RJ Mitte, the actor and disability rights advocate best known for playing Walter White Jr. on the acclaimed AMC drama “Breaking Bad,” died Monday in Texas at the age of 34, his representatives confirmed.
A county official told TMZ that Mitte died by suicide and noted that a death investigation remains underway. While his representatives did not specify a cause of death in their initial public remarks, they mourned the loss of a performer who used his platform to champion inclusion across the entertainment industry.
“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 released to media outlets. “Drawing from his own experience living with cerebral palsy, Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion.”
A groundbreaking role on television
Mitte appeared in 56 episodes of “Breaking Bad” from 2008 to 2013, portraying the teenage son of Bryan Cranston’s chemistry-teacher-turned-kingpin Walter White and Anna Gunn’s Skyler White. Vince Gilligan, the series creator, based the character on a friend who had cerebral palsy and used mobility devices.
Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age three, Mitte had spent years as a child working through physical and speech therapy to walk without assistance. For the television production, he learned to use crutches to match the role’s specific requirements, bringing real-life experience to a character that challenged conventional portrayals of disability on screen.
In 2013, Mitte received the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award, an honor named after the first disabled actor to win an Academy Award. The union presents the distinction to industry professionals whose efforts meaningfully expand public awareness of disability through media.
Advocacy and screen career
Beyond his breakthrough role on AMC, Mitte appeared in numerous television and film projects throughout his career. His credits included a recurring part on ABC Family’s “Switched at Birth,” as well as roles in “The Guardians of Justice,” “Triumph,” “The Oak Room” and “Standing Up for Sunny.” He also contributed voice work to educational programming explaining federal healthcare rules for people with disabilities, and he served as an NBC co-host during coverage of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Off screen, Mitte focused heavily on charitable work. He served as president of The Mitte Foundation, an Austin-based non-profit organization established by his family to support community initiatives and aid marginalized populations in South Texas. He also served as an ambassador for Shriners Children’s and United Cerebral Palsy.
Mitte frequently emphasized that disabled actors should be represented across all genres, arguing in interviews that media portrayals should not simply center on a character’s limitations. He maintained that greater visibility on television provided essential inspiration for young viewers facing physical challenges.
Mitte resided in Brownsville, Texas. In 2025, he announced his engagement to Kennedy Suarez during a charity benefit for United Cerebral Palsy of San Diego.
Authorities in Texas have not yet released additional findings from their investigation into his death.
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