RJ Mitte, 'Breaking Bad's Walt Jr., was born with cerebral palsy: What is it and how common is the disorder?

RJ Mitte, who died on Monday at the age of 34, was born with cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that he shared with his most memorable onscreen character -- Walter White Jr. on the hit TV series "Breaking Bad." Mitte had little acting experience but brought a raw authenticity to his teenage character on the Emmy-winning show, often cited as one of the best ever.

What is cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain, affecting a person's ability to control their muscles. Cerebral palsy is the most common motor disability in childhood, as per the CDC. Recent studies suggest that the disorder affects about 3 of every 1,000 children in the US.

Mitte's childhood experience

Mitte wore leg braces throughout his childhood. Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper in 2019, he said that experience gave him "a different perspective on what we are as humans and how we interact with each other."

'Important to have characters with real impact'

At the age of 13, Mitte auditioned for the role of Walt White Jr., aka Flynn, for Vince Gilligan's AMC series "Breaking Bad". In an interview with Vice in 2016, Mitte said the makers needed an actor with brown hair, big eyebrows, and mild cerebral palsy. "That was my life," he said. "I think it’s really important that we have characters in television and film that are having real impact," Mitte shared at the time. "People are hungry for realism. They are hungry to see characters like Flynn," he added.

Disability rights activism

Besides TV and film, Mitte also worked as a disability rights activist, serving as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s. He was also the president of The Mitte Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports philanthropic efforts and community initiatives in Brownsville, Texas.

Mitte's cause of death

Mitte’s representatives announced his death in a statement on Monday. "It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights activist RJ Mitte," the reps said. "At this time, we ask people to respect the privacy of RJ Mitte’s family and close ones." Though the statement did not disclose a cause of death, Variety and TMZ reported that Mitte died by suicide.

Mitte had roles in several TV shows other than "Breaking Bad", and also starred in a number of movies, including "The Recall" (2017) and "Triumph" (2021). Last year, Mitte got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Kennedy Suarez, at a fundraising gala.