RJ Mitte, ‘Breaking Bad’ star, dies at 34

RJ Mitte, 'Breaking Bad' star, dies at 34. Liza Esquibias USA TODAY.

Key points

• When he began auditioning for acting roles, born Roy Frank Mitte in Mississippi, he moved to Los Angeles in 2006.
• In 2014, he hosted an event for UNC Best Buddies, a nonprofit organization that pairs University of North Carolina students with community members with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Taylor Dearden reflects on filming an episode of "Breaking Bad" opposite her father, and series star, Bryan Cranston when she was just a teenager.
• Beyond entertaining friends and family worldwide, he served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children's.
• Most lately, Mitte was promoting the newly issued film "Talking to Strangers, " in which his leading character Joshua additionally has cerebral palsy.

RJ Mitte, 'Breaking Bad' star, dies at 34. Liza Esquibias USA TODAY. Taylor Dearden on filming 'Breaking Bad' with her dad Bryan Cranston.

Actor R.J. Mitte, the "Breaking Bad" actor who advocated for disability rights throughout his career, has died. He was 34.

Sean Reilly, a representative for the star, confirmed his death in an official note to USA TODAY, describing him as a "beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate." Mitte was declared dead at 1: 32 p.m. Local time at his residence in Brownsville, Texas, on Monday, Oct. 12, Cameron County Justice of the Peace Judge Cyndi Hinojosa informed USA TODAY.

Mitte became best known for his role as Walter "Flynn" White Jr., the son of Bryan Cranston's anti-hero Walter White and Anna Gunn's Skyler White, on the critically acclaimed, Emmy-winning AMC series "Breaking Bad."

"Drawing from his own experience living with cerebral palsy, Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion, " Reilly's statement read.

"Beyond entertaining friends and family worldwide, he served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children's. While using his platform to challenge stereotypes and promote greater representation for residents with disabilities, " the statement continued, he additionally served as president of The Mitte Foundation, supporting philanthropic efforts and community initiatives.

Reilly asked for "people to respect the privacy of RJ Mitte's family and close ones" at this time. RJ Mitte's 'Breaking Bad' role reflected cerebral palsy advocacy.

Just days before his death, Mitte reflected on his time on "Breaking Bad" and the impact it had on his life during an appearance on "The Joe Vulpis Podcast."

My character was written with someone with cerebral palsy. This was from the beginning, that was always the case, he remarked. Walt Jr. Was based on a real person, a friend of Vince Gilligan in college who had cerebral palsy. This person applied forearm crutches and sometime after passed away. So it really felt real playing this character and getting into the groove with this character.

"Bryan and Anna, they have such a wealth of knowledge and have been working in the industry for many years at the time and even more now, " he continued. "And so every day, as far as it being a dark show having heavy themes, everything was very light-hearted, even in between takes."

RJ Mitte movies and TV demonstrates included newly issued 'Talking to Strangers'.

When he began auditioning for acting roles, born Roy Frank Mitte in Mississippi, he moved to Los Angeles in 2006. Throughout his career, Mitte has starred in a number of projects, with credits in 2020's "The Oak Room, " "The Recall" in 2017 and the 2022 series "The Guardians of Justice (Will Save You!)."

"A rigid loner with cerebral palsy and a vibrant force of nature form an unlikely friendship over lunch – until she asks him for the unthinkable, " reads the official logline.

Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 3 and applied his platform in the public eye to advocate for disability awareness.

"Having a disability, it's not a disability. It's knowledge that you can take into the world. It's something you can learn and grow from, " he remarked at the time. "To me, normal is whatever you create it. Normal is wherever you find yourself belonging, normal is wherever you find yourself the happiest." Share your feedback to support improve our site!

For now, RJ Mitte, Breaking Bad star, dies at 34 remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.