RJ Mitte, the actor beloved worldwide as Walter White Jr. on AMC’s Breaking Bad, has died at the age of 34. His representatives confirmed the news to Deadline on Monday, October 12, 2026.
According to TMZ, a county official confirmed that Mitte died on Monday in Texas. The outlet reports his death as an apparent suicide, with law enforcement telling TMZ that a death investigation is ongoing. No further details have been released.
“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 in a statement shared with Deadline.
From Jackson, Mississippi to Walter White Jr.
Born Roy Frank Mitte III on August 21, 1992, in Jackson, Mississippi, Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was three years old. He moved to Hollywood in 2006 and began finding acting opportunities where his disability could educate viewers — a mission that would define his career.
After small roles in sitcoms, he landed his breakthrough: Walter “Flynn” White Jr., the son of Bryan Cranston’s Walter White on Breaking Bad. Mitte appeared in 56 episodes across all five seasons of the landmark series (2008–2013), bringing warmth and moral clarity to one of television’s darkest dramas. The character, like the actor, lived with cerebral palsy — and Mitte’s performance helped bring unprecedented visibility to disability on prestige television.
A career beyond Breaking Bad
Mitte continued building his résumé long after the series finale. He starred in the ABC Family drama Switched at Birth in 2014, voiced a role in Netflix’s animated series The Guardians of Justice (2022), and appeared in films including Who’s Driving Doug, the thriller Time Share (2018), the indie comedy Standing Up for Sunny (2019), the thriller The Oak Room (2020), and the drama Triumph (2021), which he also executive produced.
He had recently sat down for an in-depth conversation about his life and career on The Joe Vulpis Podcast, posted online less than a week before his death.
A tireless advocate
Off screen, Mitte was one of Hollywood’s most visible disability rights advocates. He served as a Screen Actors Guild spokesman for actors with disabilities and as a celebrity ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy. In 2013, he received the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award, honoring his advocacy work.
He frequently spoke about the importance of authentic casting and representation, using his platform to push the industry toward including performers with disabilities both in front of and behind the camera.
Remembering RJ Mitte
Mitte had recently gotten engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Kennedy Suarez. Tributes from fans and colleagues began pouring in across social media within hours of the news breaking, many remembering not just Walt Jr., but the kindness and advocacy that defined the man behind the character.
He is survived by his family and fiancée. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. Rest in peace.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day.
Photo: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
