- Jan Schwieterman loses battle to stage 4 cancer
- He starred alongside Kenan & Kel in cult-classic movie, Good Burger
- Donations can be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston
Jan Schwieterman, who starred in the classic 1997 Nickelodeon comedy film Good Burger, has died at the age of 52 following a short battle with cancer.
His brother Chad shared a Facebook post that announced he died on 28 February 2025 at Mercy Hospital in Washington, Missouri.
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“It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of my brother, Jan (JP) Schwieterman,” wrote Chad in a post on 1 March. “He recently found out he had an aggressive form of stage 4 cancer and passed yesterday evening. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this difficult time.”
As a touching tribute, he added, “Rest in peace, brother. We love and miss you.”
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Schwieterman, known as J.P. to his family, was born on 30 September 1972, in Bluffton, Indiana. Throughout his childhood, he was “proud” to be an Eagle Scout, his obituary says.
He moved to California after high school to become an actor and in 1994 was cast in an episode of the drama McKenna starring Chad Everett, Eric Close and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Jan Schwieterman in cult-classic Good Burger
In 1997, Schwieterman was cast alongside comedians Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell in Nickelodeon’s cult classic Good Burger. He played Kurt Bozwell, the villainous owner and manager of the rival burger chain Mondo Burger, which competed against the restaurant where Thompson and Mitchell’s characters, Dexter and Ed, worked.
The late actor also starred in the 1999 films American Intellectuals and Warlock III: The End of Innocence. He made appearances in several TV shows, including, ER, NightMan, and Felicity.
After starring in the film Fallen Arches, which came out in 2000, he took a seven-year acting hiatus. In this time he pursued other artistic endeavours, such as painting, photography, and martial arts. His family also noted he loved to travel and play Dungeons and Dragons. In 2007, he returned for one final credit in the film Along the Way.
Memorial, donations and tributes
While sharing Schwieterman’s obituary on Facebook, days after announcing the actor’s death, Chad expressed his gratitude for his friends, family, and brother’s fans.
“Thank you, everyone, for your support. We miss JP deeply and appreciate your thoughts and prayers,” he wrote.
Tributes are being left on his obituary tribute wall, which include several nods to his role in the legendary Good Burger and the impact the movie had on them.
“He will truly be missed. I don’t think he ever truly knew how much of a legend he is. Good Burger is a movie that definitely helped me through my worst days of depression, and he played one of my favorite characters. Decades later, I’ve still watched this movie 3 times in the past month. My prayers are with the family. Fly high, legend. Until we meet again.” wrote Joseph Alston.
Another fan of the movie, Guy Patterson, commented “fare well to you and prayers to your family going to be watching good burger crying now because that will be a forever memory. Thank you for the great memories we love you until we meet again, your fan.”
Fans have also taken to social media to pay their tributes to Schwieterman and his iconic performance as Mondo Burger’s evil owner, Kurt Bozwell.
Schwieterman’s funeral was held on 4 March at St. Paul’s Church in Berger, Missouri. The family asked for any donations to be made in his memory to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
In addition to his brother, he is survived by his mother, Clara Reed, father LeeRoy Schwieterman and two sisters, Megan and Vanessa.
