RJ Mitte, ‘Breaking Bad’ Star and Disability Rights Advocate, Dies at 34
The actor who played Walter "Flynn" White Jr. on the acclaimed AMC series was declared dead Monday at his Brownsville, Texas, home. His representative praised him as a "beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate."
Actor RJ Mitte, best known to television audiences as Walter “Flynn” White Jr. on the acclaimed AMC series “Breaking Bad,” has died. He was 34.
Sean Reilly, a representative for the actor, confirmed his death in a statement to USA Today, describing Mitte as a “beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate.” Cameron County Justice of the Peace Judge Cyndi Hinojosa told USA Today that Mitte was declared dead at 1:32 p.m. local time on Monday at his residence in Brownsville, Texas.
A career built on an iconic role
Mitte’s signature role was the son of Bryan Cranston’s anti-hero Walter White and Anna Gunn’s Skyler White on “Breaking Bad,” the Emmy-winning AMC drama that became one of the most celebrated television series of its era. Drawing from his own life, Mitte brought lived experience to the role — he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 3 — and went on to build a public platform around disability awareness and inclusion.
According to his representative, Mitte served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s and as president of The Mitte Foundation, which supports philanthropic and community initiatives. Reilly’s statement said Mitte used his platform to challenge stereotypes and promote greater representation for people with disabilities. Reilly asked that the public respect the privacy of Mitte’s family and close ones at this time.
Reflections in his final days
Just days before his death, Mitte appeared on “The Joe Vulpis Podcast,” where he reflected on playing a character who shared his diagnosis. The Walt Jr. character, he said, was based on a real friend of series creator Vince Gilligan’s from college, which made playing him feel genuine from the start.
He had recently been promoting his new film “Talking to Strangers,” in which he played Joshua, a leading character who also has cerebral palsy. Mitte’s final social media post, shared Thursday, included a clip from an interview at the film’s Sept. 30 Los Angeles premiere — his last public appearance. In the interview, he said the film was made in “under 10 days” and encouraged his followers to keep pushing forward: “Even if you fail, it’s OK to fail. We learn more from our failures than successes.”
Reporting based on coverage by USA Today.
