Italian
Steve Mensch, president and general manager of studio operations at Tyler Perry Studios, died in a plane crash on Friday night. He was 62.
According to ABC affiliate WFTS-TV in Tampa Bay, Fla., Mensch, who was piloting a single-passenger plane, was found dead Friday night by highway patrol near the intersection of U.S.-98 in Homosassa, Fla. The cause of the crash is under investigation by local authorities.
“We are incredibly saddened by the passing of our dear friend, Steve Mensch,” wrote Tyler Perry Studios in an official statement. “Steve was a cherished member of our team for more than 8 years, and well beloved in the community of Atlanta. It is hard to imagine not seeing him smiling throughout the halls. We will miss him dearly. Our heart goes out to his family as we all send them our prayers.”
Since 2016, Mensch has managed Perry’s expansive Atlanta-based studio, which is one of the largest in the U.S. at about 300 acres. The lot, housed at the former Fort McPherson army base, homes both Perry’s projects and productions from outside studios.
Popular on Variety Before joining the Perry banner, Mensch was president of another Georgia-based production studio, Third Rail Studios, where he oversaw general operations, staffing, and studio development until its grand opening in June 2016. Mensch also served as director of studio, location operations and strategic production partnerships at Turner Broadcasting, where he ran the broadcaster’s studio facilities for about 10 years.
Mensch is survived by his wife and three children.
