Breaking Bad actors Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul and Dean Norris have paid tribute to RJ Mitte after the actor died in Texas aged 34, with a separate source telling TMZ that he had died by suicide.
A county official confirmed Mitte’s death on Monday, adding that a death investigation remains ongoing. His representative described him as a “beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate”.
Cranston, who played Mitte’s on-screen father Walter White, said he was “in deep despair” and revealed the pair had exchanged messages only weeks earlier while discussing plans to meet for lunch.
“RJ Mitte, my sweet son on Breaking Bad has died,” Cranston wrote in an Instagram tribute. “I met him when he was only 14 years old when he was cast as Walter White Jr., a part he played with such joy and enthusiasm.”
He added: “It is especially devastating to hear that he took his own life. Why? We were texting each other just a few weeks ago – figuring out when we could meet for lunch. I don’t know if that lunch would have changed his future…”
“But I do know that I loved him, and thoroughly enjoyed being with him throughout the years on the series, and after the spotlight on Breaking Bad dimmed… I’ll miss you, son.”
Cranston said Mitte had been “pretty raw” when filming began but had gradually developed into “a really fine actor”. He also praised his former co-star for refusing to allow cerebral palsy to become “an excuse for anything”.
Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of three and used his public profile to campaign for greater representation of disabled people in the entertainment industry.
“He parlayed his experience on the show to be a vocal advocate for performers with disabilities, and was the head of a philanthropic organization with a focus on helping the disabled community,” Cranston wrote. “All that promise and potential now is such a loss.”
Breaking Bad cast remember RJ Mitte
Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman in the Emmy-winning series, said he was “at a loss” after hearing the news.
“I am heartbroken over this news. RJ, I love you my friend. You will be missed,” Paul said. “And to whoever happens to be reading this, please know you are loved, and you are not alone. Always remember that.”
Norris, who played Mitte’s on-screen uncle Hank Schrader, said he was heartbroken and remembered looking out for Mitte when he was a young actor on set.
“Oh my God! Was working just found out about RJ,” Norris wrote. “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.”
Mitte appeared in 56 episodes of Breaking Bad between 2008 and 2013 as Walter “Flynn” White Jr, the son of Cranston’s chemistry teacher-turned-drug kingpin.
The actor also appeared in The Recall and The Guardians of Justice (Will Save You.). His representative said his performance on Breaking Bad had drawn on his own experience of living with cerebral palsy and helped him build a platform focused on disability awareness and inclusion.
He served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s, and was president of The Mitte Foundation, a family charity supporting marginalised communities in South Texas.
Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin said: “My heart is shattered. There will never be another like RJ Mitte. You will always have a place in my heart. RIP.”
James Gunn, head of DC Studios, described Mitte as “a really sweet guy”, while Moonrise Kingdom actor Jared Gilman called his death “beyond heartbreaking”. Actors Vincent Martella and Eric West also expressed their grief.
Mitte had spoken publicly about the importance of seeing disabled people represented in roles that were not defined solely by their impairments.
“Representation is everything,” he said in 2023. “Having positive influences of individuals with disabilities, not just cerebral palsy, but all of them, changes the mindset.”
He added: “If you see a character that’s going through the same struggle as you, and they’re succeeding, and in your life you may not be, it can help inspire you to get that extra push.”
Mitte became engaged to his girlfriend, Kennedy Suarez, in 2025. At the time, he said: “Kennedy is my everything, and I can’t wait to officially start our life together and see what adventures life takes us on next.”
Reflecting on Breaking Bad in a later interview, Mitte said the series had “put me on the map” and opened opportunities for him, while acknowledging that its success had set an exceptionally high standard.
“I want to top Breaking Bad,” he said. “That’s the hardest… I set a bar for myself as a young man that is kind of unobtainable.”
The series, which ran from 2008 to 2013, followed Walter White as he built a methamphetamine empire with his former pupil Jesse Pinkman.
In the US, anyone in crisis can call or text 988 for confidential support through the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
