Bryan Cranston pays tribute to ‘Breaking Bad’ son RJ Mitte
Actor Bryan Cranston has paid an emotional tribute to his “Breaking Bad” co-star RJ Mitte, who died by suicide at the age of 34 on Tuesday. Mitte played Walter White Jr, the son of Cranston’s character, in the acclaimed television drama.
Cranston, who portrayed Walter White in the AMC crime series, remembered Mitte as a talented actor, a dedicated advocate for disability rights and a cherished member of the show’s cast.
“I’m writing tonight with a heavy heart. RJ Mitte, my beloved son on ‘Breaking Bad’, has passed away,” Cranston wrote.
He recalled meeting Mitte when the actor was just 14, after he was cast as Walter White Jr. Despite being born with cerebral palsy, Mitte approached the role with enthusiasm and determination, never allowing his condition to hold him back. Cranston also praised his young co-star for handling the demanding filming schedule with perseverance.
Cranston said Mitte would often follow the advice he and Anna Gunn, who played Walter White Jr.’s mother, offered, although he would sometimes “mischievously ignore” their guidance and learn from his own mistakes, as teenagers often do.
“Despite being one of the stars of a hit TV show, he was still a kid,” Cranston wrote, recalling how Mitte was still developing his acting skills when they began filming the pilot in February 2007. Over time, he said, they watched the young actor “grow into a really fine actor”.
Beyond his work on the series, Mitte used his platform to advocate for greater representation of performers with disabilities. Cranston praised him for becoming a “vocal advocate” for the community and leading a philanthropic organisation dedicated to supporting people with disabilities.
Reflecting on his former co-star’s death, Cranston expressed disbelief and sorrow, revealing that they had been in touch just weeks earlier to arrange a lunch.
“It is especially devastating to hear that he took his own life,” he wrote. “Why? We were texting each other just a few weeks ago – figuring out when we could meet for lunch.”
Cranston acknowledged that he could not know whether their planned meeting might have changed the course of events, but emphasised the affection he had for Mitte and the time they spent together, both during the series and after its success had faded from the spotlight.
“I don’t know if that lunch would have changed his future… But I do know that I loved him, and thoroughly enjoyed being with him throughout the years on the series, and after the spotlight on Breaking Bad dimmed… I’ll miss you, son,” he added.
Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of three, Mitte became a prominent advocate for people with disabilities in the entertainment industry and beyond. He served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children's Hospitals and led the Mitte Foundation, a Texas-based non-profit organisation established by his family in 1994.
In 2013, the year “Breaking Bad” concluded, Mitte received the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award in recognition of his efforts to promote awareness and representation of actors with disabilities.
Mitte joined the cast of “Breaking Bad” at 14 and appeared in 56 of the series’ 62 episodes during its five-season run from 2008 to 2013.
His other television credits included a recurring role as Campbell Bingman in the third season of ABC Family’s drama “Switched at Birth” and the character Mind Master in Netflix’s 2022 superhero series “The Guardians of Justice”. Before his death, he had also been promoting his role in Johnny Severin’s film “Talking to Strangers”.
Dean Norris, who played DEA agent Hank Schrader in “Breaking Bad”, also expressed grief over Mitte’s death.
“I was at work when I heard the news about RJ, and I’m heartbroken,” Norris wrote on X. Although Mitte did not play his on-screen son, Norris said he had always looked out for the young actor on set, describing him as “a sweetheart of a young man”.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. 
Norris added that Mitte would be greatly missed and expressed his thoughts for the actor and his family.
Comments