The death of actor and disability rights advocate RJ Mitte has sparked an outpouring of grief from his Break the bad co-stars, who shared memories of Mitte after the tragedy.
Mitte, who was best known for playing Walter White Jr. on the Emmy Award-winning series, died Monday in Brownsville, Texas, at age 34. A Mitte representative confirmed the cause was suicide.
In a tribute from Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman on the series, the actor called Mitte “an inspiration to so many people” and remembered the last time they saw each other. “I’m so sorry you hurt my friend. I wish we knew that,” Paul wrote in his message shared on social media. “You constantly had a smile on your face and took on every challenge thrown at you with such confidence and grace.”
Paul remembers meeting Mitte when he was just a “little boy” and seeing him “grow into a handsome young man” who met “every challenge head on.” He continued, “The last time we saw each other, I kept calling you Superman. You reminded me of him. You made me think of him because you always led with kindness and strength. It was blinding. You were born into a world with challenges but you never let any of that get in your way.”
Mitte, who was diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy at the age of three, received rave reviews for his performance as Walt Jr. The character suffered from the same condition as Mitte, although more pronounced. Mitte remained Break the bad throughout the series’ famous run between 2008 and 2013. In 2013, he received the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award, given in honor of Russell, the first actor with a disability to win an Academy Award.
Paul mourned the “absolute tragic loss” and said: “I loved your laugh and how much fun you had riding the wave we were all lucky to be on with Breaking Bad.”
The actor said he hoped “anyone who reads this note and feels lost, sad or uncertain about the future, says something.” Paul added, “Hold on tight. That’s what this life is all about. Connect with someone you care about and say I love you.” He ended his note by writing, “RJ, I love you my friend. I’m so sorry.”
Paul shared a video from Mitte alongside his tribute. In the video, Mitte speaks directly to viewers and says: “I would like to talk to you a little bit about mental health. It is very important to take care of your physical health, but it is equally important to take care of your mental health.” Mitte encouraged people to open up to each other and express their feelings frankly. “It’s okay to not always be good. But it’s not okay to maintain that feeling, to maintain those emotions,” Mitte said. “So I hope to inspire everyone who sees this video today.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Dial 988 or chat on 988lifeline.org to reach the National lifeline for suicide prevention. The Trevor Projectwhich provides suicide prevention support and resources to LGBTQ+ youth, can be reached at 1-866-488-7386. Find other international suicide helplines at Befrienders Worldwide (friends.org).
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