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RJ Mitte, the actor best known for playing Walter White Jr. on Breaking Bad, died on October 12, 2026. He was just 34. TMZ was the first to report his cause of death.
To fans, Mitte’s death came at an absolute shock, especially since the actor — who’d lived with cerebral palsy — had experienced a few positive milestones in his life. He was engaged to his fiancée, Kennedy Suarez, whom he proposed to in 2025. Not only that, but Mitte had recently teased a potential future for his Breaking Bad character in a podcast interview.
Walter White Jr. is the son of Bryan Cranston‘s iconic TV character, Walter White (a.k.a Heisenberg).
Learn everything we know so far about Mitte’s heartbreaking death here.
What Happened to RJ Mitte?
It’s unclear what exactly happened to Mitte in his final days. He was still making public appearances for interviews and spending time with friends and family during his final week alive.
Five days before the news of his death broke, Mitte sat down on “The Joe Vulpis Podcast” to discuss a potential open door for Breaking Bad.
“I don’t think it was an end,” Mitte said about the show’s season 5 conclusion. “[It was] the end of Heisenberg’s journey, but I don’t think that was the end of Skylar, Walt and Holly’s journey. I think there’s a lot of unanswered questions there that, for them, will probably never be answered. I think there’s still a big step for the White family.”
Mitte even noted that “the fans control” what could end up happening to the future of Breaking Bad. However, the late actor wanted to “top Breaking Bad” somehow, admitting that it would be a tough feat.
How Did RJ Mitte Die? Cause of Death Revealed
Mitte died by suicide, according to TMZ. No one from his family has publicly addressed the news of his death at the time of publication.
Reps for the late actor confirmed he died, but they did not share the cause of death.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte,” his reps said, according to multiple outlets.
Did RJ Mitte Have Cerebral Palsy in Real Life?
Yes. As previously noted, Mitte lived with cerebral palsy, just like his Breaking Bad character, Jr. The late Mississippi native opened up about his condition and perspective from the disabled community during a 2014 interview with Untitled magazine.
“My point of view on the disabled community in arts and film is interesting,” Mitte noted. “There’s a lot of discrimination against people with disabilities. It isn’t so much a color, gender, or religion issue, rather than the standpoint of the discrimination that people have and that people with disabilities are not strong, which is not true. People have a stigma that people with a disability aren’t as capable of holding a normal job or having a normal life, which isn’t true. People have normal lives every day. Living with a disability doesn’t make you disabled. Having a disability gives you the knowledge that no one will ever understand without going through it.”
Unlike his Breaking Bad character, Mitte did not use crutches in everyday life.
“For the longest time people thought that I needed crutches, that I needed a walker, that I need more help than I do – and it’s not true,” Mitte explained. “It’s interesting to see what people think of someone that they haven’t met but they know have a disability.”
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
