Friends and family of RJ Mitte gathered for a public celebration of life, days after the actor died at the age of 34.
Mitte, best known for playing Walter White Jr. on the acclaimed television series Breaking Bad, died on Monday.
His loved ones came together on Friday to honor him at a memorial held at the Mitte Cultural District, his family’s organization in Brownsville, Texas.
It has since been confirmed that Mitte, who had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP), died by suicide.
His younger sister, Lacianne Carriere, delivered an emotional tribute, remembering Mitte not only as her brother but also as a father figure in her life.
“RJ Mitte was my older brother, but I didn’t only lose a brother — I lost my father,” she told those gathered.
Carriere said their mother was raising them alone and had been left paralyzed from the waist down during the first years of her life after suffering an accident when Carriere was just two weeks old.
Friends and family gathered to remember actor RJ Mitte at a public celebration of life days after his death at 34
Mitte’s younger sister, Lacianne Carriere, delivered an emotional tribute at the memorial
“My brother immediately took on the role of a father,” she said. “I don’t have many words that I can put together, but all I can say is that every part of me is RJ.”
“Every kind of music I listen to, everything I watch, every game I play, our mannerisms — I just really miss my brother.”
Carriere also spoke about Mitte’s deep connection to Brownsville. “He loved Brownsville so much. He may not have been born or raised here, but this was his home,” she said.
“This was his community. He loved it here, he loved all of you and he loved this city. I want to thank you all for coming out.”
She used the gathering to urge anyone facing difficulties to seek support. “If anyone is struggling, please don’t feel like you’re alone. You’re never alone. Try to accept the help. Try,” she said.
“Try your hardest and reach out to someone. RJ loved this city very much, and I love RJ very much. His legacy here is not going to end. We’ll continue with all the dreams he had for this place, just as he would want.”
She then lightened the emotional moment with a joke about her brother’s truck. “I’m not going to sell that nasty truck,” she said with a laugh. “It’s mine now!”
“Thank you all so much for being here,” Carriere added.
Mitte appeared in 56 episodes of Breaking Bad between 2008 and 2013. He played Walter White Jr., the son of Bryan Cranston’s character, Walter White — a terminally ill high school chemistry teacher who builds a methamphetamine empire with Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul, his former student.
Loved ones honored RJ Mitte on Friday at a memorial held at the Mitte Cultural District in Brownsville, Texas
Speaking through her grief, Lacianne told mourners: “All I can say is that every part of me is RJ.”
‘RJ Mitte was my older brother but I not only just lost a brother, I lost my father,’ Carriere said
He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) when he was three, and he went on to advocate for actors and those working in the entertainment industry with disabilities.
The actor’s representative confirmed his death in a statement: ‘It is with profound sadness we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte.
‘RJ Mitte was best known for his role as Walter ‘Flynn’ White Jr on AMC’s critically acclaimed, award-winning series Breaking Bad.
‘Drawing from his own experience living with cerebral palsy, Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion. Beyond entertaining friends and family around the world, he served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s.’
During his life, Mitte called for larger representation of disabled actors on television.
‘Representation is everything, as we’ve seen over the last ten years with the growth of representation on television,’ he told WUWF in 2023.
‘Having positive influences of individuals with disabilities, not just cerebral palsy, but all of them, changes the mindset. TV is something that we all share; we all watch. TV really brings communities together in a way that you might not realize through social outlet.
‘I think that can really inspire individuals, and that can do wonders for confidence and self-esteem. If you see a character that’s going through the same struggle as you, and they’re succeeding, and in your life you may not be, it can help inspire you to get that extra push,’ he added.
In 2016, Mitte described how much he would ‘love’ to turn on the TV to watch a disabled person discuss something ‘that doesn’t just focus on their impairment.’
‘We know lots of progress is being made, but the industry must do more to help disabled people work both in front of and behind the camera,’ he told the Irish Examiner, according to Variety. ‘During the Paralympics there will be more disabled people than ever before on TV, but this shouldn’t be something that just happens every four years.’
‘I would love to switch on my TV and see a disabled person talking about something they are genuinely interested in or acting out a part that doesn’t just focus on their impairment.’
RJ’s grandmother also spoke
Mitte played Walter ‘Flynn’ White Jr on the Bryan Cranston–led drama Breaking Bad
Mitte also credited his disability for taking him in the direction he wound down: ‘I wouldn’t be in the position I am in today without my disability,’ he said. ‘I utilized everything I know about living with cerebral palsy for my role in Breaking Bad.’
In 2019, five years after Breaking Bad, Mitte admitted he still missed being a part of the show’s cast.
‘That’s going to follow me ’til the day I die,’ he told The Sydney Morning Herald as he reflected on his time on the hit AMC series.
The role took Mitte’s career to a whole new level and ‘opened a lot of doors’ for him.
‘Breaking Bad put me on the map,’ he told The Independent in 2021. ‘You’re only talking to me today because of it. None of my projects would exist without that show and the opportunity it gave me. It really opened a lot of doors for me. I wouldn’t have the media profile and the following that I have today without Walter White Jr. I would just be some kid who lives in Texas.’
Mitte hails from Mississippi and was six years old when he found out he was adopted.
Mitte, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age three, appeared in 56 episodes of Breaking Bad from 2008 to 2013. Above, with series star Cranston at the Emmys in 2012
‘I was about six when I was told that I was adopted,’ he told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2019. ‘My stepbrother heard my mom and my then-stepdad talking and said to me, “You are adopted. They don’t love you.” I didn’t believe him, but my parents confirmed that I was. I was like, “Okay.”’
‘I’ve never felt the need to track my birth mother,’ he said. ‘Medically, I’d like to know my family history, but until I feel that need, I have enough family and friends. I don’t need any more.’
Mitte’s mother chose to adopt him as she believed she would be unable to have her own children due to an ovarian cancer diagnosis.
‘The reason Mom adopted me was because she’d had ovarian cancer and was told she couldn’t have children. Then, magically, 11 years later, my sister Lacianne came along.’
Mitte’s mother lost her job after a car accident left her partially paralyzed for six years, and he did all he could to keep their family afloat.
‘A few months later, Mom was in a car accident and was partially paralyzed for six years. After the accident, she was fired from her job. She was a single parent, and we had just moved into a new place in Louisiana and feared we would lose everything.
‘I mowed lawns, picked up stuff and took it places. I did whatever I could to scrape cash together. I have devoted my life to my mom and my sister, and I still take care of them today.’
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org
