Key Takeaways
- Bryan Cranston said RJ Mitte’s death “threw me for a loop,” revealing that the Breaking Bad co-stars had struggled to arrange a reunion in the weeks before Mitte died.
- Cranston now wonders whether Mitte wanted to discuss something with him and urged anyone experiencing depression to seek help, stressing, “You’re not alone.”
- Mitte, who played Walter White Jr. and advocated for disability representation, died by suicide at his Texas home on Oct. 12 at age 34.
Bryan Cranston is opening up about the death of his Breaking Bad co-star RJ Mitte, revealing that the two had been trying to reconnect in the weeks leading up to the actor's passing.
Speaking with the Associated Press on Wednesday (Oct. 21) at the Broadway opening of Billy Crystal's new play 860 in New York City, Cranston reflected on losing Mitte, who portrayed his son, Walter White Jr., throughout the AMC series.
"It's a shame," Cranston said. "You know, it threw me for a loop for several days. I didn't understand it."
The 70-year-old actor explained that he and Mitte had been communicating about meeting up but struggled to coordinate their schedules.
"He and I were trying to find out where we were in. I was in New York, he was in Texas, and I was coming to L.A. We were trying to figure out," Cranston recalled. "And I just wonder if he wanted to talk to me about something. And it's like…34 years old."
Mitte died by suicide on October 12 at his home in Brownsville, Texas. He was 34.
Cranston also used the opportunity to encourage people struggling with depression to seek support.
"But I want to say that, that, you know, if you feel depression, it's a real thing. You're not alone. And there's help to guide you through as best they can and best you can. So it's to seek help."
Cranston previously paid tribute to Mitte on Instagram following his death, recalling that he first met the young actor when he was just 14 years old.
In the emotional post, Cranston expressed how much he would miss "my sweet son on 'Breaking Bad.'"
Mitte appeared in 56 episodes of Breaking Bad during its five-season run from 2008 to 2013. Born with cerebral palsy, the actor became an advocate for disability representation in Hollywood and received the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award in 2013 for his contributions.
He also served as president of the Mitte Foundation, a nonprofit organization established by his family in Texas.
Following his death, several other Breaking Bad cast members, including Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn and Dean Norris, shared tributes honoring their former co-star.
Mitte's mother, Dyna Mitte, previously revealed that she had encouraged her son to seek therapy for several months before his death. According to her, he declined, insisting that he was managing things on his own.
She also said investigators did not find a suicide note and suggested his death may have been a "spur of the moment" decision.
A celebration of Mitte's life was held in Brownsville on Oct. 16.
