Bryan Cranston pays heartbreaking tribute to his "sweet son" RJ Mitte

Bryan Cranston has shared a heartbreaking tribute to his "sweet son" RJ Mitte following the announcement yesterday of the Breaking Bad actor's death. Mitte, best known for playing Walter "Flynn" White Jr. in Breaking Bad, died by suicide at the age of 34, as confirmed by his rep to People.

A representative for the star announced his death yesterday: "It is with profound sadness we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte."

Alongside an image of himself and Mitte on Instagram, Cranston shared a touching tribute to the actor which reads: "I'm in deep despair as I write this tonight. RJ Mitte, my sweet son on Breaking Bad has died. I met him when he was only 14 years old when he was cast as Walter White Jr., a part he played with such joy and enthusiasm."

He continued: "Born with Cerebral Palsy, he never - ever - allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything. He met the demanding shooting schedule head on with great determination.

"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.

"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 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."

Reacting to Mitte's apparent suicide, Cranston said: "All that promise and potential now is such a loss. It is especially devastating to hear that he took his own life. Why?"

Opening up about his relationship with Mitte, Cranston said he recently shared some text messages with him, saying: "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… 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… I’ll miss you, son."

Ending his tribute, Cranston urged those contemplating suicide to reach out for support, writing: "I can't stop there without imploring anyone who is contemplating suicide to please call for the support you need at 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (https://988lifeline.org/). There is hope."

We encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Information about how to access support is available via the NHS, and organisations who can offer help include Samaritans on 116 123 or Mind on 0300 123 3393.

Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Reporter, Digital Spy

Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy. 

A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre. 

In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.