Jan “JP” Schwieterman, the actor known for his role in Good Burger, died Feb. 28 following a battle with stage 4 cancer, his brother confirmed. He was 52.
“He recently found out he had an aggressive form of stage 4 cancer and passed yesterday evening,” Chad Schwieterman wrote in a March 1 Facebook post. “Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this difficult time. Rest in peace, brother. We love you and miss you.”
Alongside his heartbreaking message, Chad shared a collection of photos of him and Jan posing with their parents and sisters, of Jan as a child, recent photos of Jan doing photography, and photos from his time spent acting.
Jan got his start in television in 1994, with a role on the ABC series McKenna. At the start of his career, he also appeared on ER, and Forever. It was his role in 1997’s Good Burger, where he was a standout as Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell’s character’s rival, Kurt Bozwell, the owner of Mondo Burger.
An online obituary for the late actor, which noted a memorial service was held for Jan in his hometown of Berger, Missouri, on March 4, further shared insight into his career and passions outside Hollywood.
“Growing up J.P. was in the Boy Scouts of America, and he was proud of the fact he became an Eagle Scout. Soon after high school he moved to California and became an actor,” the obituary read. “He was the lead villain in the movie Good Burger playing the role of Kurt Bozwell owner of Mondo Burger."
“J.P. also had roles in the TV series McKenna and ER,” it continued. “In 2007 he returned in the movie Along the Way. J.P. loved to travel. He has traveled to many countries throughout his life, most recently to Thailand. He was an artist of photography and painting. He studied martial arts and loved playing Dungeons and Dragons.”
In the comments of the online obituary, Jan’s father, LeeRoy Schwieterman, expressed how with the news of his son’s death, he wanted to share with well-wishers the story of his birth—including how he and his wife, Clara “Sid” Reed, came up with his name.
“We had met a wonderful young man named Jan and liked the name,” LeeRoy wrote. “The ‘a’ in Jan sounds like the ‘a’ in Patrick—seemed like a good fit—so, Jan Patrick got his name. I had purchased a yashica camara because it took great pictures which I wanted of Sid and J.P. May J.P. rest in peace, Amen.”
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