Mitte, who had cerebral palsy, drew on his own experience for the role of Walter White Jr.
RJ Mitte, the actor best known for playing Walter White Jr. in Breaking Bad, died on Monday in Brownsville, Texas. He was 34. Cyndi Hinojosa, justice of the peace for Cameron County, told the Associated Press she pronounced him dead around 1:30 p.m. at a place she believed was his house.
His publicist confirmed news reports that Mitte took his own life, and no further details about the circumstances were given. Brownsville's police force said it did not suspect foul play. Hinojosa could not give a cause, and an autopsy will be performed. In the US, you can call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or chat at 988lifeline.org.
Mitte had cerebral palsy. His representatives said in a statement that he "brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion." Offscreen, he was an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children's, and president of the Mitte Foundation.
Bryan Cranston, who played Mitte's father on screen, said he was in "deep despair" over the loss of his "sweet son." In his tribute, Cranston wrote about how Mitte handled the demands of the set:
"Born with Cerebral Palsy, he never - ever - allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything."
Cranston met Mitte when he was "only 14 years old". "That kid was pretty raw when we started shooting the pilot in February of 2007, but little by little we watched him grow into a really fine actor."
Cranston also wrote that he and Mitte had been texting a few weeks ago about possibly meeting for lunch. "I don't know if that lunch would have changed his future," he wrote. "But I do know that I loved him." He ended with "I'll miss you, son."
Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman, said he was at a loss and heartbroken. "RJ, I love you my friend. You will be missed." Dean Norris, who played Mitte's on-screen uncle, Hank Schrader, wrote that he "always looked out for him as a young kid on set."
Mitte was a young teen when he auditioned for the breakthrough role, after moving to Los Angeles to support his younger sister's acting career. He had said that his first audition there was for a California state public service announcement about an anti-meth commercial. Mitte made the point earlier this month during an appearance on the Joe Vulpis Podcast: "Fast forward to auditioning for Breaking Bad, which is still, in my opinion, an anti-meth thing because it doesn't end well for anyone." The character drew on an actual person who was a friend of Vince Gilligan, the series' creator. Mitte played Walter White Jr. in 56 episodes of the AMC show, which ran for five seasons from 2008 to 2013.
Following his time on the series, Mitte pushed for broader roles and more nuanced portrayals of characters with disabilities, visible and hidden alike. "Whenever awards season rolls around, we always hope to see a diverse group of projects that reflect all of us, in body and mind," he told the BBC in 2021. He told the AP in 2014 that his disability had shaped how he saw his work: "You're able to use that. And I think it's an asset instead of something that would hinder."
His later credits included Switched at Birth and The Guardians of Justice. Days before he died, Mitte was publicizing his newest movie, Talking to Strangers, which was marketed as a "romantic tragedy".
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