RJ Mitte deserves to be remembered for so much more than how he died

*Content warning: This article contains references to suicide*

The news that RJ Mitte has died by suicide is undoubtedly heartbreaking. But as I watched headlines roll in and the conversation unfold this morning, I couldn’t help but think of an issue that hits painfully close to home. 

Mitte, best known for his disability advocacy and for playing Walter “Flynn” White Jr. in Breaking Bad, died aged 34 on Monday, October 12, at his home in Brownsville, Texas.

As his representative said in a statement: “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte. At this time, we ask people to respect the privacy of RJ Mitte’s family and close ones.”

They later confirmed that the actor took his own life. It’s a situation I know all too well, having lost my dad in the same way. And one thing I learned from his passing is how easily a suicide can overshadow the way in which we remember a person. 

My dad was an incredible man. He introduced me to the Sex Pistols and shaped my love for music and film. He taught my siblings and I the most important thing in life is to be kind. And outside of being a father, he lived by that belief. One of the many things he did in his work was helping to make it a safe place for LGBTQ+ colleagues years before those conversations were commonplace. 

Sadly, when he’s talked about among friends and family, it’s more often than not in the context of the tragic way he died. But hearing about Mitte’s death has reminded me that I need to make more room for those happier memories of my dad.

And I think the same should be true for Mitte, because there was so much more to him than the way his life ended.

For millions of people, he was Walter White Jr. in Breaking Bad. But beyond the screen, Mitte was a passionate disability rights advocate who used his platform to challenge stereotypes and push for better representation of disabled people in the entertainment industry.

He served as an ambassador for charities including United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s, appearing in a campaign encouraging employers to look beyond people’s disabilities when hiring. 

He worked to improve opportunities for disabled performers in Hollywood. In 2013, he received the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award for his portrayal of Walter White Jr, and went on to become the union’s spokesperson for actors with disabilities.

He was the president of The Mitte Foundation, a charity established by his adoptive parents that supported disability awareness, scholarships and local community projects – the list goes on. 

And his commitment to representation continued right up until his death. Just last month, Mitte attended a screening of his film Talking to Strangers, in which he played a character with cerebral palsy. What’s important to note is that the character’s disability wasn’t the focus of the movie. It was a love story, one that Mitte himself praised for “pushing social norms”.

In an interview on The Joe Vulpis Podcast released just a week before his death, Mitte made it clear what mattered to him the most: “Trying to remind people that they have a voice and lend my voice.”

“That’s really the greatest thing that Breaking Bad has given me – to be able to lend my voice to causes that make a meaningful impact,” he said. For Mitte, it wasn’t the awards or recognition that he cared about, but the chance to make a difference to other people’s lives.

Reading these words, it’s been a great reminder of the legacy Mitte is leaving behind. And I couldn’t help but think of my dad again. 

I’ll always wish he’d had more time. I’ll always wish things had ended differently. But I don’t want the way he died to be the first thing I think of when I remember him. And I hope, when people look back on RJ Mitte’s life, it’s everything he gave to the world that stays with them.

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, you can contact Samaritans in the UK for free on 116 123. In the US, you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988. Both services are available 24 hours a day.

Featured image credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock