Fans watching the premiere of Amazon Studios' Mr. & Mrs. Smith were met with a tribute card at the end of the episode reading: "In memory of Michael S. Sloane, the greatest truth teller."
Who is Mr. & Mrs. Smith's Michael S. Sloane?
Michael S. Sloane is the father of Francesca Sloane, the showrunner and co-creator of Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Sloane sadly passed away during the production of the series, but further details remain unclear. The showrunner has avoided talking too much about her personal life and past while promoting the show.
According to an old GoFundMe posted in 2018, which was created to help relocate Sloane to a senior living facility, Sloane was the son of two Holocaust survivors from a displaced persons camp in Germany in 1946.
According to the campaign, in 2015, Sloane had to receive an arterial bypass which had lasting effects on his body, getting in the way of his ability to function normally.
The page explained that he "has worked tirelessly his whole life through myriad careers and experiences." For the last ten years (from the time of this campaign), he has been a real estate appraiser.
The campaign went on to raise $5,265, which prompted Francesca and Daniella Sloane to post the following message thanking everyone for the support:
"We are absolutely floored by everyone's kindness and generosity during this new chapter of our father's life! We can't thank each of you enough and are truly overwhelmed when we think of the incredible people we have the honor of knowing, loving, and being supported by through trying times. When we made this page, we shared an intimate part of our lives, and never dreamed of these contributions, let alone the incredible success of exceeding our goal!"
The message continued, noting how their father "has officially made the move to sunny California" and is "adjusting to a more relaxed lifestyle:"
"Thanks to you, Michael Sloane has officially made the move to sunny California, where he is fast making friends and adjusting to a more relaxed lifestyle. We hope it brings you the same joy it has brought us to see this recent photo of him making some happy West Coast memories. There are no words to express how grateful we are. We love you! xoxo Sloane sisters."
While speaking about the show to The Orange County Register, Francesca Sloane briefly mentioned how losing her father played into the development of Mr. & Mrs. Smith and its leading characters:
"In 2020, when Donald approached me about the show, I had just gotten married. I had not wanted to get married, but the pandemic really bonded my husband and I and made us sort of reevaluate why we are here and mortality. Since then I’ve had a baby and lost my father and learned how much you change as you go through life so the chances of staying the same and totally compatible are slim to none. What makes it worth spending your time with that person? It kind of becomes a numbers game of happiness. Part of why I really enjoyed writing the two of them this way is that I don’t know if they’re necessarily compatible."
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is now streaming on Prime Video.
