Mike Schank, musician and co-star of the 1999 documentary 'American Movie,' dead at 53

Musician Mike Schank, known best for his role in the 1999 critically acclaimed documentary "American Movie," has died. He was 53.

A close friend of Schank's, Jackie Bogenberger, announced his death on Facebook on Thursday. Bogenberger told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, that she met Schank at the Milwaukee Alano Club in Wisconsin while battling her own addictions.

"He was just always there, every single day," Bogenberger said. "Eventually it brought me comfort and security knowing I would see his face when I walked through those doors at a seemingly scary time of my life."

Bogenberger said a celebration of life will be held Nov. 12 at the Milwaukee Alano Club, where Schank volunteered for two decades.

In August, Schank announced on Twitter that he was 27 years sober.

Roughly three months before Schank's announcement, Schank began to tell friends and family that he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, Bogenberger told the Journal Sentinel.

"They kept doing all these tests to try to figure out what kind, but in the end just decided it was super rare," Bogenberger said.

"It spread quickly everywhere throughout his body in a matter of weeks, touching almost everything except his brain. He did some chemo and radiation. One of the last things Mike said to me was, 'Hey Jackie, I feel really bad for children who have cancer. They should never have to.'"

Bogenberger said throughout both his battles with addiction and cancer, Schank remained "one of the kindest and selfless human beings this earth was ever blessed with."

In 1999, Schank gained national notoriety by starring in the documentary "American Movie." The cult film chronicled the life of Mark Borchardt as he set out on a journey to make a short horror film. Schank was Borchardt's best friend and a co-star in the film. He also composed all the music for "Movie."

Schank went on to appear in the 2001 film "Storytelling" opposite Paul Giamatti, and also had a TV credit starring as himself in a "Family Guy" episode in 2006.

A number of friends, fans and admirers paid tribute to Schank on social media.

"RIP Mike Schank," filmmaker and "The Morning Show" actor Mark Duplass tweeted. "Watch him in American Movie and learn how to be a good friend."

Edgar Wright, director of "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," "Baby Driver" and "Shaun of the Dead," posted multiple tweets about Schank, calling him "the sweet funny soul at the heart of the extraordinary doc 'American Movie.' "

Rainn Wilson tweeted, "This is sad. LOVED this wonderful human."

"Lord of the Rings" star Elijah Wood called Schank a "legend," adding "Mike Schank forever."

Fans of "American Movie" from around the world saw Schank's kindness for themselves. In the documentary he is depicted as a devout friend, supporting Borchardt's filmmaking dreams through trials and tribulations.

Schank's deadpan humor and quiet sweetness in "Movie" made him a beloved, unforgettable figure, whether he was hilariously providing a bloodcurdling scream for Borchardt's short-film "Coven," or awkwardly chuckling to himself because he won a $50 lottery ticket and didn't want to tell anyone, worried they'd ask to borrow some money.

"Add Mike Schank to the list of Milwaukee's simple pleasures," former Journal Sentinel film critic Duane Dudek wrote in a 2002 profile of Schank. "Like the city he comes from, Schank is laid-back and without pretense. And like far more familiar institutions such as George Webb's, the Allen-Bradley clock or the Sausage Race, he has a distinctive regional quality that is easier to recognize than to explain."

Schank's likability helped make 'American Movie' a success

Schank's likability played a key role in the success of "American Movie."

Directed by Chris Smith, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee alum who went on to direct "Fyre" on Netflix and produce the streamer's blockbuster series "Tiger King," "Movie" won the Grand Jury Prize for documentary filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999. A decade later, the New York Times proclaimed it was one of the best 1,000 movies ever made.

It's developed a cult following in the years since, and Schank amassed his own following.

Alongside Borchardt, Schank appeared on "Late Show with David Letterman," where he also got to meet one of his musical idols, Gene Simmons of KISS. The DVD of "Movie" also gave away Schank's real phone number, and he talked to fans from around the world, including from England, Australia, Israel, Canada and Scotland, Schank told Dudek for the 2002 Journal Sentinel story.

Some famous people ended up calling "The Mike Line" too, including filmmaker Edgar Wright; actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost; and musicians Steve Vai, former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and Angus Young of AC/DC.

But Schank was most proud of his music. Picking up the guitar when he was 6, Schank released a few albums in addition to doing the score for "Movie" and playing guitar in the film. He told Dudek in 2002 that he'd rather "freak someone out at a party at Mark's house at how well I can play guitar" than act in movies.

His sobriety was another point of pride. As funny as he was in "Movie," Schank in the film also shares a harrowing, near-death experience after an overdose. The fact that he survived, found sobriety and maintained such a positive outlook made him, as Dudek wrote in his 2002 article, "a Rust Belt role model for recovery."

"People don't realize the willpower it takes not to do it when you're around friends who do it all the time," his mother Rita told Dudek. "Because he was really bad. I know he has willpower."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mike Schank, co-star of 'American Movie' and musician, dead at 53