Vale RJ Mitte: Breaking Bad’s Walter White Jr dies aged 34 — RJ Mitte, who played Walter White Jr in Breaking Bad, has died aged 34. His representatives confirmed his death in a statement on Monday, US time. They described him as a “beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate”.
His representative has since confirmed that Mitte died by suicide, TVLine reported. ABC News, Variety and NPR have also reported his death. The date and place of his death have not been released.
For Australian viewers, all five seasons of Breaking Bad are streaming on Stan. The series made Mitte a familiar face around the world. However, his work as an advocate for people with disabilities became an equally important part of his life.
RJ Mitte and Breaking Bad
Mitte played Walter “Flynn” White Jr, the teenage son of Bryan Cranston’s Walter White and Anna Gunn’s Skyler. He appeared across all five seasons of the AMC drama, from 2008 to 2013.
Like his character, Mitte had cerebral palsy. He was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in August 1992 and was diagnosed at the age of three. As a result, the role gave audiences a rare portrayal of a teenager with a disability in a mainstream drama.
The cast won the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series in 2014. Mitte later described the role as his breakthrough. In a 2015 interview with the ABC, he said it gave him “an outlet to speak on so many important topics”.
Bryan Cranston pays tribute
Cranston, who played his on-screen father, shared a tribute on Instagram. He recalled meeting Mitte as a teenager.
I met him when he was only 14 years old when he was cast as Walter White Jr.
Bryan Cranston
He also praised the way Mitte approached his career.
Born with Cerebral Palsy, he never — ever — allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything.
Bryan Cranston
Cranston said the pair had been texting only weeks earlier about catching up for lunch. He ended his post simply: “I’ll miss you, son.”
Meanwhile, co-stars from Mitte’s later work also paid tribute. William Mark McCullough, who played his father in the 2023 film The Unseen, called him “kind, thoughtful, and talented”.
His career after Breaking Bad
After Breaking Bad, Mitte had a recurring role in Switched at Birth in 2014. He also appeared in Now Apocalypse and voiced a main role in the Netflix animated series The Guardians of Justice.
In addition, his film work included Standing Up for Sunny, The Oak Room and Triumph. He was also an executive producer on Triumph.
Away from acting, he modelled for a Gap campaign in 2014. A year later, he walked the runway for Vivienne Westwood.
A champion for performers with disabilities
Mitte used his profile to push for better representation on screen. He was a spokesman for the Screen Actors Guild on behalf of actors with disabilities. He was also a celebrity ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy.
He also became the face of the anti-bullying campaign Cut the Bull. He worked on it with Shriners Hospitals for Children, where he was first diagnosed. In 2016, he joined Channel 4’s presenting team for the Rio Paralympics.
Furthermore, the Screen Actors Guild recognised his advocacy with its Harold Russell Award at the 2013 Media Access Awards.
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