RJ Mitte, Walter White Jr in Breaking Bad and a cerebral palsy advocate, dies at 34

RJ Mitte, who played Walter White Jr, the son of Bryan Cranston's Walter White, in Breaking Bad, died on Monday 12 October 2026 in Brownsville, Texas. He was 34. His representatives confirmed the death and said he died by suicide, Deadline reported; a local justice of the peace told the Associated Press an autopsy will be carried out. The news broke late on Monday night in Pakistan, and "RJ Mitte" and "Breaking Bad" were among the top Google searches here by morning.

"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte," his representatives said, asking for privacy for the family.

The role that made him

Mitte was born on 21 August 1992 in Jackson, Mississippi, and lived with cerebral palsy, as did his character. Breaking Bad ran from 2008 to 2013 and earned 58 Primetime Emmy nominations, winning 16, including two for Outstanding Drama Series. The cast won the SAG Award for best drama ensemble in 2014 after nominations in the two years before.

After Breaking Bad

• Film: Triumph (2021), as a high school wrestler with cerebral palsy; Love Me Dead (2024) with Dove Cameron; Westhampton (2025) with Finn Wittrock; and the indie drama Talking to Strangers, which had a screening in Beverly Hills on 30 September.
• Television: Switched at Birth, Now Apocalypse and The Guardians of Justice (Will Save You!).
• Advocacy: ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children's, and president of The Mitte Foundation.

If you are struggling

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please talk to someone you trust or a doctor. In Pakistan, the Umang mental health helpline is one of the services Google Search suggests for such queries, ProPakistani reported. Health guidance and local services are on our health desk.