RJ Mitte, the actor best known for portraying Walter White Jr in the acclaimed series Breaking Bad, has died by suicide at the age of 34. His passing has prompted an outpouring of tributes from peers and disability advocates, highlighting how his career helped transform public perception of cerebral palsy.
Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age three. He joined the cast of Breaking Bad at 14, playing a character whose disability was visible but not the sole focus of the narrative. The series was recently named the best television show of the 21st century by the New York Times.
“What I really like is that he was on TV playing a character that had cerebral palsy, but it wasn’t about the fact that he had cerebral palsy,” said Emma Livingstone, founder and CEO of Up – the Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement. “When we see RJ Mitte on TV just playing a role, but who also happens to have CP, I think that’s really powerful.”
Beyond acting, Mitte served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Can Do Canines, and established The Mitte Foundation to provide community grants in his native Texas. Susan Sellers, president and CEO of United Cerebral Palsy, noted that his advocacy was rooted in ensuring people with disabilities are seen, heard, and afforded the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Actress Ruth Madeley, who has spina bifida and stars in the film Being Heumann, emphasized the importance of visibility in the arts. “If you don’t see it, you don’t think it’s possible,” she said. “To have people like him on screen for so many young people looking at the arts as an industry that they want to get into… He was just a beautiful example of that.”
Maker added that Mitte was not only a barrier-breaker but also a “phenomenal talent,” a quality she believes will be deeply missed.
Keron Day, known for his role in Sex Education, reflected on the tangible career impact of Mitte’s work. “My biggest tribute I can pay to RJ and his work is that I am emailing you today from a set of a TV show,” Day said. “That is his legacy: disabled people having careers within the creative industries.”
Comedian and screenwriter Laurence Clarke pointed out that increased on-screen portrayals inspire more disabled individuals to pursue creative careers. Regarding Breaking Bad, he noted the significance of a disability being visibly present throughout the run of a major drama, helping to normalize such representations for audiences.
Mitte had previously told Channel 4 News in 2016 that the show helped pioneer bolder writing regarding disability, though he cautioned that the industry still had “a long way to go” and needed to progress slowly. Earlier this month, he hinted at interest in a Breaking Bad revival but acknowledged the difficulty of surpassing the original series.
Following Breaking Bad, Mitte appeared in Hannah Montana, Switched at Birth, Westhampton, and Talking to Strangers, released earlier this year. However, he consistently identified his philanthropic efforts as his greatest achievement.
“The greatest thing that Breaking Bad has given me is to be able to lend my voice to causes that make a meaningful impact, that change people’s lives,” he said in a 2014 essay for HuffPost, recalling his earlier message: “I have cerebral palsy but I’ve never let it hold me back.”
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