Mercedes LeAnza, Amazon Studios and Prime Video's Lead Producer, Dies at 40

Mercedes LeAnza, Amazon Studios and Prime Video's lead creative producer, has died of bile duct cancer. She was 40 years old. According to Variety, LeAnza died on April 10th and a memorial for her friends and co-workers is planned for May 15th in Los Angeles. Among LeAnza's credits at Amazon were Making the Cut, Solos, Upload, and Harlem.

LeAnza was born on November 12, 1981 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and relocated to California with her mother and brother, Kyle, following her parents' divorce. Her family eventually moved to San Mateo where LeAnza completed high school and she later attended Loyola Marymount University, graduating with honors in theater arts and communications in 2005. 

Following graduation, LeAnza cofounded Stella Bella Productions. The production company produced films such as Jelly, The Accidental Death of Joey by Sue, and Ash Global. LeAnza also worked as a producer and line producer for a variety of projects, both scripted and commercial and worked as a producer for Launch Media of Santi Monica as well as produced independent films, including the comedy Homeroom. 2020 saw LeAnza's first credit as a lead creative producer for Amazon with the series Hunters starring Al Pacino. As was mentioned previously, her other credits at Amazon include Making the Cut, Solos, Upload and Harlem. 

Community and The Boys actor Charley Koontz, who also went to college with LeAnza, took to social media to remember her, calling LeAnza "fierce, dedicated, and ambitious" and also remembered her as being a wonderful and caring person as well.

"I went to college with Mercedes LeAnza and she was a fierce, dedicated and ambitious producer, as well as a wonderful, caring, and empathetic actor," Koontz wrote. "Talking about the future always inspired me. It was hard not to have a crush on Mercedes. She'll be missed. Sending love to her family."

LeAnza is survived by her husband Sonny Michael Olivera, mother Sandra LeAnza, brother Kyle and sister-in-law Elizabeth LeAnza, estranged father Glen LeAnza, uncle and aunt Chris and Julie LeAnza and their sons Kai, CJ, and Jax. In memory of LeAnza, the family asks that donations be made to charities or the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation.