RJ Mitte died at the age of 34. His representatives confirmed to the media that he took his own life.
Mitte's most famous role was in the hit series "Breaking Bad". As a teenager, he played the son of the main character - Walter White Jr. Like the character he played, the actor had cerebral palsy. The Hollywood Reporter reports that he was diagnosed with it when he was 3 years old.
“He approached everything with joy and courage.”
Breaking Bad writer Vince Gilligan wanted the character of Walter Jr. to be a tribute to his college roommate, who also struggled with cerebral palsy.
Sharon Bialy, a casting director working on the cult series, told THR what her first meeting with the teenage actor was like.
On February 23, 2007, RJ came for an audition. He was 14 years old at the time, so he came with his mother. At that time, he was represented by a small agency. He may have auditioned for a commercial or two, but he was very inexperienced. We spent a lot of time together working on the scene because he hadn't had the opportunity to play such a big role before, she recalled.
Bialy emphasized that despite Mitte's lack of acting experience, he had great joy and openness. He was completely open to experimenting with the scene. After the hearing, he eagerly talked about the difficulties he faced as a person suffering from cerebral palsy. Over the years, he underwent physical therapy to be able to walk without crutches and speech therapy so that others could understand him. We told Vince (the series' scriptwriter - editor's note) about his personal story - said the casting director. She admitted that, like other creators of the series, she was surprised and devastated by the fact that Mitte took his own life.
I hope that when people think of RJ, they will remember how talented he was, how he overcame many difficulties, how he approached everything with joy and courage, and how committed he was to ensuring that people with disabilities were considered for all kinds of roles. I will remember all this, as well as his million-megawatt smile, concluded the "THR" interlocutor.
He combined acting with activism
RJ Mitte worked for people with disabilities not only by breaking stereotypes about them with his appearances on screen. He also served on the board of the Mitte Foundation, founded by his adoptive parents. He also cooperated with other non-governmental organizations.
In 2014, he received the award of the American trade union SAG-AFTRA. Harold Russell, named after the first actor with a disability to win an Oscar.
“I wish we had known.”
The main actors in "Breaking Bad" - Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston - also expressed their shock at the death of their co-star.
"You have always been an inspiration to many people. I'm sorry you suffered, my friend. I wish we had known," wrote the Jesse Pinkman actor on Instagram.
You always had a smile on your face. Every challenge that was presented to you, you took on with such confidence and grace. I met you when you were just a little boy. I have watched you grow into a wonderful young man. You faced every challenge without hesitation, recalled Aaron Paul.
The actor also admitted that his younger co-star reminded him of Superman and even addressed him that way.
"You reminded me of him because you were always guided by kindness and strength. It was stunning. You were born into a world full of challenges, but you never let anything get in your way," he added.
Mitte's on-screen father admitted that the news of the young actor's death caused him deep despair.
"He was born with cerebral palsy, but he never - absolutely never - let this disability become an excuse. He faced the demanding shooting schedule with great determination," recalled Bryan Cranston. He also emphasized his activities for people with disabilities.
Cranston admitted that he exchanged text messages with his son from the series just a few weeks ago. The actors planned to meet for lunch, which ultimately did not happen.
