord” or “Oh, My God.”

“He pulled from his own father, which, one, makes me feel good because it means I wrote the character properly,” continued Khashafa, who plans to graduate from the school next December. “But, two, it’s like the father that I wrote is one that was very supportive, so it feels good to know that he had that or that kind of resonated.” 

His participation in a student flick exposes a perhaps previously unseen generous side to the actor, who appeared in the movie for a “low price” and even submitted an audition tape — and whose sudden death earlier this month shocked fans and peers alike. 

In an email to The Post, a representative for the Washtenaw County Medical Examiner’s Office previously said that the 52-year-old performer died of “asphyxia hanging.”

But Khashafa didn’t witness any signs of struggle during filming.

In fact, he only witnessed “the opposite,” he said.

“He was a very easygoing, fun person,” Khashafa recalled.

And he wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

The film’s official Instagram account shared a post on Friday, June 16, to celebrate him as a “remarkable actor” and “exceptional talent and dedication” on behalf of the cast and crew.

“Mike was the father figure in the film — and obviously the father figure on set,” Khashafa said.

“What people will remember about him is probably his laughs, his humor,” he added. “He just brought a lot of fun and energy.”

Khashafa hopes to circulate the movie at various film festivals and also release it sometime this summer, but, in the meantime, he hosted an early on-campus screening for professors, students, family, cast and crew in April – and Batayeh “was in the front row,” he said. 

On April 20, just two days after the screening, Batayeh sent a touching text message to the fledgling director:

“Congratulations on the screening bro! The movie looked great up on the big screen. Excited to see future work coming soon!”

That would be Batayeh’s last communication with the actor.

However, he still cherishes another memento he received from him: A sweet selfie showing a smiling Batayeh with some of the cast and crew after they completed filming in late December.

Khashafa now hopes that Batayeh’s legacy — both his career and generosity — will be remembered.

“He was here. I really hope that he was able to leave his mark,” he said. “I guess that’s one of my big worries in life for myself — or my goals in life — to leave my mark here. To leave something, like, ‘Well, I was here.’”

Batayeh additionally wished that the brief, final project by his “mentor” would have a lasting impression on others.

“I also really hope the film would bring some comfort to the people that loved him, you know?” he said.

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