How RJ Mitte became family’s breadwinner after devastating tragedy: ‘It was scary but necessary’

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RJ Mitte, famed for his work as an actor and disability advocate, also had another venture – supporting his family as the main breadwinner following a personal tragedy.

Mitte died in Brownsville, Texas on Monday, October 12, at the age of 34. Brownsville Police Department are currently investigating and has not shared a cause of death.

The actor shot to fame as a teenager for his role as Walter White Jr. on Breaking Bad, which he starred in from 2008 to 2013.

RJ Mitte arrives at the Variety and Women in Film’s pre-Emmy celebration in 2014 (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)APPrior to that he had roles in Hannah Montana and Everybody Hates Chris, though the stress of acting auditions was not the only thing he had to contend with.

In an interview with The Guardian in 2016, he explained that he had to become the family’s breadwinner after his mother was left paralysed in an accident.

“A car ploughed into her at 40mph,” he explained. “And ruptured her spine.”

“Afterwards, she couldn’t lift Lacey [his sister] because of the operations she’d had. So I took care of Lacey. There’s a 12-year gap between us and her dad wasn’t really around, so I guess I was a bit of a father figure to her as well as a brother. I changed her diapers, made up her bottles, fed her, rocked her, bathed her – everything, I did it.

Actors Bryan Cranston (L) and RJ Mitte arrive for the 64th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California on September 23, 2012. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo by ROBYN BECK / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)AFP/Getty“I had a lot of responsibility at the age of 12. By 13, I was the main breadwinner for my family,” he explained, describing the experience as “scary but necessary”.

He added: “I started off working as an extra, and I had to keep getting jobs to pay the bills. It evolved into a career very quickly. I think that accident changed our lives. It changed the dynamics of my relationship with my sister.”

In a statement announcing his death on Monday, his representative said: “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate RJ Mitte.”

“At this time, we ask people to respect the privacy of RJ Mitte’s family and close ones.”

Just days before his death, Mitte revealed that his Breaking Bad character’s journey was not complete.

Appearing on the Joe Vulpis on Wednesday, October 7, he said: “ I don’t think it was an end. I think 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.”