RJ Mitte, best known for starring as Walter White Jr. on the hit TV show Breaking Bad, has died aged 34.
TMZ reported that the actor died by suicide in Texas on Monday, October 12, with police launching an investigation.
‘It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte,’ his reps said.
The Mitte Cultural District, an arts charity he was involved with, paid tribute on social media, sharing the news with ‘profound sadness and heavy hearts’.
They wrote on Facebook how Mitte, who was President of the Mitte Foundation, was a ‘beloved friend’ and ‘dedicated champion of the arts’.
‘RJ was more than a supporter of the Mitte Cultural District,’ the post read. ‘He was a friend, a partner, and someone who genuinely believed in the power of arts and culture to bring people together.
‘As we mourn this tremendous loss, we extend our deepest condolences to RJ’s family, loved ones, friends, and all those whose lives he touched.’
Reba Cardenas McNair, the chair of the Mitte Cultural District board of directors, added: ‘His friendship, generosity, and belief in Brownsville will never be forgotten.’
Alongside his role in 56 episodes of Breaking Bad, he also appeared in The Oak Room, The Recall, and The Guardians of Justice.
Mitte’s next film, One Eye Open, is set to be released on October 16, with his final Instagram story announcing screenings in AMC theatres across America.
According to IMDb, the actor had six upcoming projects, including Cassi, starring Dove Cameron, which is currently in post-production and set to be released next year.
He continued to speak positively about Breaking Bad, over a decade after the final episode, and said the finale wasn’t ‘an end’ for the family.
While on the Joe Vulpis Podcast, in a clip shared last week, he said: ‘I don’t think it was an end. That was really the end of Heisenberg’s journey but I don’t think that was the end of Skyler, Walt, and Holly’s journey.
‘I think there’s a lot of unanswered questions there that, for them, will probably never be answered. There’s still a big step for the White family.’
He added: ‘There’s always more to be told but you’ve got to tell it right. If something happens in future with the show… the fans control that, really.’
Speaking of his own career, Mitte confessed he wanted to ‘top Breaking Bad’, sharing: ‘I set a bar for myself as a young man that is kind of unobtainable’.
‘It’s a long way down from the top of the mountain,’ he added with a slight chuckle.
Mitte was recently seen in social media posts with his Breaking Bad co-star Luis Moncada, lifting off in a hot air balloon for New Mexico United.
Much of his time in the spotlight was also spent as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy, as well as being the Screen Actors Guild spokesman for actors with disabilities.
Mitte, who had cerebral palsy, was honoured by SAG-AFTRA with the Harold Russell Award in 2013.
Last year he had proposed to his girlfriend Kennedy Suarez on her 30th birthday, while at the United Cerebral Palsy fundraising gala.
They had been dating for five years at the time but had been friends for over a decade before that.