‘Breaking Bad’ star RJ Mitte remembered at hometown memorial as sister delivers tearful eulogy

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — The younger sister of “Breaking Bad” actor RJ Mitte openly wept Friday as she eulogized him at a memorial service in his hometown, remembering how he stepped into a father’s role for her after their mother was left paralyzed.

“RJ Mitte was my older brother but I not only just lost a brother, I lost my father,” Lacianne Carriere said during the service, held at the family’s Mitte Cultural District, according to Page Six, which reviewed footage shared to YouTube.

Carriere said her mother was a single mom who “was in an accident that paralyzed her from the waist down for the first few years of my life” when she was a newborn, and that RJ “immediately took on the father role.”

“I don’t have many words that I can put together but all I can say is that every part of me is RJ,” she said. “Every type of music I listen to, everything I watch, every game I play, our mannerisms, and I just really miss my brother.”

A plea to reach out

Carriere closed her eulogy by urging anyone who is struggling not to feel alone. “Try to accept the help, try,” she pleaded. “Try your hardest. And just reach out for help.”

Mitte died Monday at age 34, and a representative for the actor later confirmed to Page Six that his cause of death was suicide. His mother, Dyna Mitte, told NBC News in an interview published Thursday that she had found him. “I called him at 11 [a.m.],” she said, noting that he often slept until midday. “He didn’t answer, so I picked up lunch and went to take it to him, and that’s when I discovered him.”

Dyna Mitte also told NBC News that a friend had told the actor something “that he was very hurt over,” and that she wished she had dragged him “screaming and yelling” to therapy as his mental health struggles became apparent. “If I had known anything and could have done anything different, I truly would have,” she said. “I would have given my life for his life.”

Remembered by co-stars

Mitte was best known for playing Walter White Jr. on AMC’s “Breaking Bad.” His representative said he drew on his own experience living with cerebral palsy for the role and “built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion.”

Former co-stars Anna Gunn, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul were among those who paid tribute to Mitte after his death, Page Six reported.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Reporting based on coverage by Page Six and NBC News.