Actor RJ Mitte, best known for starring in AMC’s “Breaking Bad” as the son of Bryan Cranston’s chemistry teacher-turned-drug kingpin, Walter White, has died at the age of 34.
TMZ reports that they were told he died by suicide in Brownsville, Texas, and the death investigation is ongoing according to law enforcement.
A teenage Mitte first appeared as Walt Jr. on the AMC series in 2008 where his character largely admired his terminally ill father in the beginning, but struggled to reckon with his alter ego and the family’s disintegration.
It was a career breakthrough role for Mitte, who lived with cerebral palsy and was a strong advocate for disability rights and awareness. He became a celebrity spokesperson for the anti-bullying campaign Cut the Bull.
The Mississippi-born, Louisiana-raised Mitte was also a Screen Actors Guild spokesman for performers with disabilities and an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy, as well as starting his own foundation to challenge stereotypes and promote greater representation for people with disabilities.
Other film and TV credits include “Switched at Birth,” “Guardians of Justice,” and “Triumph”. His latest project, the dark romantic thriller “Cassi,” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival a month ago.
His passing comes just a year after his engagement to longtime friend Kennedy Suarez.
