Bryan Cranston has broken his silence on the death of his on-screen son.
The ‘Breaking Bad’ star, 69, took to Instagram Monday evening to mourn RJ Mitte, 34, who died that same day in Brownsville, Texas. Cranston’s representatives confirmed the death to Deadline, and his representative later said that Mitte died by suicide.
“I’m in deep despair as I write this tonight. RJ Mitte, my sweet son on Breaking Bad has died,” Cranston wrote on Instagram.
Cranston recalled meeting Mitte when the young actor was just 14 years old, cast as Walter White Jr. In the AMC drama. “A part he played with such joy and enthusiasm,” Cranston noted.
The Emmy winner also shared details of their final exchange, revealing they had been in contact shortly before Mitte’s death. “We were texting each other just a few weeks ago—figuring out when we could meet for lunch,” Cranston wrote.
“I don’t know if that lunch would have changed his future… But I do know that I loved him, and thoroughly enjoyed being with him throughout the years on the series, and after the spotlight on Breaking Bad dimmed.”
Cranston praised Mitte’s growth from a raw teenager into a polished performer during the show’s five-season run, which began shooting its pilot in February 2007. “That kid was pretty raw when we started shooting the pilot in February of 2007, but little by little we watched him grow into a really fine actor,” he shared.
The veteran actor also highlighted Mitte’s refusal to let cerebral palsy define or limit him. “Born with Cerebral Palsy, he never – ever – allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything,” Cranston wrote. “He met the demanding shooting schedule head on with great determination.”
Cranston fondly recalled Mitte’s occasional rebelliousness as a young cast member. “Always listening to the advice that his TV parents (Anna Gunn and myself) gave him – but being a teenager, sometimes mischievously ignoring the counsel in order to learn the hard way… He was one of the stars of a hit TV show – but still a kid,” he posted.
Beyond acting, Cranston emphasized how Mitte leveraged his platform to champion disability rights. “He parlayed his experience on the show to be a vocal advocate for performers with disabilities, and was the head of a philanthropic organization with a focus on helping the disabled community,” Cranston wrote.
The tribute concluded with a stark acknowledgment of what was lost. “All that promise and potential now is such a loss,” Cranston shared.
Mitte’s representatives issued their own statement confirming the death. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte,” they said.
Mitte had appeared at his new film’s premiere just days before his death, with photographs from the event surfacing afterward. He had also delivered a message to others living with cerebral palsy in recent months, urging them to “never give up.”