RJ Mitte was one of the emotional centers of โBreaking Bad,โ playing a teenager with cerebral palsy, a condition he lived with in real life since he was a toddler.
The actor passed away at 34.
Bryan Cranston, who played his father on the hit TV show, wrote in an Instagram post that he was in โdeep despair.โ He recalled Mitte was 14 when he was cast as his son, a role โhe played with joy and enthusiasm.โ
โBorn with Cerebral Palsy, he never โ ever โ allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything. He met the demanding shooting schedule head on with great determination,โ Cranston wrote.
RJ Mitteโs Cause of Death
Mitte died on Monday, Oct. 12, in Brownsville, Texas, where he had moved, the local Justice of the Peace Judge Cyndi Hinojosa told NBC News.
โSadly, we can confirm that suicide was the cause of death,โ Sean Reilly, his representative, said in a statement to NBC News on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
โIt is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte,โ his reps previously said.
Mitte lived with cerebral palsy and drew from his own experience to bring authenticity to his โBreaking Badโ role and build โa platform on disability awareness and inclusion,โ they added.
What RJ Mitte Said About His Cerebral Palsy
The actor was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at around 3 years old, and underwent physical, occupational and speech therapy, he told Vice in 2016.
Mitte was a severe toe walker so part of the treatment involved doctors bending his foot as far as it would go and putting it in a cast, โwhich was not fun,โ he recalled. A few weeks later, the cast would be taken off, his foot bent even further and immobilized in a cast again โ a process that was repeated until his foot was flat.
โIโm always working at taking control. Itโs a fight. It will always be a fight,โ he said about his body.
โBreaking Badโ showed real characters that everyone could relate to, Mitte noted.
The actor was reluctant to become an advocate at first, but found himself naturally doing advocacy work. He created an anti-bullying campaign and took part in philanthropic work.
โIโm lucky that I can be an advocate, Iโm lucky that I can do what I do. โฆ I think we all have an obligation to have an impact for the positive,โ he said.
Asked how people with disabilities can remove the stigma of not being able-bodied, Mitte urged others to be open.
โDonโt hide your disability. Donโt hide whatever it is that youโre hiding โ and Iโm not just talking about a physical disability, Iโm talking about a mental disability. Show who you are and what you are to the world,โ he said.
What Is Cerebral Palsy?
Itโs a group of neurologic disorders caused when a babyโs brain is damaged, usually as it develops in the womb, disrupting a childโs ability to control muscles and movement, and maintain posture and balance, according to the National Library of Medicine.
While most people with cerebral palsy have the condition at birth, it may not be diagnosed until months or years later, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke explains.
Symptoms depend on how the condition affects the body โ it can cause arm or leg weakness, stiff muscles, involuntary movements and other problems.
There are many different types and levels of disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
โA person with severe CP might need to use special equipment to be able to walk or might not be able to walk at all and might need lifelong care,โ the CDC notes.
โA person with mild CP, on the other hand, might walk a little awkwardly, but might not need any special help.โ
Mitte had mild cerebral palsy and stopped wearing leg braces at 13, he told L.A. Parent.
Thereโs no cure for cerebral palsy, but treatment such as physical therapy, medication, surgery and mobility devices can help people manage their symptoms.
