‘Good Burger’ Star Jan Schwieterman Dead at 52

Jan Patrick “J.P.” Schwieterman, the actor known for playing of Mondo Burger owner Kurt Bozwell in Nickelodeon’s Good Burger, has died.

Schwieterman passed away at Mercy Hospital in Washington, Missouri on Friday, Feb. 28 at the age of 52, according to an online obituary. His brother, Chad Schwieterman, said the actor died following a battle with stage 4 cancer.

“He recently found out he had an aggressive form of stage 4 cancer and passed yesterday evening,” Chad wrote in a March 1 Facebook post. He did not specify the type of cancer his brother was diagnosed with. “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.”

Schwieterman was born in Bluffton, Indiana in 1972, but relocated to California shortly after high school to pursue an acting career. He made his acting debut in 1994 in the role of Jeremy on the ABC series McKenna. He later guest starred on shows including ER and Forever, before landing his breakout role in 1997’s Good Burger.

The hit Nickelodeon film, directed by Brian Robbins, centered around Kenan Thompson’s Dexter and Kel Mitchell’s Ed, two teens who work at a fast food joint. Schwieterman starred in the film as Kurt Bozwell, Dexter and Ed’s rival and the owner of Mondo Burger, a new burger joint that sets up across the street.

The film premiered in 1997 and spawned a sequel more than two decades later, 2023’s Good Burger 2. Schwieterman did not appear in the film.

After Good Burger, the actor went on to appear in 1999’s Warlock III: The End of Innocence and American Intellectuals, 2000’s Fallen Arches, and the 2007 film Along the Way, which marked his final acting credit, per his IMDb profile.

Outside of acting, Schwieterman was in the Boy Scouts of America and “was proud of the fact he became an Eagle Scout,” according to his obituary. He “loved to travel” and “traveled to many countries throughout his life, most recently to Thailand.” He was also an artist, studied martial arts, and was an avid Dungeons and Dragons player.

A funeral was held for Schwieterman on March 4, and the family asked that any donations be sent to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The late actor is survived by his parents LeeRoy Schwieterman and Clara Reed; sisters Megan and Vanessa; brother Chad; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.