NEW YORK: Actor Bryan Cranston is in "deep despair" following the death of his onscreen son, RJ Mitte, who died by suicide on Monday at the age of 34.
Mitte was best known for playing Walter White Jr. (Walt Jr.) across all five seasons of Breaking Bad.
Diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy when he was three years old, Mitte shared the same condition as his television character.
In 2013, he received the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award—given in honour of Russell, the first actor with a disability to win an Oscar—for his landmark portrayal.
Paying tribute on Instagram, Cranston shared his heartbreak over the loss of his former co-star: "RJ Mitte, my sweet son on Breaking Bad, has died. 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.
"Born with Cerebral Palsy, he never – ever – allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything," he continued. "He met the demanding shooting schedule head-on with great determination."
Cranston also celebrated Mitte's activism, calling him a "vocal advocate for performers with disabilities," and noted that he "was the head of a philanthropic organisation with a focus on helping the disabled community."
"It is especially devastating to hear that he took his own life," Cranston wrote. "Why?"
The actor went on to reveal that they had recently been texting and trying to arrange a lunch together, though it ultimately never happened.
"I don't know if that lunch would have changed his future," Cranston wrote. "But I do know that I loved him, and thoroughly enjoyed being with him throughout the years on the series, and after the spotlight on Breaking Bad dimmed." Cranston added: "I'll miss you, son."
The Emmy winner also encouraged "anyone who is contemplating suicide to please call for the support you need."
Fellow Breaking Bad cast members Dean Norris (DEA agent Hank Schrader) and Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman) also paid heartfelt tributes to their late co-star.
Norris called the news "heartbreaking" in a social media statement: "Though RJ didn't play my TV son, I always looked out for him as a young kid on set," Norris wrote. "He was a sweetheart of a young man and will be greatly missed. This is so heartbreaking, I can't believe it. Thinking of him and his family."
Paul admitted he was "at a loss" for words 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."
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