BROWNSVILLE, Texas — RJ Mitte, the actor whose lived experience with cerebral palsy shaped his role as Walter White Jr. in the television drama “Breaking Bad,” died on Monday at age 34, according to Reuters.
News of his death in Brownsville, Texas, was confirmed in a statement released through the talent management agency that represented him. No details about the circumstances of his death were given.
The agency described Mitte as an actor, philanthropist and passionate advocate for disability rights, and said he brought authenticity to the role that made him known around the world.
From ‘Breaking Bad’ to advocacy
Mitte played Flynn, the son of Walter White, a terminally ill teacher who becomes a crystal meth manufacturer. His character used crutches and spoke with a slur, and grew in prominence as the series followed the family’s disintegration. “Breaking Bad” ran from 2008 to 2013 and won 16 Emmy Awards, including two for best drama series.
He later played a high school wrestler with cerebral palsy in the 2021 coming-of-age film “Triumph.” Off screen, he served as a Screen Actors Guild spokesman for performers with disabilities and as a celebrity ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy.
According to the agency statement cited by Reuters, Mitte was active in philanthropic organisations devoted to fundraising and awareness for cerebral palsy and other disorders affecting muscle control, work that drew directly on his own experience growing up with the condition.
