The news of the passing of actor RJ Mitte broke on Monday, and the tributes to the 34-year-old started pouring in. Mitte played Walter White Jr. through five seasons and 56 episodes of the AMC hit Breaking Bad, and his co-stars were devastated by the news of his death.
"I’m in deep despair as I write this tonight,” Brian Cranston said in an Instagram post dedicated to his on-screen son. “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."
"Born with Cerebral Palsy," he continued, "he never – ever – allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything. He met the demanding shooting schedule head on with great determination.
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."
Cranston wasn't the only Breaking Bad star to speak out, with Aaron Paul and Dean Norris making a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
"I am at a loss. I am heartbroken over this news," Paul said. "RJ, I love you my friend. You will be missed. And to whoever happens to be reading this, please know you are loved, and you are not alone. Always remember that."
"Though RJ didn’t play my TV son, I always looked out for him as a young kid on set," Norris commented. "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."
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Brian Cranston, 'Breaking Bad' stars mourn death of RJ Mitte
