13 Oct Brownsville Arts Patron and ‘Breaking Bad’ Actor RJ Mitte Dies at 34

RJ Mitte, a longtime supporter of the arts in Brownsville who became widely known for his role on “Breaking Bad,” has died. He was 34. The Mitte Cultural District announced his death in a statement.

Brownsville police confirmed Monday that he died in Brownsville and said an official determination of how he died is still pending while the investigation continues. A Cameron County Justice of the Peace told the Associated Press an autopsy will be performed. There are reports, citing his representative, that he may have died by suicide.

In Brownsville, Mitte led the Mitte Foundation and worked to continue his family’s long record of backing the arts. The foundation remembered him as a dear friend and a champion of local culture. It said he saw the Mitte Cultural District as a way to link generations, cultures and abilities, and that his work helped the district win its new Texas Cultural District designation.

People who ran the district with him spoke of a loss that went beyond his giving. Board chair Reba Cardenas McNair called it devastating. She said he truly believed in Brownsville, its artists and what the arts can do for a community. Executive director Daniella Lopez Valdez said his push for inclusion and access captured what the district is meant to be, a place where differences are welcome and the arts are open to everyone. She sent sympathy to his relatives and friends.

His ties to the city started with his grandfather. Roy F. Mitte grew up in Brownsville, and in 1998 the family’s Austin foundation, named for him and his wife, Joann Cole Mitte, gave $3 million toward restoring Dean Porter Park and creating the district.

Mitte played Walter White Jr., the TV son of Bryan Cranston’s lead character on “Breaking Bad.” He had cerebral palsy and spent years speaking up for actors with disabilities. His representative said he also served United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s as an ambassador, and asked that people respect the privacy of his family and close friends.

Cranston posted a tribute on Instagram. He recalled working with Mitte as a teenager on the show’s pilot, and said he had seen him mature into a skilled actor and a forceful advocate who later headed a charitable group serving the disabled community. He said the news was especially devastating, and that the two had been texting a few weeks earlier about getting lunch. He closed by saying he loved him and would miss him.

Other actors shared their grief as well. Castmate Aaron Paul said he was heartbroken, and told anyone reading that they are loved and not alone. Dean Norris, who played Hank Schrader, said he had looked after the young actor on set, remembered him as a sweet young man and said he could hardly believe the news. Oscar winner Marlee Matlin wrote that no one could replace him.

Local and state leaders also paid tribute. U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez said Mitte’s support for Brownsville’s arts scene, and his push for a more inclusive world, will be felt for generations. State Sen. Adam Hinojosa said Mitte gave his own time and money to help the city’s cultural institutions reach more families. The city of Brownsville said it stands with residents in grieving.

Mitte was a regular presence in the Valley. He was the grand marshal of the 2022 Charro Days parade and appeared at the South Texas Comic Con. In 2021, he brought his film “Triumph,” in which he portrays a man who, like him, has cerebral palsy, to Brownsville for a screening. He invited local organizations that work with people with disabilities and with young people.

Anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.