Rj Mitte, Walter White Jr. On Breaking Bad, Dead At 34

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RJ Mitte, whose portrayal of Walter White Jr. on "Breaking Bad" was a piercing portrait of a son caught between warring parents, has died at the age of 34, according to TMZ. At this time, no official cause of death has been confirmed. Like his character on Vince Gilligan's celebrated series, Mitte had cerebral palsy, and he used his portrayal as a means of advocating for his disability.

Mitte suffered brain damage after being born via an emergency caesarean, and was diagnosed with CP at the age of three. His acting career kicked off with uncredited roles in hit shows like "Everybody Hates Chris" and "Hannah Montana," but "Breaking Bad" was his breakthrough, and his work as Walter White Jr. will be his very proud legacy. He was integral to the emotional impact of the show, and it is heartbreaking to know that his career has drawn to a close.

Per an official press release from a Mitte representative, "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte. Drawing from his own experience living with cerebral palsy, Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion."

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Mitte recently made an appearance on The Joe Vulpis Podcast, where he said that Walter White Jr., aka Flynn, had a special resonance for showrunner Vince Gilligan. "My character was written with someone with cerebral palsy," said Mitte. "This was from the beginning, that was always the case. Walt Jr. was based on a real person, a friend of Vince Gilligan in college who had cerebral palsy, who used forearm crutches and sometime after passed away. So it really felt real playing this character and getting into the groove with this character."

It appears Mitte's final film will be "Cassi," a thriller where he stars opposite Dove Cameron as a mortician who falls for Cameron's diner waitress. Mitte won a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the "Breaking Bad" ensemble in 2014, and earned a SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award in 2013 for his portrayal of Walt Jr. He was also an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriner's Children.

At the age of eight, Mitte discovered he'd been adopted. As he told The Guardian, "My step-brother told me. He'd overheard my mum and my stepdad at the time talking about it, and he threw it in my face. But I didn't really care. It didn't seem relevant, because I never once in my life felt unloved or like I was a burden."