The actor who played Walter White Jr. became one of television’s most visible performers with cerebral palsy, and his co-stars are remembering his kindness.
R.J. Mitte, who played Walter White Jr. on Breaking Bad and spent the years after the show fighting for better representation of disabled people on screen, has died at 34. The Brownsville Police Department in Texas confirmed his death on Monday, saying the cause and manner of death remain undetermined pending an official ruling.
A Role That Changed Television
Mitte was a teenager when Vince Gilligan cast him as the son of Bryan Cranston‘s Walter White and Anna Gunn’s Skyler. Like his character, Mitte had cerebral palsy, diagnosed when he was a child, and his casting put a disabled actor in a central role on one of the most acclaimed dramas ever made. Walt Jr., who insisted on being called Flynn, was never written as a symbol. He was a funny, stubborn, wounded kid, and Mitte made him one of the show’s quiet emotional anchors as the family fell apart around him.
Breaking Bad ran for five seasons on AMC from 2008 to 2013, and Mitte shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding drama ensemble for its final season. His work in “Ozymandias,” the episode often ranked among the greatest in television history, remains some of the most devastating acting in the series.
Advocacy Beyond the Screen
After Breaking Bad, Mitte became one of the industry’s most prominent voices on disability inclusion, working as an advocate and ambassador and speaking to students about overcoming obstacles. He continued acting, including a recurring role on Switched at Birth, and had appeared on a podcast earlier this month reminiscing about how light the mood stayed on the Breaking Bad set despite the show’s dark material.
Tributes
His co-stars responded with grief. Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman, said he was heartbroken, and added a message for anyone reading: “please know you are loved, and you are not alone.” Dean Norris, who played Walt Jr.’s uncle Hank, recalled looking out for Mitte on set when he was young. SAG-AFTRA, which Mitte joined in 2006, also paid tribute.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the U.S., available 24 hours a day.
