After a traumatic childhood marked by bullying and the fight for his disability, the young man rose to fame for his role in the hit series. How he created a character with the same condition as him and his contribution to social inclusion in Hollywood
Since the premiere of the acclaimed series Breaking Bad, fans of this fictional and probable story -where a sick chemistry teacher sees the solution to his financial problems in the manufacture and sale of drugs- went crazy for its plot and its actors. All kinds of stories and myths circulated on the internet regarding the privacy of the recording of the program, the creation of the chapters, and the composition of characters.
Amid the fever that this story was able to create, the character of Walter Jr., son of the main character Walter White, is surprised by the interpretation of a particularly tough role: a boy with cerebral palsy and motor problems. But the biggest impact was when it was learned that RJ Mitte, the 24-year-old actor behind that character, has cerebral palsy in real life, just like in the series, although much less aggressive.
Roy Frank RJ Mitte III (his original name of him) had a very intense personal history, marked by a journey full of impediments. Born in 1992 in Louisiana, in the United States, Mitte was adopted when he was just weeks old by her mother Dyna, who separated from her husband Roy very soon after and decided to raise him alone. When little RJ was just three years old he was diagnosed with permanent cerebral palsy, apparently caused by a breathing problem during childbirth.
In parallel with raising her sister Lucienne, Dyna began to accompany her adoptive son through his childhood in the use of immobilizing leg prostheses to stretch ligaments and tendons, attendance at speech therapy, and exercises to keep strong. the muscles. However, she had to deal with her own health problems after suffering a car accident that left her partially paralyzed for six years, just a month after giving birth to Lacianne. At just 11 years old, RJ started working mowing the lawn or helping neighbors with various chores to support the family. "When you don't have a choice, you don't have a choice," he said of his traumatic childhood.
"I thought there was nothing wrong with me when I was growing up. I thought everyone went to speech therapy, that it was common stuff. I thought it was pretty normal until I went to school and someone told me it wasn't normal to have a disability. "Mitte said. "That was shocking to me. I asked my mom why this was happening to me, why I was affected in this way, and she helped me move on. You have to accept what cannot be fixed, and live for today, as if there would be no tomorrow."
Without having a relationship with his adoptive father, without knowing (or wanting to know) his biological parents, and with his adoptive mother immobilized for a while, RJ had to take care of his newborn sister at the age of 12 because their mother could not pick her up, change her diapers or feed her. That was what made him create an almost paternal bond with her. By then he already had a lot of responsibility being the main breadwinner for his family and he felt compelled to mature faster than children his age.
Even though doctors constantly suggested surgeries to disable motor problems, he always preferred to lean on sports and even became a goalscorer on the soccer team where he participated. At the age of 14, he decided that he did not need to use immobilizers on his legs, let alone any type of crutches. "My mom never allowed me to wear them," he explained. "Anything you lean too much on can become a crutch. And, disabled or not, when you rely too much on something, that's what cripples you." Sports and yoga were a great help to him.
That same year, 2006, Dyna decided to move with her family to Los Angeles - where they still live - because his daughter Lacianna had received a proposal for a movie. In that context then and to make friends, RJ began to study acting and look for jobs in the world of cinema and television. He even got a part as an extra on the famous Hannah Montana show as one of Miley Cyrus's classmates.
His manager, Addison K Witt, who also suffers from cerebral palsy, was the one who advised him to continue studying and training as an actor. His mother recalled in an interview that this brought her a lot of insecurities and she feared that RJ would get hurt, but that his mentors knew that he had talent and was ready to succeed. A short time later, the AMC television network contacted him to participate in Breaking Bad. "I'm quite an observant person. I like to sit back and watch and see where all the cogs fit together," he said. "I learned how to behave on a set, and about six months later, Breaking Bad came along."
The show's creator, Vince Gilligan, had auditioned a bunch of actors for the role of Walter Jr., but Mitte had a big lead. "Well, the analysis of the paper said 'mild cerebral palsy, big eyebrows, dark hair', it was perfect," he joked.
"It took a little convincing at first because Vince thought I was really too wholesome for the part," RJ said. Mainly because the character demanded the representation of a disability greater than his own. "Playing Walt Jr. has been an eye-opener for me about what I've accomplished. Until I got the part, I never thought everything that had happened was this weird."
That's why he had to learn to walk on crutches and slow down his speech to pull off the role. Although he has this problem under control, a third of those who suffer from paralysis see his speech affected. According to Mitte, it only happens to him when he's tired. "He. Sometimes he sounds like a completely different person, sometimes I can barely speak," he said. "It all depends on the blood flow to my brain."
He and his family worked so hard to get RJ better that even they can't believe it. "That he went to a regular school was a mixed feeling. Most of the kids hung out with him," Dyna said. "But there were times when he would come home and cry." In fact, one scene in the first season of Breaking Bad involves Bryan Cranston, as his father, confronting older teenagers who are making fun of his son. It was a scenario that was familiar to RJ: "I was a key target for bullying," he admitted, recounting once even getting hit and breaking his hand.
After his rise to fame, Mitte served as an actor in a horror short called Stump in 2011, executive produced the documentary Vanished: The Tara Calico story, on the television program Switched at Birth, and made two independent films: Dixieland and Who's Driving Doug. In 2016, he was also the television presenter of the Paralympic Games in Rio.
In addition, outside of film, RJ dabbled in modeling, walking for British designer Vivienne Westwood and appearing in campaigns for the Gap brand. "I had a lot of fun. I've met some amazing friends and some really cute girls," joked the young actor, who already has a reputation as a heartthrob in the art scene and is currently single after ending a two-year relationship.
On the other hand, Mitte is also committed to achieving better and broader diversity in film and television, which is why he is the spokesperson, in addition to the I AM PWD campaign, for the inclusion of artists with disabilities in the arts and media. communication from the organization United Cerebral Palsy. He also gives talks in schools and has even shown great support on his social networks for artists like Marlee Matlin, in their fight for the inclusion of people with disabilities.
"A lot of people don't want to cast disabled actors," RJ said. "They think it's going to take twice as long to shoot a take, or they don't want to have to put up a ramp for handicapped access to the set. They think, 'Why would I do that when I can just hire a trained actor? to make the character disabled?' "
Even though he is optimistic about his future in film and television, he denounces that there is a flagrant inequality.
"You'll see healthy actors win Oscars for playing disabled characters. And I have no problem with that. I think it's an ideal opportunity for the actor to be able to learn about that disability, to change their perception of disability," he said. "But you'll never see a disabled character win an Oscar for playing a disabled character. And I think it should go both ways, that a disabled actor should be able to audition for a non-disabled role as well."
"I can't remember how many times a doctor told me 'You're not going to be able to do this.' And that only made me more convinced that I would do it. My disability made me who I am today. Hollywood shouldn't be afraid of the actors like me. Diversity can only make stories better," said RJ. One more proof that limitations are imposed by outsiders or by oneself, but that they can always be challenged.
