RJ Mitte, Breaking Bad star and disability rights advocate, dead at 34

RJ Mitte, Breaking Bad star and disability rights advocate, dead at 34

Actor with cerebral palsy challenged stereotypes, promoted diversity: representative

Actor and disability rights advocate RJ Mitte, who brought a lifetime of experience with cerebral palsy to fictional family struggles in an essential role on Breaking Bad, died Monday at age 34, authorities and his representatives said.

Cameron County Justice of the Peace Cyndi Hinojosa told The Associated Press that she declared Mitte dead at about 1:30 p.m. at what she believed was his home in Brownsville, Texas.

She said she was unable to provide a cause, but an autopsy will be performed.

Mitte played Walter White Jr., the son of Bryan Cranston's chemistry teacher-turned-meth dealer Walter White on nearly every episode of the five seasons of the AMC show, which recently ranked as the best of the 21st century in a New York Times poll.

Diagnosed at age three, Mitte told The Associated Press in 2014 that his disability and the surrounding struggles with physical therapy, family problems and exorbitant medical bills — all key subjects on the show — made him better at his job.

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"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."

Mitte was born and raised in Jackson, Miss.

Mitte on the show that changed his life

He landed small guest roles on sitcoms after moving to Los Angeles to act in 2006. Like his character, he was in his mid-teens when he began his work on Breaking Bad, starting in 2007. The show ran from 2008 to 2013.

"Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion," the actor's representatives said in a statement announcing his death. The statement said he used "his platform to challenge stereotypes and promote greater representation."

His later credits included the ABC Family series Switched at Birth and the superhero satire series Guardians of Justice.

He was also a producer of several independent films.

As an advocate, he served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children's. He was also president of his own Mitte Foundation supporting philanthropic and community initiatives around disabilities.