US actor RJ Mitte, who was known for playing the rebellious son of Walter White in the crime drama Breaking Bad, has died at the age of 34. His representative said he died in Brownsville, Texas, and that no immediate cause of death had been provided.
The representative described Mitte as a beloved actor, philanthropist and committed disability rights advocate. Mitte’s death was announced in a statement that mourned his loss and celebrated his public work.
Advocacy work and The Mitte Foundation
Mitte had cerebral palsy, and he drew on that personal experience when he took on the part of Walt Jr. His representative, Sean Reilly, said the actor brought genuine authenticity to the character and used his profile to highlight disability awareness and inclusion.
Mitte also acted as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s. He founded The Mitte Foundation to support philanthropic efforts and community projects. Reilly said he used that platform to challenge stereotypes and push for greater representation of people with disabilities.
Breaking Bad’s run and its awards record
Breaking Bad aired on the American cable network AMC for five seasons, from 2008 to 2013. The anti-hero drama was created by Vince Gilligan and received 58 Primetime Emmy nominations, winning 16 of them. Among those wins were two for Outstanding Drama Series, in 2013 and 2014.
Bryan Cranston starred as a high school chemistry teacher in New Mexico who becomes involved in crime to provide for his family after a cancer diagnosis. As he sinks deeper into the methamphetamine trade, he grows increasingly distant from his son, who voices his objections with a good deal of humour. The show is widely credited as one of the finest American television series of the 21st century.
The cast collected the top drama prize at the SAG Awards in Los Angeles in 2014, and Mitte earned a Screen Actors Guild Award that year for his work on the series. His character was partly inspired by Gilligan’s late friend, who had a more severe form of cerebral palsy and used forearm crutches, a tool Mitte did not need.
Early start in Los Angeles and later credits
Mitte grew up in Louisiana. He moved to Los Angeles in 2005 to support his younger sister’s acting career, and as a young teenager he auditioned for the role that launched his career. His first audition in the city, he has said, was for a California state public service announcement against methamphetamine.
On the Joe Vulpis Podcast earlier this month, Mitte argued that Breaking Bad still works as an anti-meth message because its characters rarely fare well. His other screen credits include Hannah Montana, Switched at Birth and Westhampton. His most recent project, Talking to Strangers, was released earlier this year.
