RJ Mitte sent texts lamenting that Hollywood only wanted him as a prop before his death Monday.
The “Breaking Bad” actor, 34, died by suicide, his rep confirmed. He had cerebral palsy and spent years pushing for disability representation while privately struggling to land meaningful roles.
In a text to a close friend from April 2022, Mitte wrote, “Looking for interesting stuff to do, getting a lot of scripts where I would be a prop and they don’t want to give any depth, 3 lines if that. I’m writing my own s—t now.”
Four months later, his frustration had deepened. “Just doing animation, no one wants me on screen… it’s annoying as f—k,” he wrote in another message.
Mitte also detailed how casting directors shut him out because of his disability. “When I go for a part, they sometimes tell me that it’s not a character with a disability, and I’m like why can’t the character be disabled?” he wrote in April 2017.
“They get real uncomfortable when I say that,” he added.
He called some casting agents “a—holes” who “won’t even look at me.” Though he found work in Australia and Canada, Mitte wanted to stay in the US to keep his health insurance. In June 2020 he wrote, “I’ve got to figure out more work. I need to keep myself relevant lol.”
Despite the obstacles, Mitte noted, “There’s a lot I could do, if given the chance.” He served as president of The Mitte Foundation and as a Screen Actors Guild spokesperson for actors with disabilities. His rep said Monday that he “used his platform to challenge stereotypes and promote greater representation for people with disabilities.”
In a 2015 interview with the Badger Herald, Mitte spoke about how his disability shaped his perspective. “I think everyone that has a disability has the opportunity to make an impact with what they can do and who they are. I wouldn’t be able to do what I do today if it wasn’t for my disability and what it instilled in me,” he said.
Days before his death, Mitte still sounded hopeful about returning to the role that made him famous. At the Sept. 30 Los Angeles premiere of his movie “Talking To Strangers” at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills, he said he believed “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan might have a spinoff in mind.
“I am cautiously optimistic that Vince has something in mind,” he said.
“I’m not entirely sure [what it is],” he added. “At the end of the day, any chance I can work with Vince and his team is the dream come true.”
In his final interview, recorded Oct. 5 for “The Joe Vulpis” podcast, Mitte spoke about continuing to audition and “living the dream.”
“I tell people, you know, every dream could be a nightmare, too … but just keep living it, just keep pushing forward,” he said.
Mitte played Walter “Flynn” White Jr. On “Breaking Bad,” which ran five seasons on AMC from 2008 to 2013. The role made him one of the most visible actors with a disability on television, though the industry resistance he described in private messages persisted throughout his career.