Inside 'Breaking Bad' Star RJ Mitte's Battle With Cerebral Palsy — Following Actor's Death by Suicide at 34
RJ Mitte used his platform to champion inclusion and disability representation in Hollywood.
Oct. 13 2026, Published 3:22 p.m. ET
RJ Mitte, the actor who famously portrayed Walter White Jr. on Breaking Bad, died by suicide at 34.
Throughout his career, Mitte used his platform to press for greater inclusion and more nuanced portrayals of people with disabilities in Hollywood. Following his tragic death, RadarOnline.com takes a deep dive into his own life with cerebral palsy.
RJ Mitte's Early Life With Cerebral Palsy
RJ Mitte appeared in five seasons of AMC's 'Breaking Bad.'
Roy Frank Mitte III, also known as "RJ," was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 3.
In his early years, he used leg braces and crutches for mobility. Physical therapy, sports, and regular exercise eventually helped him build up his strength, and by his mid-teens he no longer relied on walking aids on a daily basis.
At only 14 years old, Mitte was cast as Walter White Jr., the son of Bryan Cranston’s chemistry teacher-turned-criminal, in AMC’s Breaking Bad. The series ran for five seasons, from 2008 to 2013, and Mitte appeared in 56 episodes.
The actor used crutches and changed his speech and posture to bring his character to life.
The character’s cerebral palsy was more pronounced than Mitte’s own, as the role was based in-part on a friend of series creator Vince Gilligan.
This meant that Mitte used crutches and had to adjust his speech and posture to fully embody the role.
His performance went on to bring visibility to a disabled character whose story was not limited to his condition. He later spoke out against tokenism and “inspiration p-rn,” urging the entertainment industry to create more complex roles for disabled performers.
“Disabled or not, everyone deserves an opportunity,” he said in a 2015 BBC interview.
The cast members of 'Breaking Bad' reunited 10 years after the show ended.
He served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s and as a spokesperson for SAG-AFTRA’s Performers with Disabilities Committee.
Through The Mitte Foundation, he supported community initiatives, scholarships, and disability awareness efforts.
In a 2021 BBC interview, Mitte said progress in representation often came “in pieces and moments” rather than through sweeping change. He continued advocating for stories that reflected people across “body and mind.”
The world of 'Breaking Bad' expanded significantly over its 62 episodes.
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In a social media post, Bryan Cranston said he met Mitte as a teenager and watched him grow into “a really fine actor.” He praised Mitte’s advocacy and said he never allowed cerebral palsy to “be an excuse for anything.”
“All that promise and potential now is such a loss,” Cranston wrote. “I’ll miss you, son.”
Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman, said he was heartbroken by the actor's death, while Dean Norris, who played Hank Schrader, remembered Mitte as “a sweetheart of a young man.”
Mitte’s other screen credits included Hannah Montana, Switched at Birth, and Talking to Strangers.
