US6 min(s) read
Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte's heartbreaking texts before his death aged 34
The heartbreaking texts Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte sent before his death at the age of 34 have surfaced.
The actor's representatives confirmed the heartbreaking news in a short statement issued on Monday night, stating that he died at his home in Brownsville, Texas, where he lived with his fiancée, Kennedy Suarez.
"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 spoke about Hollywood’s treatment of disabled actors
The late star was best known for playing Walter White Jr on the hit TV show, Breaking Bad. His character lived with cerebral palsy, and Mitte was also living with CP.
He opened up about his struggle to find work in Hollywood in a series of private texts obtained by the Daily Mail.
He expressed frustration at being overlooked by casting directors, questioned the industry's treatment of disabled actors, and spoke about his determination to prove he was capable of much more.
In a message dated April 7, 2017, he described uncomfortable conversations he had while auditioning for roles that were not specifically written for disabled performers.
"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. "They get real uncomfortable when I say that."
For Mitte, having a disability did not mean an actor should be considered for stories centered on their condition. He believed disabled performers could bring something valuable to a character without their disability becoming the defining feature of the storyline.
It was an issue he understood personally after finding fame on the series, which aired between 2008 and 2013.
It made Mitte one of Hollywood’s most recognizable performers with a disability. However, the recognition did not always lead to the opportunities he had hoped for.
"I can do any role, but some of [the casting agents and directors] are a**h***s who won't even look at me," he wrote in another message in April 2017. "I want to put them on blast, but I won't now."
Mitte struggled to find consistent work
Although Mitte continued to look for acting opportunities after Breaking Bad, his messages reveal the uncertainty he faced as projects fell through and work took him overseas.
In December 2017, he told his friend about working on a television pilot that failed to move forward.
"Worked on a pilot that didn't go a few months ago. Brutal biz," he wrote.
The difficulties continued into 2019, when Mitte discussed an independent film he had worked on in Australia.
"I did a job in Sydney, and it was fun," he wrote in February 2019. "But it's a film not going to be here, it's Australian, I hope I can find stuff here. I would like to work enough to keep my [health] insurance. Pain in the a** lol."
He also revealed to his friend in June that year that he had completed a project in Canada and was also doing voice work.
But the following day, he confessed that he wanted to increase his public visibility in the hope of attracting more casting opportunities.
"I've got to figure out more work," he said. "I need to keep myself relevant lol."
He then offered to participate in video interviews and other promotional opportunities. "I just need to remind people to book me," he added.
By March 2021, Mitte was expressing frustration that the pandemic had created additional barriers for performers with disabilities.
He believed that some people in the entertainment industry were treating disabled actors as potential health or insurance risks.
"Gotta convince people that I'm not going to die of Covid," he wrote. "There's a backlash about people with disabilities, they think that we can't be insured or that we are going to die in the middle of a scene, it's bullsh**."
Mitte wanted meaningful roles
Throughout Mitte's career, he became an outspoken advocate for disability representation, serving as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children's.
In 2016, he challenged the industry to move beyond stories in which disability was a character's central characteristic.
"I would love to switch on my TV and see a disabled person talking about something they are genuinely interested in or acting out a part that doesn't just focus on their impairment," he said.
And yet, his private messages suggest the problem remained unresolved years later.
In April 2022, shortly after his 30th birthday, Mitte told his friend he was receiving scripts that gave disabled characters little substance or meaningful involvement in the story.
"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," he wrote. "I'm writing my own s**t now."
Rather than continue waiting for Hollywood to offer him the parts he wanted, he began developing his own material.
However, four months later, his disappointment over the lack of on-screen work was still apparent.
"Just doing animation, no one wants me on screen.. it's annoying as f***," he said.
By July 2025, Mitte was considering taking his career in an entirely different direction and becoming more open to participating in reality television. One possibility he spoke about was Dancing with the Stars.
Mitte believed appearing in a dance competition could challenge assumptions about disabled performers while allowing viewers to see another side of him.
"Now I would do a good reality show, was thinking that dancing would be a good fit, just to show that I can do that s***," he wrote. "But I would have to make sure that any reality would be dignity, I don't want to be laughed at, but would consider something that could give me a platform."
"There's a lot I could do, if given the chance," another text read.
At the time of his tragic death, Mitte was also attached to a major new acting project.
He was set to star in Forgotten Outlaw, a Western movie about the life of Bub Meeks, a childhood friend of notorious outlaw Butch Cassidy.
Director Nik Tizekker told TMZ that he plans to move forward with the project to honor the late actor's wishes, which will mean eventually finding a new leading man.
The outlet reported that the actor died by suicide. Law enforcement officials said an investigation into his death remained ongoing.
Our thoughts are with Mitte's loved ones at this time.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.