Breaking Bad actor RJ Mitte dies at 34

RJ Mitte, who played Walter White’s son on the television series “Breaking Bad” and advocated for people with disabilities, has died at 34. His representatives confirmed his death Monday but did not provide a cause.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte,” his representatives said in a statement reported by NBC News. They asked for privacy for his family and loved ones.

Mitte died Monday in Brownsville, Texas, where he had moved, Brownsville Justice of the Peace Judge Cyndi Hinojosa told NBC News. Hinojosa said she declared him dead at 1:32 p.m. but could not disclose the cause of death.

Mitte’s breakout role was Walter White Jr., the teenage son of a high school teacher who becomes a methamphetamine producer in “Breaking Bad.” The AMC series debuted in January 2008, when Mitte was 15, and ran for five seasons through 2013. CBS News reported that Mitte shared a Screen Actors Guild Award for best drama ensemble with the cast in 2014, for the show’s final season.

In a 2021 interview with “Big Issue” cited by NBC News, Mitte said favorable coverage and critical reception helped keep “Breaking Bad” on the air during its early years. “It wasn’t the viewers, because we didn’t have the numbers to stay as a network show,” he said. The show gained a larger audience in later seasons, he said.

Mitte had cerebral palsy, which was reflected in his “Breaking Bad” character. His representatives said his experience helped him bring authenticity to the role and gave him a platform to promote disability awareness and inclusion.

He used that platform beyond acting. His representatives said he served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s and as president of The Mitte Foundation, supporting community and philanthropic initiatives. CBS News reported that he received the SAG-AFTRA Howard Russell Award in 2014. The award is named for the first actor with a disability to win an Oscar.

Mitte also appeared in the 2017 science-fiction film “The Recall” and the 2020 horror film “The Oak Room,” according to NBC News.

In the “Big Issue” interview, Mitte credited his family with supporting him when attitudes toward people with cerebral palsy were negative. He said some people believed when he was young that he would never walk or talk properly, or have a typical life or career. “That was the perception when I was a kid,” he said. “And my family was like, ‘No. He’s going to go do things.’”

Hinojosa told NBC News that Mitte “will be very, very much missed” in Brownsville. “He was so gracious to our town,” she said.