RJ Mitte was one of the emotional centers of “Breaking Bad,” playing a teenager with cerebral palsy, a condition he had lived with in real life since he was a toddler.
The actor died at age 34.
The nonprofit United Cerebral Palsy said it was “heartbroken by the loss” of Mitte, who was an ambassador for the organization, noting that his death was “deeply felt throughout the disability community.”
“We knew him as someone who brought kindness, humor and genuine warmth to every interaction,” Susan Sellers, UCP president and CEO, said in a statement.
Bryan Cranston, who played his father in the hit TV series, wrote in an Instagram post that he was in “deep despair.” He remembers that Mitte was 14 when he was cast as his son, a role “he played with joy and enthusiasm.”
“Born with cerebral palsy, he never allowed this challenge to be an excuse for anything. He faced the demanding filming schedule with great determination,” Cranston wrote.
Actor Bob Odenkirk, who played lawyer Saul Goodman on “Breaking Bad,” called Mitte “a good person who shared his personal story and the time he dedicated to helping others.”
“Every time I saw him, he met the world with positivity and a strong desire to connect,” Odenkirk told People. “It’s just deeply sad.”
Cause of death of RJ Mitte
Mitte died Monday, Oct. 12, in Brownsville, Texas, where he had moved, local Justice of the Peace Cyndi Hinojosa told NBC News.
“Unfortunately, we can confirm that suicide was the cause of death,” Sean Reilly, his representative, said in a statement to NBC News on Tuesday (October 13).
“It is with deep sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte,” his representatives previously said.
Mitte lived with cerebral palsy and drew inspiration from his own experience to bring authenticity to his role in “Breaking Bad” and build “a platform on disability awareness and inclusion,” they added.
What RJ Mitte said about his cerebral palsy
The actor was diagnosed with cerebral palsy around age 3 and underwent physical, occupational and speech therapy, he told Vice in 2016.
“People perceive disability as a weakness, as an illness, as something that must be cured, and we must fight against this,” Mitte emphasized. “Someone said, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ And I was like, “What’s wrong with me?” What’s wrong with you? I’m fine, man.’
As a child, Mitte walked on his toes a lot, so part of the treatment involved bending his foot as far as possible and putting it in a cast, “which was no fun,” he recalled. A few weeks later, the cast was removed, his foot bent even further and immobilized in a cast again – a process that was repeated until his foot was flat.
“I’m always striving to take control. It’s a fight. It’s always going to be a fight,” he said of his body.
“Breaking Bad” showed real characters that everyone could relate to, Mitte noted. He played the son of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who begins manufacturing and selling crystal meth in order to secretly make more money for his family after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Mitte’s teenage character was based on a real person with cerebral palsy who was friends with the show’s creator, Mitte said on the Joe Vulpis podcast a week before his death.
The actor kept the forearm crutches his character used in “Breaking Bad.” They were the only thing he “really wanted” from the set, Mitte said, even though he didn’t use them in real life.
The actor was reluctant to become an advocate at first, but naturally found himself doing advocacy work. He created an anti-bullying campaign and participated in philanthropic works.
“I’m blessed to be able to be an advocate, I’m blessed to be able to do what I do. … I think we all have an obligation to make a positive impact,” he said.
Mitte understood the power of visibility, United Cerebral Palsy said, noting that “when entertainment, education and public life authentically represent people with disabilities, it can challenge stereotypes and expand what others believe is possible.”
Asked how people with disabilities can eliminate the stigma attached to physical disability, Mitte urged others to be open.
“Don’t hide your disability. Don’t hide what you’re hiding – and I’m not just talking about a physical disability, I’m talking about a mental disability. Show who and what you are to the world,” he said.
In 2025, the actor got engaged to his longtime girlfriend after proposing at a gala fundraiser for United Cerebral Palsy of San Diego, People reported.
“I’m thrilled to have found my person, my partner in life who makes me want to be better, no matter what we do,” he said of his engagement.
What is cerebral palsy?
This is a group of neurological disorders caused when a baby’s brain is damaged, usually as he or she develops in the womb, disrupting the child’s ability to control muscles and movements, as well as maintain posture and balance, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Although most people with cerebral palsy are diagnosed with the condition at birth, it may not be diagnosed until months or years later, explains the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Symptoms depend on how the disease affects the body: it can cause weakness in the arms or legs, muscle stiffness, involuntary movements, and other problems.
There are many types and levels of disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“A person with severe CP may need to use special equipment to be able to walk or may not be able to walk at all and may need lifelong care,” notes the CDC.
“A person with mild CP, on the other hand, may walk a little clumsily, but may not need special assistance.”
Mitte suffered from mild cerebral palsy and stopped wearing leg braces at age 13, he told Los Angeles Parent. But his character in “Breaking Bad” used crutches.
There is no cure for cerebral palsy, but treatments such as physical therapy, medications, surgery and mobility devices can help people manage their symptoms.
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