RJ Mitte 'Couldn't Ask for a Better Role': Actor Brought Real-Life Cerebral Palsy Battle to 'Breaking Bad' Gig Years Before Tragic Death
RJ Mitte played Walter White Jr. in 'Breaking Bad.'
Oct. 13 2026, Published 6:59 p.m. ET
RJ Mitte said he felt "blessed" to have scored his role as Walter White Jr. in AMC's hit drama Breaking Bad at only 14 years old.
One day after the actor's tragic death by suicide, RadarOnline.com revisits his inspiring career and his real-life health journey with cerebral palsy.
RJ Mitte Nearly Lost 'Breaking Bad' Role
RJ Mitte was rejected several times before being cast in 'Breaking Bad.'
Mitte landed what would become his most famous role only two years after he began acting.
"Nobody has ever been negative about my disorder," he said in a resurfaced 2008 interview shared with Radar. "I couldn’t ask for a better role."
Growing up, Mitte persevered through physical therapy, sports, regular exercise, and more, so he did not need to regularly rely on walking aids to be mobile. However, his hard work nearly cost him the gig with AMC.
"RJ has a little trouble with speech, but otherwise you would hardly know that he has cerebral palsy," his manager Addison Witt said at the time. "The director rejected him three times, but RJ simply worked harder to portray a more severely affected victim."
"RJ has worked all his life to overcome some of his handicaps," added Witt. "It’s quite a challenge to revert back to portray the level of disability the director wanted."
RJ Mitte Broke Down 'Barriers'
RJ Mitte was praised for his 'powerful' portrayal of Walter White Jr.
Emma Livingstone, who is the founder of Up - the Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement, called Mitte's portrayal of Walter Jr. "powerful."
"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," she said.
Actress Ruth Madeley, who played disability rights advocate Judy Heumann in Being Heumann, claimed Mitte was more than "just a disabled person breaking down barriers in the industry," but a "phenomenal talent," according to BBC.
"If you don't see it, you don't think it's possible. When I was younger, acting wasn't even on my radar. I didn't even think it was an option," she said of her own disability. "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."
RJ Mitte Revealed Hopes for His Life Shortly Before Death
RJ Mitte founded a nonprofit.
Shortly before his death, Mitte expressed his hopes for what his life would look like when he turned 50 years old.
“I would hope to stay true to what I believe and to what I want to achieve....and not be a grumpy middle-aged person," he shared on the October 3 installment of the Brownsville in Motion podcast.
The actor also revealed his desires for his nonprofit, The Mitte Foundation, to "maintain its missions."
"We are a very strong team in the foundation," he added. "I hope that we just continue to put kids in schools, to provide those resources and tools to give more education, more opportunity. Our scholars at the foundation, we have some of the best and brightest kids. We will continue to provide these resources and tools."
RJ Mitte Died at 34
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RJ Mitte's death was ruled a suicide.
On Monday, October 12, TMZ reported that Mitte had sadly passed away at 34 years old.
His rep later confirmed that his death was a suicide.
"RJ Mitte was best known for his role as Walter 'Flynn' White Jr. on AMC’s critically acclaimed, award-winning series ‘Breaking Bad,'" his rep said in a statement. "Drawing from his own experience living with cerebral palsy, Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion."
