Actor RJ Mitte rose to fame at the age of 14 when he was cast as Walter White Jr in cult series Breaking Bad.
He has cerebral palsy and was bullied when he was younger because of his disability. "I had my hand broken, my foot broken, I was slammed on the ground," he says.
Now he says it is time to end the stigma surrounding disability.
Working with charity Scope he is travelling the country giving talks around the misconceptions around disability.
One recent talk was at the Oxford Union - at 22 he is one of the youngest people to have had that honour - where he said that acting in Hollywood is extremely difficult if you're disabled.
"This industry is very negative and harsh to people with disabilities," he says, "because of the idea of perfection... which technically doesn't exist."
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FAQs
After the role of a lifetime, Mitte is changing how people think about cerebral palsy and speaking out against bullying. On the hit AMC television series Breaking Bad, RJ Mitte portrayed Walter "Flynn" White Jr., a young man with cerebral palsy (CP), the neurologic condition that Mitte was diagnosed with as a toddler.
Is Walter JRS actor actually disabled? ›
Like his character on the show, he has cerebral palsy. After moving to Hollywood in 2006, he began training with a personal talent manager. They sought acting opportunities where his disability would serve to educate viewers, which led him to audition for the role in Breaking Bad. Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.
Is Walter Jr. autistic? ›
Played by RJ Mitte, Walt Jr. is the son of protagonist Walter White and his wife Skyler. He has cerebral palsy, as manifested in speech difficulties and impaired motor control, for which he uses crutches. His younger sister is Holly White. Walter White Jr.
What birth defect does Walter Jr have? ›
In Breaking Bad, Walter Jr. has cerebral palsy, the same condition that Mitte has. Even though his case of CP is milder than that of Walter Jr., Mitte has taken his limelight as an opportunity to draw attention to the need for more, disabled actors to be cast as disabled characters.
Why did Walter Jr. call himself Flynn? ›
Angered by his parents' constant fighting, Walt Jr. tries to establish an independent identity, insisting on being called Flynn and asking Louis to teach him how to drive.
Does Walter Junior have a lisp? ›
The actor has cerebral palsy, like the character he portrays, but he played up the slurring for the role (sometimes resorting to tricks like not taking his medicine). Incidentally, Breaking Bad was an AMC series. The spinoff series Better Call Saul was Netflix.
Who has autism in Breaking Bad? ›
[Breaking Bad] Walter White had Asperger syndrome.
What mental illness does Walter White have? ›
His symptoms got increasingly worse as the series progressed showing that now, he would need treatment for this clinical diagnosis if he hopes to return to any form of a normal life. It is no coincidence that Walt encompasses all nine characteristics of having a narcissistic personality disorder, as outlined in DSM-5.
What disorder does Hank have in Breaking Bad? ›
Hank begins showing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder in "Breakage" after killing Tuco Salamanca in "Grilled", the first deconstruction of his "tough cop" persona.
Why did Walter White call himself Heisenberg? ›
The alias allowed Walt to gain notoriety while hiding his true identity, reflecting his concerns and personality. The name "Heisenberg" was inspired by the German physicist Werner Heisenberg, known for his uncertainty principle, which mirrored Walt's unpredictable actions throughout the series.
RJ Mitte talks 'Breaking Bad,' cerebral palsy, and the importance of representation in Hollywood ahead of his Pensacon appearance. RJ Mitte is an actor who is best known for his role as Walter White Jr. on the AMC series "Breaking Bad." Like the character on the show, Mitte struggles with cerebral palsy in real life.
How long does Walter live after his diagnosis? ›
In an interview discussing his thoughts on Walt's death, Bryan Cranston said that Walt became "a cancer to everyone around him". On the day Walter White was diagnosed with cancer, he was given two years to live. He missed the 2 year mark diagnosis by only one day in "Felina" when he died.
What caused RJ Mitte cerebral palsy? ›
"Sport was a big part of my life" - RJ Mitte
"So for listeners who don't know cerebral palsy," Mitte tells Stevenson, "it's commonly caused at child birth, from lack of oxygen to the brain, which can affect numerous different things. "But for me, it affects fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, speech.
Is cerebral palsy a mental disability? ›
Cerebral palsy is a physical disability that's an umbrella term referring to a group of disorders affecting a person's ability to move. Cerebral palsy is due to damage to the developing brain during pregnancy, birth, or shortly after birth.
Can cerebral palsy be cured? ›
There's no cure for cerebral palsy. But resources and therapies can help kids grow and develop to their greatest potential. As soon as CP is diagnosed, a child can begin therapy for movement and other areas that need help, such as learning, speech, hearing, and social and emotional development.
Who is the actor that plays Walter Junior? ›
RJ Mitte is an actor who is best known for his role as Walter White Jr. on the AMC series "Breaking Bad." Like the character on the show, Mitte struggles with cerebral palsy in real life. He will be in Pensacola for Pensacon 2023.
