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RJ Mitte, Walter White Jr. on Breaking Bad, Dies at 34
The actor turned his breakout role into years of disability advocacy and later put down roots in Brownsville, Texas. Police say the circumstances of his death are still under investigation. RJ Mitte, who played Walter "Flynn" White Jr. on Breaking Bad and became one of Hollywood's best-known advocates for performers with disabilities, has died. He was 34. His representatives announced the death on Monday, October 12, in a statement to TMZ. The statement described him as a "beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate." Brownsville police confirmed the death the same afternoon. They said the cause and manner of death are pending an official determination and that the investigation is ongoing. A Role Drawn From Life Roy Frank Mitte III was born on August 21, 1992, in Jackson, Mississippi. He was cast as a teenager in Vince Gilligan's AMC drama, which ran from 2008 to 2013. He played the son of Bryan Cranston's Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher turned drug manufacturer. Like his character, Mitte had cerebral palsy. He drew on that experience for a part that gave the show some of its most human scenes, as Walt Jr. slowly learned what his father had become. After Breaking Bad, Mitte had a recurring role on ABC Family's Switched at Birth. His film work included Who's Driving Doug, Standing Up for Sunny, The Oak Room and Triumph, which he also executive produced. He was also the lead voice on the Netflix animated series The Guardians of Justice. He crossed into fashion too, appearing in a Gap campaign and walking for Vivienne Westwood. An Advocate First Mitte used his profile to push for disability inclusion on screen. He was a spokesman for SAG-AFTRA on behalf of actors with disabilities and received the union's Harold Russell Award in 2013. He served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and for Shriners Children's. “RJ believed in Brownsville.” — Daniella Lopez Valdez, executive director, Mitte Cultural District A Home in South Texas After the series ended, Mitte moved to Brownsville, where he was president of the Mitte Foundation, the charity built on his family's philanthropy. He backed the Mitte Cultural District, which recently became a designated Texas Cultural District. He was on hand in 2025 when the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art was renamed The Mitte: Arts and Cultural Center. Leaders of the district said his commitment to the city went far beyond writing checks. They said he saw the district as a way to connect people across generations, cultures and abilities. Just weeks before his death, Mitte attended a screening in Beverly Hills. He had also talked on a podcast about how Breaking Bad changed his life and how close he stayed to the cast years after the finale. Survivors were not immediately announced.