The unsecret life of RJ Mitte, whose Breaking Bad role broke a barrier

“That was my life. Except for the methamphetamine.”
— RJ Mitte

The actor RJ Mitte, who brought his lived experiences with cerebral palsy to screens as well as to podiums and social forums, has died, by suicide.

Just 34, he was best known for playing Flynn, Walter White’s son, on Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan’s peerless series that looked at American life through the lens of a teacher (Bryan Cranston) who turns to drug-making to spare his family financial ruin from his cancer diagnosis. (And, then, of course, becomes an unlikely crime lord.)

The quote above is noted in the New York Times’s obituary of Mitte, from an interview a decade ago when he read the casting call for Walter White Jr., who eventually crafts a new identity — Flynn — for himself.

It was important that Flynn was played with someone with cerebral palsy. There are often debates about casting, especially when able-bodied actors pretend to have a disability or health status that is not their own. When Breaking Bad started in 2008, it was far more likely than now that shows and movies would go that route.

Mitte was always clear that it was acting ability — not his disability — that got him the part. As his talents were recognized and celebrated, he found himself with a platform for advocacy. His argument was simple enough: plenty of disabled actors could not get close enough to casting directors to compete for parts.

I thought a lot of Breaking Bad, one of those few shows that got more complex and satisfying as it continued. An emotional crux of the show is Walter’s relationship with his son. In the opening episodes, “Junior” idolizes his dad.

By the ending, Flynn’s new name mirrors his realization that his father is not worthy of his love. He throws himself between his parents during a violent argument, protecting Skyler from his father. Later, when Walter phones, Flynn tells him he should just die. It’s heartbreaking.

We had an interesting family discussion once about redemption, and Breaking Bad was the case example. In the ending (spoilers if you have not watched it), Walter tries to set things right out of sight of everyone, including ensuring his millions are put into a trust fund for Flynn. Is redemption meaningful, we wondered, when no one knows, much like the sound of the proverbial tree falling alone in the forest?

Much of the narrative of Breaking Bad‘s five seasons all takes place in a single year … a trick of time in the storytelling, which did not become fully clear as I recall until we were in the fifth and final season. This explained why in part Flynn’s appearances in later seasons were curtailed a bit, as Mitte had outgrown the teen we meet at the beginning.

The Times found the quote from Mitte in the following interview he did a decade ago, about life with cerebral palsy.

Mitte will likely be remembered for his advocacy as much as his talent. There’s definitely much room for improvement. Over the last two seasons, Tal Anderson has won acclaim for her role as Becca King, the sister of Dr. Mel King, in HBO’s The Pitt. Like her character, Anderson has wanted to show that an autism diagnosis is not nearly as limiting as many assume. Earlier this year, she was nominated for an Emmy for the role.

May we get to a place where such great casting is not so unusual.