Bryan Cranston has paid an emotional tribute to his Breaking Bad co-star RJ Mitte following the actor and disability-rights activist’s death at 34.

Mitte died Monday at his home in Brownsville, Texas. In a message shared on Instagram, Cranston expressed his grief for the actor who played Walter White Jr., the son of Cranston’s character, across the acclaimed drama’s five-season run.

“I’m in deep despair as I write this tonight. RJ Mitte, my sweet son on Breaking Bad has died,” Cranston wrote.

Cranston remembered Mitte as a young performer who developed his craft in front of the cast and crew. Production on the pilot began in February 2007, when Mitte was 14.

“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,” Cranston said.

He also recognized Mitte’s work away from the series, particularly his advocacy for performers with disabilities.

“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. “All that promise and potential now is such a loss.”

Cranston recalls their lasting connection

Cranston said Mitte took his own life, while Cameron County officials said Monday that an autopsy would be conducted in the coming days.

In his tribute, Cranston revealed that the former co-stars had been communicating recently and were trying to arrange a lunch.

“It is especially devastating to hear that he took his own life. Why? We were texting each other just a few weeks ago – figuring out when we could meet for lunch. I don’t know if that lunch would have changed his future…” he wrote.

Cranston continued: “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…”

He ended the message with a brief farewell: “I’ll miss you, son.”

The tribute reflects a connection that continued long after Breaking Bad concluded. Cranston and Mitte appeared together with Anna Gunn and Aaron Paul at the 2024 SAG Awards, where the four co-stars presented the award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Breaking Bad had won that same SAG Award in 2014.

RJ Mitte’s defining role

Created by Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad ran from 2008 to 2013. Mitte played Walter White Jr., whose cerebral palsy was part of the character’s story.

For most of the series, Walter Jr. did not know that his father — a science teacher who also operated under the name Heisenberg — had become one of the Southwest’s biggest drug dealers. The character finally learned the truth near the end of the final season, during the episode “Ozymandias.”

That on-screen father-and-son relationship now gives Cranston’s words added weight. His remembrance focused not only on the teenage actor who arrived for the pilot, but also on the performer, advocate and friend he watched Mitte become during and after the series.

ShowBiz Take

Cranston’s tribute stands out for its deeply personal perspective. Rather than limiting his remembrance to Mitte’s work on Breaking Bad, he highlighted the actor’s growth, disability advocacy and the bond they maintained after the show ended.

Nearly two decades after production began, their relationship had endured beyond the fictional White family and beyond the series’ spotlight. Cranston’s disclosure that they had recently discussed meeting for lunch makes his final words — “I’ll miss you, son” — especially poignant.

What Happens Next?

Cameron County officials have said an autopsy will be performed in the coming days.

If you or anyone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.