Late Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte’s little-known connection to Australia

DAILYMAIL.COM • 1h ago

By JIMMY BRIGGS, SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER 05:32 14 Oct 2026, updated 05:50 14 Oct 2026

Late Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte was a huge fan of Australia and frequently visited the country for both work and holidays.

The American actor, who tragically died at 34 on Monday at his home in Texas, filmed a movie called Standing Up For Sunny in Sydney’s beachside suburb of Bondi in 2018.

He appeared opposite Aussie stars Philippa Northeast, Sam Reid and Matt Nable in the Steve Vidler-directed comedy-drama, in which his character became romantically involved with a local Sydney woman.

At the time, Mitte could not contain his excitement about living in Sydney for several months during filming, telling a local publication he felt he was ‘living the dream’.

‘I love it. Australia’s a great country. I’m a really big fan of Illawarra; I think it’s such an amazing environment – I love Sydney and Wollongong,’ Mitte told Rough Cut magazine.

‘I’ve spent time in Adelaide, in Melbourne, in a few other places, and it’s really a great community. Working in the film industry there was a pleasure.’

The Mississippi-born star also revealed how much he loved working with Australian actors, and took roles alongside Luke Hemsworth, Barry Humphries and Ella Scott Lynch.

‘I mean, Australian actors have been invading American cinema. The level of professionalism in Australia is apparent. The quality of work that comes out is at such a high level,’ he said.

‘It really is remarkable to see. And Steve Vidler has such a great demeanour with how he presents everything – it’s really special.

‘It really was a surreal experience as a whole. I was living the Australian dream, you know? I was working in Newtown, living in Bondi – that’s the dream for an actor, isn’t it? To work in the hipster capital of Sydney and live by Bondi Beach.’

Ahead of filming in December 2017, Mitte was often spotted enjoying a day at Bondi Beach.

He told Australia’s Cerebral Palsy Alliance that he was such a big fan of the country that he regularly visited it.

‘It’s been great. This is my fifth time in Australia, it’s been great, always a pleasure to be here,’ Mitte said.

In the movie Standing Up For Sunny, Mitte played an American man living in Sydney who falls for Home and Away star Philippa Northeast’s character, with the pair bonding over stand-up comedy.

On Tuesday, Philippa posted a tribute to her late co-star on social media, sharing photos of her and Mitte having fun together, which were captioned with: ‘Rest in Peace, you beautiful man.’

Mitte appeared in 56 episodes of Breaking Bad from 2008 to 2013 as the son of Bryan Cranston’s character Walter White, a terminally ill high school chemistry teacher who creates a meth empire.

In 2019, six years after Breaking Bad, Mitte admitted he still missed being a part of the show’s cast.

‘That’s going to follow me ’til the day I die,’ he told The Sydney Morning Herald as he reflected on his time on the hit AMC series.

The role took Mitte’s career to a whole new level and ‘opened a lot of doors’ for him, allowing him to pursue passion projects, such as starring alongside Luke Hemsworth in the 2018 movie River Runs Red.

A county official confirmed to TMZ that Mitte, known for playing Walter White Jr on the hit AMC show from 2008 to 2013, died on Monday in Texas – and that a death investigation is ongoing.

It was later confirmed Mitte had died by suicide.

Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) when he was three, and he went on to advocate for actors and those working in the entertainment industry with disabilities.

CP is a group of disorders that affect movement, posture and balance due to abnormal brain development or damage.

Symptoms range from muscle stiffness and poor motor control to difficulties with balance and coordination.

Mitte’s representative told TMZ Monday: ‘It is with profound sadness we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte.

‘RJ Mitte was best known for his role as Walter “Flynn” White Jr on AMC’s critically acclaimed, award-winning series Breaking Bad.

‘Drawing from his own experience living with cerebral palsy, Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion.

‘Beyond entertaining friends and family around the world, he served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s.’

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