Breaking Bad actor RJ Mitte dies at 34

RJ Mitte, the actor known for playing Walter White Jr. in the television series Breaking Bad, has died at the age of 34. He was found dead on Monday in Brownsville, Texas, according to multiple American media outlets citing his management and local authorities.

"With deep sadness we share that the beloved actor, philanthropist and passionate advocate for disability rights, RJ Mitte, has died," his management said in a statement. No cause of death was given in the initial announcement.

A spokesperson later confirmed to the news agency Reuters that Mitte had taken his own life.

Mitte was born in Mississippi in 1992 with cerebral palsy, a movement disorder that affected his gait and speech. He became widely recognized for his role as Walter White Jr., the teenage son of the central character played by Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad, which aired from 2008 to 2013 and became one of the most acclaimed television dramas of its era.

His agent, Sean Riley, said in a statement that Mitte's own life experience gave the role authenticity and helped create a platform for greater awareness around disability and inclusion. Riley did not elaborate further on the circumstances of his death.

Mitte had spoken publicly in recent years about the physical effort required to manage his condition. "I worked very hard to have the mobility that I have now. But I see that a lot of people don't have the same opportunities that I do," he said last year, reflecting on the disparities faced by others living with disabilities.

Born Roy Frank Mitte III, the actor had continued to work in film after Breaking Bad ended. He had recently been promoting his latest project, a movie titled "Talking To Strangers," in which he once again addressed his physical disability on screen.

Mitte had become engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Kennedy Suarez, a year earlier. Details of funeral or memorial arrangements have not yet been announced by his family or representatives.

Tributes from colleagues in the entertainment industry had not been widely circulated at the time of the initial reports, though his management described him as a figure who used his platform to champion disability rights throughout his career. Mitte had been vocal in interviews about wanting to change public perceptions of cerebral palsy and to push for better representation of disabled performers in Hollywood.

Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, followed the transformation of a high school chemistry teacher played by Cranston into a methamphetamine manufacturer, and ran for five seasons on AMC. The show won numerous awards and is frequently cited among the most influential television dramas of the past two decades. Mitte's portrayal of Walter White Jr., a teenager living with cerebral palsy, was noted at the time for its rarity in mainstream television, where characters with disabilities were, and largely remain, underrepresented.

No further details about the circumstances surrounding Mitte's death have been released by authorities in Brownsville. His management asked for privacy for his family during the period following the announcement.