RJ Mitte

Mitte died in Brownsville, Texas, at 34. His representatives confirmed the death Monday. Cameron County Justice of the Peace Cyndi Hinojosa pronounced him dead at about 1:30 p.m. Monday, CBS News reported, citing the Associated Press. The cause, according to NBC News and Deadline, was suicide. Hinojosa told the Associated Press an autopsy will be performed, Deadline reported.

"It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte," his representative, Sean Reilly, said in a statement carried by NBC News and BBC News.

Mitte had cerebral palsy. His character on the AMC drama shared the condition. "Drawing from his own experience living with cerebral palsy, Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion," Reilly said. He served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children's. He also led The Mitte Foundation, which backs disability advocacy and community programs, as its president, CBS News and NBC News reported.

Bryan Cranston, who played Mitte's father on the show, wrote on Instagram that he was in "deep despair," BBC News reported. He and Mitte had been texting a few weeks earlier to plan a lunch. "I don't know if that lunch would have changed his future," Cranston wrote, according to CBS News. Dean Norris, who played Hank Schrader, called Mitte "a sweetheart of a young man" who will be greatly missed, BBC News reported. Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman, told the Hollywood Reporter in a statement that he was heartbroken, according to BBC News.

"Breaking Bad" ran on AMC from 2008 to 2013. It won 16 Emmy Awards, Deadline reported, and the cast took a Screen Actors Guild Award for drama ensemble in 2014. Mitte's other credits included the 2020 film "The Oak Room," the 2021 film "Triumph" and the 2025 film "Westhampton," Deadline reported. His most recent project, "Talking to Strangers," held a red-carpet screening in Beverly Hills on September 30, according to Deadline.

Jackson, Mississippi, is where Mitte was born. Doctors diagnosed his cerebral palsy at age 3, NBC News and Deadline reported. He moved to Los Angeles as a young teen. Soon after, he auditioned for "Breaking Bad," according to BBC News.

"I do know that I loved him, and thoroughly enjoyed being with him throughout the years on the series," Cranston wrote. "I'll miss you, son."