Breaking Bad Co Stars Honor RJ Mitte After His Death at 34

Cast members of the Emmy-winning television drama Breaking Bad are mourning RJ Mitte, the actor and disability advocate who died at 34. Following news of his death on October 12, 2026, co-stars Aaron Paul and Dean Norris publicly expressed their grief and remembered Mitte's kindness during their time working together on the AMC series.

Mitte became widely recognized for playing Walter White Jr., the son of Bryan Cranston's Walter White and Anna Gunn's Skyler White. His portrayal incorporated cerebral palsy, a condition Mitte also experienced in his own life, helping bring greater visibility to disability representation on television.

Aaron Paul, who portrayed Jesse Pinkman, shared an emotional tribute in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, remembering Mitte as both a friend and a valued colleague.

"I am at a loss. I am heartbroken over this news. RJ, I love you my friend. You will be missed," Paul said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

Paul also used his message to encourage people experiencing difficult times to remember that they have support and are not alone.

"And to whoever happens to be reading this, please know you are loved, and you are not alone. Always remember that." Paul said.

Dean Norris, who played Hank Schrader, Walter White Jr.'s uncle in the series, also expressed his shock in a post on X. Norris recalled looking out for Mitte when the younger actor was on set, describing their relationship as one that extended beyond their characters' connections.

"Oh my God! Was working just found out about RJ. I am heartbroken." Norris wrote on X.

Norris explained that although Mitte did not portray his character's son, he felt protective of the young actor during production. His memories focused on Mitte's personality and the close connections formed among the cast.

"Though RJ didn’t play my TV son, I always looked out for him as a young kid on set. He was a sweetheart of a young man and will be greatly missed," Norris continued.

He also expressed disbelief over the loss and extended his thoughts to Mitte's relatives.

"This is so heartbreaking, I can’t believe it. Thinking of him and his family." Norris said.

Beyond Breaking Bad, Mitte appeared in several television productions, including Switched at Birth, The Guardians of Justice and Now Apocalypse. His film credits included Triumph, a 2021 drama in which he played a high school student aspiring to become a wrestler, as well as The Unseen, The Oak Room, Westhampton, Love Me Dead and Talking to Strangers.

Mitte's experience with cerebral palsy also shaped his work as an advocate. He served as an honorary trustee of United Cerebral Palsy and as president of the Mitte Foundation, using his public profile to promote greater understanding of disability and more realistic representation in entertainment.

In a 2016 interview with Vice, Mitte discussed how the original Breaking Bad character description reflected his own life, with cerebral palsy incorporated into Walter White Jr.'s characterization.

"the breakdown for the character was: dark hair, big eyebrows and mild cerebral palsy," Mitte told Vice in 2016, adding, "And that was my life! Except for the methamphetamine."

He also explained why realistic portrayals mattered to audiences, emphasizing the importance of characters whose experiences viewers could recognize. Breaking Bad ran for five seasons and followed Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher with a terminal illness who built a crystal methamphetamine operation with Jesse Pinkman.

"People are hungry for realism, and they're hungry to see characters like them," Mitte said. "And I think that's what was really important with 'Breaking Bad' is it showed characters that everyone can relate to."