RJ Mitte, Breaking Bad's Walter White Jr., Dies at 34

RJ Mitte, the actor who played Walter White Jr. on AMC's "Breaking Bad," died Monday at 34. His representatives said he died by suicide in Brownsville, Texas.

"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte," his reps said in a statement confirming the news.

Cameron County Justice of the Peace Cyndi Hinojosa told The Associated Press she declared Mitte dead at about 1:30 p.m. local time Monday at what she believed was his home. She said an autopsy will be performed.

Mitte played the son of Bryan Cranston's chemistry teacher turned meth cook across all five seasons of the series, which ran from 2008 to 2013. Like the character, Mitte had cerebral palsy. He was diagnosed at age 3.

His reps asked the public to leave the family alone. "At this time, we ask people to respect the privacy of RJ Mitte's family and close ones," the statement said. Information on survivors or a memorial service was not immediately available.

The call came in at 12:50 p.m.

People reported that the Brownsville Police Department received a call at 12:50 p.m. local time and found Mitte dead at his home. The department said at the time that the cause and manner of death were still pending because of an ongoing investigation.

Mitte's representative later confirmed that the cause of death was suicide. The earlier statement from his team, released hours before, had not given a cause.

Mitte was born August 21, 1992, in Jackson, Mississippi. He suffered brain damage at birth and was adopted.

Bryan Cranston wrote that he was in deep despair

Cranston posted a long tribute to Instagram hours after the news broke, describing himself as being in "deep despair."

"I met him when he was only 14 years old when he was cast as Walter White Jr., a part he played with such joy and enthusiasm," Cranston wrote. He said Mitte never allowed cerebral palsy to be an excuse for anything. "He met the demanding shooting schedule head on with great determination."

Cranston remembered a teenager who listened to the advice his TV parents, Anna Gunn and Cranston himself, handed out, then sometimes ignored it on purpose so he could learn the hard way. "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 wrote.

He called the loss of Mitte's promise and potential devastating, and said learning that he took his own life made it worse. Cranston wrote that the two had been texting a few weeks earlier, trying to pin down a lunch. "I don't know if that lunch would have changed his future," he wrote, before adding that he loved him. He closed with "I'll miss you, son," and a plea to anyone contemplating suicide to call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Aaron Paul and Dean Norris responded within hours

Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman, said in a statement: "I am at a loss. I am heartbroken over this news. RJ, I love you my friend. You will be missed. And to whoever happens to be reading this, please know you are loved, and you are not alone. Always remember that."

Dean Norris, who played DEA agent Hank Schrader, posted that he found out while he was working. "Though RJ didn't play my TV son, I always looked out for him as a young kid on set. He was a sweetheart of a young man and will be greatly missed," he wrote. "This is so heartbreaking, I can't believe it. Thinking of him and his family."

Marlee Matlin, who worked with Mitte on "Switched at Birth," said her heart was shattered. "There will never be another like RJ Mitte. You will always have a place in my heart," she wrote. Lou Diamond Phillips posted on X: "Absolutely heartbreaking. What a wonderful young man. My heart goes out to his family and friends."

A show that collected 58 Emmy nominations

"Breaking Bad" pulled 58 Primetime Emmy nominations and won 16, including two for Outstanding Drama Series. Vince Gilligan created it. Mitte appeared in nearly every episode.

He was part of the cast that won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2014, after nominations in the same category the two prior years. In 2013, he received the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award at the Media Access Awards, which honor inclusive portrayals and employment of people with disabilities in media.

Before the role that defined his career, Mitte had a small part on "Hannah Montana." He was cast as Walter White Jr. at 14, in 2007.

The work after Albuquerque

Mitte took a recurring role on the ABC Family series "Switched at Birth" after the AMC drama wrapped. His other TV credits included "Chance," "This Close," "Now Apocalypse," "Robot Chicken," "On Hiatus with Monty Geer" and the Netflix superhero series "The Guardians of Justice (Will Save You!)," where he played Mind Master.

On film, he appeared in "Dixieland," "Who's Driving Doug," "The Recall," "Mower Boy," "Time Share," "Standing Up for Sunny," "The Oak Room," 2024's "Love Me Dead" opposite Dove Cameron, and 2025's "Westhampton" opposite Finn Wittrock.

He executive produced and starred in the 2021 coming of age drama "Triumph," playing a high school senior with cerebral palsy who pushes to join the wrestling team at extreme cost. He also voiced a role in "HCBS Final Rule: The Animated Series," a set of shorts built to explain changes to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Community Based Services for people with intellectual disabilities in California.

What he said about playing a character with cerebral palsy

Mitte served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children's, and he was president of The Mitte Foundation, which supports philanthropic efforts and community initiatives. He also worked as a Screen Actors Guild spokesperson for actors with disabilities.

Speaking to the Badger Herald in 2015, he said the disability was a source of strength rather than a limit. "I think everyone that has a disability has the opportunity to make an impact with what they can do and who they are. I wouldn't be able to do what I do today if it wasn't for my disability and what it instilled in me," Mitte said.

On the "ListenABLE" podcast in September 2021, he explained why he thought Walt Jr. landed with viewers. "Walt Jr. had cerebral palsy but he wasn't disabled," he said. "That's the biggest thing that I feel is so important when we see characters on television that represent individuals with disabilities. Their disability isn't what makes them a character. It's who they are, where they came from and how they got there through determination and strength and that's what makes them so strong and independent."

His last public appearance was September 30

Mitte most recently starred in the drama "Talking to Strangers" opposite Lin Yin. The film was released in July, and a red carpet screening was held at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills on September 30, less than two weeks before his death. That was his last public appearance.

He was actively promoting the movie in the days before he died, including podcast appearances. He had several more projects listed in pre-production and production.

In early October he sat for "The Joe Vulpis Podcast" and talked about how "Breaking Bad" changed his life and about staying close with the cast years after the finale, Fox News Digital reported.

His final Instagram post was about the White family

A few days before he died, Mitte posted a clip from that podcast appearance in which he argued the story of Walter White's family did not end with the finale. "The White Family Isn't Over @thejoe #breakingbad," he wrote in the caption.

"I don't think it was an end; I think it was really the end of Heisenberg's journey," he said in the clip. "But I don't think that was the end of Skyler and Walt and Holly's journey. You know I think there's a lot of unanswered questions there, that for them will probably never be answered." He added that there was still a big step left for the White family.

In the same conversation, Mitte talked about the standard the show set for everything he did afterward. "I just want to top 'Breaking Bad,' that's the hardest," he said. He called it a bar he set for himself as a young man that was close to unattainable, and said he tells people it is a long way down from the top of the mountain.

He was engaged

Mitte announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Kennedy Suarez in October 2025. The two had been together since 2018.

Beyond Hollywood, his name carried weight in Brownsville, where he had backed arts and cultural institutions in the Texas border city where he died.

If you or anyone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.