Bryan Cranston mourns RJ Mitte: “I’ll miss you, son”

Bryan Cranston has bid a moving farewell on Instagram to his on-screen son RJ Mitte. He was in “deep despair” as he wrote those lines, the actor said in the post, as Deadline also reported. Mitte, who played Walter White Jr. in “Breaking Bad,” died on October 12, 2026, at the age of 34, according to Reuters.

What did Bryan Cranston write about RJ Mitte?

Alongside his post, Cranston shared a photo showing him together with Mitte. “RJ Mitte, my dear son from Breaking Bad, has died,” he wrote. He had first met him when Mitte was cast as Walter White Jr. at just 14 years old – a role he played with great joy and enthusiasm, Cranston said.

Mitte was born with cerebral palsy but never let that challenge serve as an excuse, Cranston said. He handled the demanding shooting schedule with great determination. He followed the advice of his on-screen parents – Cranston and Anna Gunn – though as a teenager he also sometimes mischievously ignored it and learned the hard way. “He was one of the stars of a hit show – but still a kid,” Cranston wrote.

How does Cranston remember their time on set?

When filming of the pilot episode began in February 2007, Mitte was still fairly inexperienced, Cranston recalled. Little by little, they watched him grow into a genuinely good actor. Mitte later drew on his experience from the show to become a forceful advocate for performers with disabilities; he also led a nonprofit organization supporting people with disabilities. All that promise and potential is now a great loss, Cranston said.

What is known about RJ Mitte’s cause of death?

As TMZ first reported, Mitte died at the age of 34. Sources told the outlet that he had taken his own life; according to the report, authorities are still investigating the death. No official cause of death has been released so far.

Cranston himself addressed this in his post: it was especially devastating to hear that Mitte had taken his own life, he wrote, adding a “Why?” At the same time, he urged anyone having suicidal thoughts to seek support and pointed to the US crisis line, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. “There is hope,” he wrote.

When were Cranston and Mitte last in contact?

Just a few weeks earlier, the two had exchanged text messages to arrange a lunch together, Cranston said. He did not know whether that meeting would have changed Mitte’s future. “But I know that I loved him,” he wrote, adding that he had greatly enjoyed their time together during the show and afterward. The post ends with the words: “I’ll miss you, son.”

How are others reacting to RJ Mitte’s death?

Dean Norris also said he was “heartbroken” over Mitte’s death, according to Variety. He had looked out for him on set and was thinking of him and his family, Variety quoted him as saying.

Podcast host Joe Vulpis, who had met Mitte a few weeks before his death, described him to TMZ as “so positive” and as one of the kindest and most genuine people he had ever spoken to. The city of Brownsville said on its official X account that it would remember Mitte as an advocate for the arts and a supporter of the community.