Mitte never used his cerebral palsy as “an excuse for anything,” and he met the show’s “demanding shooting schedule head on with great determination,” he added.<\/p>\n
Cranston said it was “especially devastating to hear that he took his own life,” adding that he “loved him.”<\/p>\n
Aaron Paul, another star of Breaking Bad, wrote in a statement shared with the Hollywood Reporter<\/a>, “I am at a loss. I am heartbroken over this news. RJ, I love you my friend. You will be missed. And to whoever happens to be reading this, please know you are loved, and you are not alone. Always remember that.”<\/p>\n Dean Norris, who played Walt Jr.’s uncle on the show, wrote on X<\/a>, “Though RJ didn’t play my TV son, I always looked out for him as a young kid on set. He was a sweetheart of a young man and will be greatly missed. This is so heartbreaking, I can’t believe it. Thinking of him and his family.”<\/p>\n Giancarlo Esposito, who portrayed Gus Fring on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, wrote on Instagram<\/a>, “Dear one, No words can express what your friendship has meant to me. I will remember the laughter, the rapture of pure joy in the loving moments we have shared.”<\/p>\n From ‘Breaking Bad’ to disability rights advocacy<\/p>\n Mitte was born in Jackson, Miss., in 1992 and was adopted by Roy Frank Mitte Jr. and Dyna Mitte. His parents divorced when he was 2 months old, he told the Sydney Morning Herald<\/a> in 2019, and he was \u200cdiagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 3.<\/p>\n “I wore leg braces in childhood, but my diagnosis empowered me to be better: to work on my body and work on my mind, and to give me a different perspective on what we are as humans and how we interact with each other,” he said.<\/p>\n He landed small guest roles on the sitcoms Everybody Hates Chris and Hannah Montana after moving to Los Angeles to act in 2006, before landing his Breaking Bad role. The show received near-universal critical acclaim during its five-year run.<\/p>\n The New York Times<\/a> said Mitte “brought a raw sensibility to his character,” while Variety<\/a> said his role was a “breakthrough for disability representation.” He and his costars won a Screen Actors Guild Award in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series category in 2014.<\/p>\n Bryan Cranston has paid tribute to his onscreen son.<\/p>\n (Ursula Coyote\/AMC\/Everett Collection)<\/p>\n Mitte went on to produce several independent films and appeared in shows such as Switched at Birth and The Guardians of Justice.<\/p>\n He announced his engagement to Kennedy Suarez, a human resources professional, last year. “Kennedy is my everything, and I can’t wait to officially start our life together and see what adventures life takes us on next,” he told People<\/a> at the time.<\/p>\n Mitte served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s. He was also president of the Mitte Foundation, which his family created, that supports philanthropic and community initiatives related to disabilities.<\/p>\n He campaigned for better representation of disabled people onscreen, telling the BBC<\/a> in 2021, “Whenever awards season rolls around, we always hope to see a diverse group of projects that reflect all of us, in body and mind. Watching the awareness grow around disability representation has been great to see, but breakthroughs sometimes come in pieces and moments instead of larger change.”\u00a0<\/p>\n RJ Mitte’s life and career at a glance<\/p>\n 1992: Born in Jackson, Miss.<\/p>\n 2006: Made TV debut on Everybody Hates Chris<\/p>\n 2008: Played Walter White Jr. on Breaking Bad<\/p>\n 2015: Named celebrity ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy<\/p>\n 2025: Announced engagement to Kennedy Suarez<\/p>\n If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental or emotional health, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Lifeline, or go to 988lifeline.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Bryan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/https:\/\/d29szjachogqwa.cloudfront.net\/images\/user-uploaded\/tcdbrba-ec300_8558.jpg\"\/)
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