RJ Mitte, the actor who rose to fame as Walter White Jr. on AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” has died at the age of 34. Mitte died on Monday, Oct. 12, in Texas, and his representative told People that he died by suicide.
His family described him as a “beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate.” His representatives said Mitte drew on his own experience of living with cerebral palsy to bring authenticity to the role and later built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion, serving as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s.
Cranston: “I’ll miss you, son”
Bryan Cranston, who played Walter White, paid tribute to his on-screen son on Instagram. “I’m in deep despair as I write this tonight. RJ Mitte, my sweet son on Breaking Bad has died,” he wrote, recalling that Mitte was only 14 when he was cast as Walter White Jr., “a part he played with such joy and enthusiasm.”
“Born with Cerebral Palsy, he never – ever – allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything. He met the demanding shooting schedule head on with great determination.”
Cranston said Mitte listened to the advice of his TV parents, Anna Gunn and Cranston himself, though as a teenager he sometimes “mischievously” ignored it “in order to learn the hard way.” “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,” he wrote, adding that Mitte went on to become a vocal advocate for performers with disabilities and to head a philanthropic organization focused on helping the disabled community.
The actor also revealed that the two had been in touch only weeks earlier. “We were texting each other just a few weeks ago – figuring out when we could meet for lunch. I don’t know if that lunch would have changed his future. But I do know that I loved him,” Cranston wrote. He ended his message with “I’ll miss you, son,” and urged anyone who is struggling to call or text 988.
Co-stars mourn
Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman, told The Hollywood Reporter: “I am heartbroken over this news. RJ, I love you my friend. You will be missed.” Dean Norris, who played Hank Schrader, wrote on X: “Though RJ didn’t play my TV son, I always looked out for him as a young kid on set,” calling him “a sweetheart of a young man” who “will be greatly missed.”
A career beyond Walter White Jr.
Born on Aug. 21, 1992, in Jackson, Mississippi, Mitte played Walter White Jr., a teenager who, like him, has cerebral palsy, throughout the show’s 2008–2013 run. He later had a recurring role as Campbell Bingman on “Switched at Birth” and starred in and executive produced the 2021 film “Triumph.” He served as a Screen Actors Guild spokesperson for actors with disabilities and received the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award in 2013.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the United States.
