R.J. Mitte, 1992 – 2026

Actor R.J. Mitte, who played Bryan Crantson’s son on Breaking Bad, died on Oct. 12. He was 34; according to TMZ, he died by suicide. Born with cerebral palsy, Mitte was a disabilities activist, pushing for more roles onscreen. He’d only played a few small roles before being cast as Walter White. Jr., in Breaking Bad (2008-13). He went on to appear in the series Switched at Birth (as a paraplegic pre-med student), as Mind Master in Guardians of Justice (Will Save You!), and in such movies and TV shows as Who’s Driving Doug, The Recall, Mower Boy, Chance, Time Share, River Runs Red, Carol of the Bells, Love Me Dead, Westhampton, and this year’s Taking to Strangers (he had several projects in production at the time of his death).  “People view disability as a weakness,” Mitte told Able magazine, “as an illness and as something that makes you fragile or something that we have to overcome and cure, but to me it’s kind of the opposite. I believe that disability is a strength, that disability is knowledge and power and understanding. It’s not just understanding of others but understanding yourself and the capacity for growth within yourself.” He added that “I go, ‘man, do I always wanted to be represented as a disabled character?’ No, nobody does, but do I have, more or less, an obligation to my community to portray characters.”