RJ Mitte's death by suicide at 34 has sparked tributes from Breaking Bad co-stars, including Aaron Paul, who shared a mental health video he’d made. The actor, known for playing Walter White Jr., had spoken openly about emotional well-being before his passing.
RJ Mitte, the actor best known for portraying Walter White Jr. On the Emmy-winning AMC series Breaking Bad, died by suicide on October 12 at the age of 34. Authorities confirmed the cause of death, though the investigation into the circumstances remains ongoing. The news has prompted an outpouring of grief from his former co-stars, with Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston among those publicly mourning his passing.
Paul shared a video on Instagram featuring Mitte speaking directly to the camera about the importance of mental health — a message he had recorded before his death. In the caption, Paul wrote: 'I’m so sorry you were hurting my friend. I wish we knew.' He recalled meeting Mitte when he was just a teenager, describing him as someone who carried himself with steady confidence and grace despite living with cerebral palsy.
'You constantly had a smile on your face,' Paul said, adding that he’d always called him Superman because of how he led with kindness and strength. 'It was blinding,' he wrote. Paul also expressed sorrow over their last meeting, saying they had been planning to meet for lunch just weeks before the tragedy.
He urged anyone feeling lost or uncertain to speak up, calling life 'so damn special' and emphasizing the need to hold each other up in times of noise and isolation. Bryan Cranston, who played Walter White, shared a similar sentiment, writing that he met Mitte at 14 and watched him grow into a man who never let physical challenges limit his ambition.
'He met the demanding shooting schedule head on with great determination,' Cranston said. He expressed disbelief at the news, admitting he had been texting Mitte recently and wondering if a simple conversation could have changed anything. 'I don’t know if that lunch would have changed his future… But I do know that I loved him,' he wrote.
Both tributes shows the stark contrast between Mitte’s public persona, vibrant, resilient, and deeply committed to advocacy. And the private struggle he faced. The video Paul posted shows Mitte urging viewers to confront emotional pain rather than hide it behind 'OKs' and 'I’m good.' It’s now circulating widely, its message amplified by loss.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available: call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org. The conversation isn’t over. It’s just louder now.
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