American actor RJ Mitte, best known for playing Walter White Jr in the television drama Breaking Bad, died by suicide on Monday, October 12, aged 34, according to a statement from his representative reported by Variety.

Mitte died at his home in Brownsville, Texas. The Brownsville Police Department said the cause and manner of death were initially pending as an investigation continued. Police did not suspect foul play, according to an earlier BBC report.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte,” his representative said in a statement.

Mitte, who lived with cerebral palsy, played Walter White Jr, the son of Bryan Cranston’s character Walter White and Anna Gunn’s Skyler White, in the Vince Gilligan-created drama. He appeared throughout all five seasons of the series, which aired on US cable broadcaster AMC from 2008 to 2013.

His performance drew on his own experience of living with cerebral palsy. Mitte received a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2014 for his work on the series.

“Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion,” his representative, Sean Reilly, said.

The actor also served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s. He established The Mitte Foundation to support philanthropic efforts and community initiatives, using his platform to challenge stereotypes and promote greater representation for people with disabilities.

Cranston paid tribute to his on-screen son in an Instagram post, saying he was in “deep despair” following news of Mitte’s death.

“I met him when he was only 14 years old when he was cast as Walter White Jr., a part he played with such joy and enthusiasm,” Cranston wrote.

Recalling the actor’s growth during the series, Cranston said Mitte had developed into “a really fine actor”. He also praised his advocacy for performers with disabilities, noting that he never allowed his cerebral palsy to “be an excuse for anything”.

“All that promise and potential now is such a loss,” Cranston wrote. “I’ll miss you, son.”

Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman in the series, expressed his grief in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter.

“RJ, I love you my friend. You will be missed,” Paul said. “And to whoever happens to be reading this, please know you are loved, and you are not alone. Always remember that.”

Dean Norris, who played Mitte’s on-screen uncle Hank Schrader, said he had looked out for the actor when he was a young performer on set.

“He was a sweetheart of a young man and will be greatly missed,” Norris wrote.

Mitte grew up in Louisiana and moved to Los Angeles in 2005 to support his younger sister’s acting career. Before landing his breakthrough role, he appeared in short films including Stump and Weird Science 2: Strange Chemistry, as well as the film House of Last Things.

His character in Breaking Bad was based on a late friend of Gilligan who had a more severe form of cerebral palsy and used forearm crutches, which Mitte did not require. The series did not explicitly mention Walter White Jr’s condition, instead portraying him as a teenager whose humour and personality were not defined by his disability.

Following the show’s success, Mitte advocated for more varied roles and more complex depictions of people with visible and invisible disabilities.

Speaking to the BBC in 2021, he said: “Whenever awards season rolls around, we always hope to see a diverse group of projects that reflect all of us, in body and mind.”

He added that growing awareness of disability representation was encouraging, although progress often came “in pieces and moments instead of larger change”.

Beyond Breaking Bad, Mitte appeared in television productions including Hannah Montana, Switched at Birth, Robot Chicken, This Close, Now Apocalypse and The Guardians of Justice (Will Save You!). His film credits included Dixieland, Who’s Driving Doug, The Recall and The Oak Room.

His latest project, Talking to Strangers, was released earlier this year. At the time of his death, he also had several projects in pre-production and production.

Breaking Bad earned 58 Primetime Emmy nominations and won 16 awards, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2013 and 2014.