Aaron Paul is sharing his first and final memories of his "Breaking Bad" costar RJ Mitte in the wake of his death.
The actor and disability rights advocate died by suicide on Monday, Oct. 12, at age 34, his representative Sean Reilly confirmed to USA TODAY.
In an Oct. 14 Instagram post, Paul, 47, shared a video of Mitt speaking directly to a camera while encouraging people to take care of their mental health.
"You have always been an inspiration for so many. I am so sorry you were hurting my friend. I wish we knew," Paul wrote in the post's caption. "You constantly had a smile on your face and you took every single challenge that was given to you with such confidence and grace."
Paul recalled meeting Mitte, who was only 14 when he was cast as Walter
"Flynn" White Jr., the son of Bryan Cranston's anti-hero Walter White in the Emmy-winning AMC series. Paul, who played White's partner in crime, Jesse Pinkman, wrote: "I met you when you were a little boy and watched you grow into a beautiful young man."
"Taking on every challenge head on. The last time we saw each other, I kept calling you Superman. You reminded me of him. You reminded me of him because you always led with kindness and strength. It was blinding. You were born into a world with challenges but you never let any of that stand in your way," Paul added.
He called Mitte's death "an absolute tragic loss," writing, "I love you, my friend. I loved your mother. Your sister. I loved your laugh and how much fun you had riding the wave we were all blessed to be on with 'Breaking Bad.'"
"I hope whoever is reading this note that feels lost or sad or uncertain about the future please say something. Life is so damn special," he continued. "It’s impossible that we exist, but yet we all are here. There is so much going on in all of our lives but far too much beauty in this world to ignore. We need to focus on that."
He concluded: "We must suffocate the noise and focus on each other. Hold each other up. That’s what this life is all about. Connect with someone you care about and say I love you. RJ, I love you my friend. I’m so sorry."
Bryan Cranston shares 'deep despair' over TV son's death
Cranston shared a tribute for Mitte on Instagram hours after his death, posting a photo of the two from the Season 1 premiere in 2008 and writing that he was "in deep despair as I write this tonight."
"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 met the demanding shooting schedule head-on with great determination," Cranston added. "Always listening to the advice that his TV parents (Anna Gunn and myself) gave him - but being a teenager, sometimes mischievously ignoring the counsel in order to learn the hard way… He was one of the stars of a hit TV show - but still a kid."
The "Malcolm in the Middle" alum said that after the filming of the acclaimed series began in February 2007, the cast watched Mitte "grow into a really fine actor."
"He parlayed his experience on the show to be a vocal advocate for performers with disabilities and was the head of a philanthropic organization with a focus on helping the disabled community," he continued. "All that promise and potential now is such a loss."
Cranston revealed that he and Mitte had planned to have lunch only a few weeks ago, writing, "I don’t know if that lunch would have changed his future."
Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Kalia Richardson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aaron Paul mourns 'Breaking Bad' costar RJ Mitte after death: 'I wish we knew'
