RJ Mitte, the Actor Best Known for Playing Breaking Bad's Walter White Jr., Dies at 34

His representatives confirmed that Mitte, who played Walter White Jr. in the acclaimed series, had cerebral palsy and advocated for disability representation. Mitte died in Brownsville, Texas. No cause of death was given. Read more...

Breaking Bad actor RJ Mitt died on Monday at the age of 34, his reps confirmed.

Mitt died in Brownsville, Texas. The cause of death was not mentioned.

"It is with deep sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist and passionate advocate for disability rights RJ Mitte," Mitte's representatives said in a statement. "Drawing on her own experience of living with cerebral palsy, Mitte brought authenticity to the role and created a platform on disability awareness and inclusion."

In 56 episodes of the acclaimed AMC show, often cited as one of the greatest television shows of all time, Mitte played Walter White Jr., the son of Bryan Cranston's high school chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin.

Mitt had cerebral palsy, a condition he shared with his Breaking Bad character.

In 2015, he spoke to The Guardian about being a disabled actor who plays disabled characters.

"You take risks and you accept that these are the roles you play. But it's all about how you play - you have to show people the inner strength."

In addition to Breaking Bad, Mitt also starred in several series, including Switched at Birth and The Guardians of Justice. Just days before his death, he was promoting his new film Talking to Strangers, billed as a "romantic tragedy."

Earlier this month, Mitte appeared on Joe Volpis' podcast and talked about his time on Breaking Bad. He noted that his character was based on one of his real-life friends from the show, Vince Gilligan.

"It was a really surreal feeling to play this character and get into a groove with this character," Mitte said.

Off screen, Mitte was an outspoken advocate for disability representation in entertainment and served in various philanthropic roles, including as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and as president of the Mitte Foundation.

Born in 1992, Mitt was raised in Mississippi by foster parents. In an interview with The Guardian in 2016, she said she found out she was adopted when she was eight.

"My stepbrother told me. He heard my mom and stepdad talking about it at the time, and he threw it in my face. But I didn't really care. It didn't seem relevant because I've never felt unloved or burdened in my life."