Bryan Cranston shared a tribute following the death of RJ Mitte who died on Monday in Brownsville, Texas, at the age of 34. A rep confirmed to People that the actor died of suicide.
Mitte was best known for portraying Walter White Jr. — the son of Cranston and Anna Gunn’s characters, Walter and Skyler White — on the Emmy-winning series Breaking Bad. The celebrated show ran for five seasons, from 2008 to 2013. With his casemates, Mitte won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
Mitte, who was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy when he was three years old, garnered praise for his performance as Walt Jr. The character had the same condition as Mitte, though more pronounced. In 2013, he received the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award, given out in honor of Russell, the first actor with a disability to win an Oscar.
“I’m in deep despair as I write this tonight. RJ Mitte, my sweet son on Breaking Bad has died,” Cranston wrote in a post shared to social media alongside of a photo of Mitte and himself. “Born with Cerebral Palsy, he never – ever – allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything. He met the demanding shooting schedule head on with great determination.”
Cranston continued, “That kid was pretty raw when we started shooting the pilot in February of 2007, but little by little we watched him grow into a really fine actor. He parlayed his experience on the show to be a vocal advocate for performers with disabilities, and was the head of a philanthropic organization with a focus on helping the disabled community.”
The actor mourned that all “that promise and potential now is such a loss.” He wrote, “It is especially devastating to hear that he took his own life,” before asking, “Why?” Cranston said that just a few weeks before Mitte’s death they were texting each other to find a time to grab lunch. He wondered, “I don’t know if that lunch would have changed his future.”
Cranston said, “But I do know that I loved him, and thoroughly enjoyed being with him throughout the years on the series, and after the spotlight on Breaking Bad dimmed… I’ll miss you, son.” Before ending his tribute, Cranston implored those struggling to contact the 988 Lifeline and said, “There is hope.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Dial 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Trevor Project, which provides help and suicide-prevention resources for LGBTQ+ youth, can be reached at 1-866-488-7386. Find other international suicide helplines at Befrienders Worldwide (befrienders.org).
