US actor RJ Mitte, best known for Breaking Bad, has died.
US actor RJ Mitte, best known for Breaking Bad, has died aged just 34.
He died in Brownsville, Texas.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte,” his representative Sean Reilly said.
“Mitte brought authenticity to (his role in Breaking Bad) and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion.”
Mitte, who lived with cerebral palsy featured as the defiant son of drug kingpin Walter White in Breaking Bad from 2008 to 2013. His character was based on writer Vince Gilligan’s late friend with a more severe case of cerebral palsy who used forearm crutches, which Mitte did not require.
He played the role with honesty and accessibility, cracking jokes as a teen whose health condition was never mentioned in the series.
He earned a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2014 for his work on the series.
Mitte also served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s.
He created The Mitte Foundation as well, to support philanthropic efforts and community initiatives, using his platform “to challenge stereotypes and promote greater representation for people with disabilities”, Reilly said.
His other on-screen credits include Hannah Montana, Switched at Birth, Westhampton and his latest project, Talking to Strangers, which came out earlier this year.
Update: People is reporting his representative comfirmed death by suicide.
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Source: BBC