Actor RJ Mitte, best known for portraying Walter White Jr. in Breaking Bad, has died at 34, his representatives confirmed on Monday to Deadline and Variety.
His representatives told Deadline that he died in Brownsville, Texas. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed in either report.
Mitte starred alongside Bryan Cranston and Anna Gunn in the AMC drama. Like his character, he had cerebral palsy and advocated for disability representation in Hollywood.
His advocacy included serving as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s. His representatives requested privacy for his family.
Roles beyond ‘Breaking Bad’
Mitte’s acting career continued after Breaking Bad ended in 2013, with roles in both television and independent films.
He had a recurring role in Switched at Birth and appeared in Now Apocalypse and The Guardians of Justice, according to Deadline and Variety.
In the 2021 film Triumph, Mitte played a high school student with cerebral palsy who seeks to become a wrestler. His other film credits included Love Me Dead and Westhampton, Deadline reported.
Variety reported that Mitte had recently been promoting Talking to Strangers, making podcast appearances in the days before his death.
During his time on Breaking Bad, Mitte was part of the cast that won the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding ensemble performance in a drama series in 2014, according to Deadline.
Disability representation and charitable work
Alongside the ambassador roles mentioned above, Mitte served as president of the Mitte Foundation, supporting charitable efforts and community initiatives.
His representatives said he used his platform to challenge stereotypes and encourage greater representation of people with disabilities. They also connected his portrayal of Walter White Jr. to his own experience living with cerebral palsy.
Variety reported that Mitte was diagnosed with the condition at the age of three.
Mitte was engaged to his longtime partner, Kennedy Suarez, whom he had been dating since 2018, according to Variety.