RJ Mitte, who played Walter “Flynn” White Jr. on Breaking Bad, died Monday, Oct. 12, in Brownsville, Texas. He was 34, his representatives confirmed to Reuters.
His representative later told PEOPLE that he died by suicide. Brownsville police said the official cause and manner of death remained pending during an ongoing investigation, with an autopsy planned.
Mitte appeared throughout the AMC drama’s five seasons as the son of Bryan Cranston’s Walter White and Anna Gunn’s Skyler. He had cerebral palsy, as did his character.
A 95-minute conversation with Mitte was released on The Joe Vulpis Podcast on Oct. 5, a week before his death. The interview covered his early auditions, relationships with his castmates and work outside television.
Cranston Remembered the Teenager He Watched Grow Up
Cranston said he first met Mitte when he was 14 and remembered him approaching the show’s demanding schedule with determination. In an Instagram tribute reported by ITV News, he recalled Mitte taking advice from him and Gunn, while sometimes insisting on learning from his own mistakes.
The two had exchanged text messages in recent weeks about meeting for lunch. Cranston remembered watching his young costar develop as an actor and closed his tribute with, “I’ll miss you, son.”
Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman, said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, “RJ, I love you my friend. You will be missed.” Dean Norris, who played Walter Jr.’s uncle Hank, also remembered looking out for Mitte when he was a teenager on set.
His Recent Interview Revisited Five Auditions for Walter Jr.
Mitte’s family moved to California after his younger sister attracted an entertainment agent’s attention. He began taking background roles himself, with early work including Hannah Montana and Everybody Hates Chris, according to CNN.
His first Los Angeles audition was for an anti-methamphetamine public service announcement, he recalled in the podcast. The Breaking Bad casting process then stretched beyond six months, with four readings in Los Angeles and a fifth in New Mexico. After his final audition and screen test, creator Vince Gilligan called to offer him the part while production was already underway, according to PEOPLE‘s account of the conversation.
“I spent my teenage life in Breaking Bad,” Mitte said. His memories also included time away from the cameras with Paul, playing Halo when they were together on set, Parade reported.
Playing Walter Jr. Required Him to Revisit Childhood Movements
In a March 2012 interview with OnMilwaukee, Mitte explained that his own mobility differed from his character’s. He had used leg immobilizers, braces and crutches as a child, along with a wheelchair at times. Performing Walter Jr.’s movements meant returning to physical experiences he had worked to change.
He shared in the cast’s 2014 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. The official winners list names Mitte alongside Cranston, Gunn, Paul and the rest of the winning ensemble.
His later television work included Switched at Birth, Now Apocalypse and The Guardians of Justice. His film credits included The Recall, The Oak Room and Triumph. On Sept. 30, he attended a screening of Talking to Strangers at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills, according to NBC News.
His Advocacy Included Employment, Schools and Paralympic Coverage
Mitte served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s. In his OnMilwaukee interview, he emphasized UCP’s employment work, describing opportunities for people whose abilities were too often underestimated.
His public work also included speaking to students and serving as a spokesman for performers with disabilities. In November 2015, Channel 4 announced that he would join its coverage of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, with plans for athlete interviews and features from the host city.
In a 2021 interview with HERO, Mitte discussed the responsibility that comes with a public audience. He said he wanted his work to benefit people directly and supported organizations whose efforts went beyond financial gain.
He Led the Foundation His Grandparents Established
Mitte became president of the board of the Roy F. and Joann Cole Mitte Foundation in 2019. His grandparents established the organization in 1994 to support educational and community initiatives in Texas.
A 2020 foundation announcement published by Philanthropy Southwest described Mitte visiting Brownsville, meeting residents and learning about the community before advancing projects there. “I needed to hear from locals first,” he said.
The foundation’s grants supported the Children’s Museum of Brownsville, Dean Porter Park and other cultural projects, alongside Texas initiatives involving Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels and housing for people experiencing homelessness.
He Proposed to Kennedy Suarez at a Charity Benefit
Mitte proposed to Kennedy Suarez on Oct. 10, 2025, during the 56th annual Dia del Sol benefit in Carlsbad, California. The event raised money for United Cerebral Palsy of San Diego.
In an interview published by PEOPLE six days later, he said they had been friends for more than a decade before dating. The day after their engagement, the couple attended the Disability Rights Legal Center’s 50th-anniversary FDR Gala in Los Angeles.
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