For five seasons, he was the kid at the White family breakfast table, the one who insisted everyone call him Flynn and who never stopped believing in his dad. Breaking Bad fans are mourning today after news that RJ Mitte, who played Walter White Jr., has died. He was 34.
Mitte's representatives confirmed his death on Monday, October 12, saying he died in Brownsville, Texas. TMZ reported that a county official said he died by suicide and that a death investigation is ongoing. His reps did not give a 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 representatives said in a statement. "RJ Mitte was best known for his role as Walter 'Flynn' White Jr. on AMC's critically acclaimed, award-winning series Breaking Bad. Drawing from his own experience living with cerebral palsy, Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion."
The statement also asked people to respect the privacy of his family and loved ones.
The Heart of the White Household
Mitte appeared in 56 episodes of Breaking Bad from 2008 to 2013, playing the son of Bryan Cranston's Walter White and Anna Gunn's Skyler. In a show built on lies, cartels and a chemistry teacher's slow fall into darkness, Walt Jr. was something rare: honest, loyal and, by the end, heartbreaking.
Like his character, Mitte lived with cerebral palsy. Born in Jackson, Mississippi, he suffered brain damage at birth, was adopted, and was diagnosed with CP at age 3. Seeing a character with a disability written as a full, complicated teenager on one of TV's biggest dramas, and played by an actor who shared that experience, meant a lot to many viewers.
A Voice for Representation
Mitte used the spotlight Breaking Bad gave him to push for more disability representation in Hollywood. He served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children's, and he was president of the Mitte Foundation, which backs philanthropic and community work while challenging stereotypes about people with disabilities.
He kept making that case long after the show ended. In a 2019 conversation with TMZ, he talked about disabled actors needing more representation in Hollywood, a cause his reps said he built his platform around.
Life After Albuquerque
After Breaking Bad, Mitte kept working. He had a recurring role on Switched at Birth, played Mind Master in Netflix's superhero series The Guardians of Justice, and appeared in 2017's The Recall and 2020's The Oak Room. According to Variety, he had been promoting his new movie, Talking to Strangers, on podcasts just days before his death, and had several projects in pre-production and production.
Off screen, Mitte was engaged to his longtime partner, Kennedy Suarez, whom he had dated since 2018. Earlier this month he was seen smiling in social posts with his Breaking Bad co-star Luis Moncada.
He leaves behind a role that a generation of TV fans will never forget, and a push for inclusion that kept doors open for performers who came after him. Rest easy, Flynn.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
