BROWNSVILLE — RJ Mitte, the actor who played Walter White Jr. on “Breaking Bad” and became a disability rights advocate, died Monday in Brownsville, Texas, at age 34, authorities and his representatives said.
Cameron County Justice of the Peace Cyndi Hinojosa told The Associated Press she declared Mitte dead at about 1:30 p.m. at what she believed was his home in Brownsville. She said she could not provide a cause, and an autopsy will be performed.
In Brownsville, Mitte led the Mitte Foundation. The Mitte Cultural District announced his death Monday and said his commitment to Brownsville will forever be part of the community’s story.
The City of Brownsville also mourned him Monday, citing his work with the foundation and his dedication to the city.
Mitte played the son of Bryan Cranston’s chemistry teacher-turned-meth dealer, Walter White, on nearly every episode of the five-season AMC show, which ran from 2008 to 2013.
Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 3, Mitte brought his own experience to a character with the same condition. He told the AP in 2014 that the disability, and the struggles with physical therapy, family problems and medical bills that the show also depicted, made him better at his job.
“You develop a different mentality and you develop a different look at how the world sees you and how you see the world,” he said. “You’re able to use that. And I think it’s an asset instead of something that would hinder.”
His representatives said Mitte “brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion,” and that he challenged stereotypes and promoted greater representation.
Mitte was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, moved to Los Angeles to act in 2006 and was in his mid-teens when he began work on “Breaking Bad” in 2007. His later credits included “Switched at Birth” and “Guardians of Justice,” and he produced several independent films.
As an advocate, Mitte served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s. In 2020, the foundation said that, as its new president, he was overseeing projects in Brownsville, where it had granted nearly $5 million.
The district, not the foundation, entered into a 40-year agreement with the city to turn the former Brownsville Museum of Fine Art into The Mitte Arts and Cultural Center, committing at least $2.5 million to improvements. Mitte called the district’s recent designation as a Texas Cultural District a longtime goal.
Days before his death, Mitte was promoting his latest film. “My latest movie Talking To Strangers is out now, streaming on Amazon Video,” he posted Oct. 8, sharing a premiere interview from Los Angeles.
The statements released Monday gave no cause.