Breaking Bad Actor RJ Mitte Dies at 34 in Texas

RJ Mitte, the actor and disability rights advocate best known for playing Walter White Jr. in the television drama Breaking Bad, died at age 34 in Brownsville, Texas, on Monday, October 12. His publicist confirmed to Reuters that he died by suicide, while his representative shared news of his death with the BBC.

Mitte, who lived with cerebral palsy, earned recognition for his performance in the Emmy-winning series and received a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2014 for his work on the show. Beyond acting, he supported disability awareness and inclusion through advocacy and charitable initiatives.

His representative, Sean Reilly, highlighted the actor's contribution to television and efforts to improve opportunities for people with disabilities.

"Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform around disability awareness and inclusion," said Reilly.

Mitte also served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children's. He established The Mitte Foundation to support charitable work and community initiatives, using his public profile to challenge stereotypes and encourage broader representation of people with disabilities.

Bryan Cranston, who portrayed Walter White in Breaking Bad, paid tribute to his former co-star, recalling Mitte's early days on the production and his development as an actor. Cranston first met Mitte when the younger performer was 14 and had been cast as Walter White Jr.

"I met him when he was only 14 years old after he was cast as Walter White Jr., a role he played with tremendous joy and excitement," Cranston said.

The series began filming its pilot in February 2007, giving Cranston an opportunity to watch Mitte develop his performance over time. Cranston also praised Mitte's disability advocacy and his determination not to let cerebral palsy define his professional capabilities.

"That boy was inexperienced when we started shooting the pilot in February 2007, but little by little, we watched him grow into a really good actor," Cranston said.

Cranston described Mitte's death as a significant loss and expressed sorrow over the circumstances. He also recalled enjoying their time together during the series and after the show ended.

"All that promise and potential he had makes this a huge loss now," Cranston wrote, adding that he "really enjoyed spending time with him throughout the years on the series, and even after the spotlight on Breaking Bad faded."

Cranston also expressed anguish after learning that Mitte had died by suicide.

"It hurts even more to hear that he took his own life," Cranston said.

He ended his tribute with a personal message to his former co-star.

"I will miss you, my son," Cranston wrote.

Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad, also expressed grief over Mitte's death in a statement shared by The Hollywood Reporter. Paul remembered him as a friend and directed a message of support toward people who might be struggling.

"RJ, I love you, my friend. We will miss you," Paul said. "And anybody reading this, please know that you are loved and you are not alone. Always remember that."

Dean Norris, who portrayed Mitte's television uncle, Hank Schrader, recalled the close relationship he developed with the younger actor on set. Norris said he had looked out for Mitte despite their characters' family relationship being different from their real-life connection.

"Although RJ didn't play my son on TV, I always looked after him as a young boy on set," Norris wrote.

Norris also remembered Mitte's personality and the impression he left on the cast.

"He was a very kind young man, and we will miss him very much," Norris wrote.

Born and raised in Louisiana, Mitte moved to Los Angeles in 2005 to support his younger sister's acting career. He was still a teenager when he auditioned for Breaking Bad, having previously tried out for a California public service announcement against methamphetamine use.

Breaking Bad aired on the American cable network AMC for five seasons, from 2008 to 2013. The drama followed a high school chemistry teacher, played by Cranston, who turns to crime after receiving a cancer diagnosis and seeking to provide for his family.

Mitte's character was inspired by a late friend of series creator Vince Gilligan who had a more severe form of cerebral palsy and used forearm crutches. Mitte did not require the same mobility aids, and his performance portrayed a teenager whose disability was not a constant focus of the story.

After becoming widely recognized, Mitte continued to advocate for more varied roles for performers with visible and invisible disabilities. In a 2021 interview with the BBC, he discussed the importance of representation across the entertainment industry.

"Whenever awards season comes around, we always hope to see different projects that represent all of us, in body and mind," Mitte told the BBC.

He also described progress in disability representation as gradual rather than immediate.

"It has been wonderful to watch awareness of disability representation continue to grow, but breakthroughs sometimes happen little by little instead of through one big change," Mitte said.

His screen credits also included Hannah Montana, Switched at Birth and Westhampton. His latest project, Talking to Strangers, was released earlier in 2026.