Bryan Cranston first met him on set when Mitte was 14 years old. Nineteen years later, Cranston says he is in deep despair.
“I loved him, and thoroughly enjoyed being with him throughout the years on the series, and after the spotlight on Breaking Bad dimmed. I’ll miss you, son,” Cranston wrote on Instagram in the early hours of Tuesday.
Mitte died by suicide at his home in Brownsville, Texas, on Monday, according to his representative. He was 34.
The Breaking Bad boy who grew up on set
Mitte, born with cerebral palsy, was cast opposite Cranston and Anna Gunn in the AMC drama’s pilot and played the Whites’ teenage son across all five seasons of the show.
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“That kid was pretty raw when we started shooting the pilot in February of 2007, but little by little we watched him grow into a really fine actor,” Cranston wrote.
Cranston said the two had been texting about a lunch date just weeks ago.
“I don’t know if that lunch would have changed his future.”
He also saluted the way Mitte had carried his cerebral palsy diagnosis onto the set.
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“He never, ever, allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything. He met the demanding shooting schedule head on with great determination.”
Boxing’s green-and-gold ambassador
Mitte’s connection to boxing ran through the Rio Grande Valley, where his family had deep roots. The World Boxing Council made him a Green and Gold Ambassador and, in April 2021, formally presented him with a replica of the WBC’s championship belt at the Brownsville premiere of the film Triumph.
The belt was handed over by WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán, who paid tribute on Monday on behalf of the sanctioning body.
“Now that I have the honor of being an ambassador for the World Boxing Council, I have the responsibility to work hard to provide opportunities to those who need them most,” Mitte said when he took on the role.
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He had used the platform to push the sport toward disability inclusion, pairing it with his acting profile and his family’s foundation work in south Texas.
Head of the Mitte Foundation
Away from the camera, Mitte served as president of The Mitte Foundation and campaigned publicly for disability rights, supporting United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s.
“He parlayed his experience on the show to be a vocal advocate for performers with disabilities, and was the head of a philanthropic organization with a focus on helping the disabled community,” Cranston said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available in most countries through national crisis lines; in the United States, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached by call or text.
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Sources: – [RJ Mitte Dies: ‘Breaking Bad’ Actor Was 34 (Deadline)](https://deadline.com/2026/10/rj-mitte-dead-breaking-bad-actor-1237155037/) – [Bryan Cranston ‘in deep despair’ after RJ Mitte’s death (Yahoo UK)](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/bryan-cranston-deep-despair-rj-060000034.html) – [Bryan Cranston’s tribute (TVLine)](https://www.tvline.com/2284883/bryan-cranston-rj-mitte-death-suicide-reaction-breaking-bad/)
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