Celebrity Profiles

RJ Mitte of 'Breaking Bad' is busting stereotypes about cerebral palsy

After the role of a lifetime, Mitte is changing how people think about cerebral palsy and speaking out against bullying.

By Linda Childers

February 2015

Breaking Bad Star RJ Mitte.

On the hit AMC television series Breaking Bad, RJ Mitte portrayed Walter "Flynn" White Jr., a young man with cerebral palsy (CP), the neurologic condition that Mitte was diagnosed with as a toddler. One of the few television actors with a visible disability, Mitte helped shed light on CP, which is marked by impaired motor coordination and affects one in 323 children in the United States.

Unlike his on-screen character, Mitte has a milder form of CP, and does not use crutches or slur his speech. Yet the 22-year-old actor has faced many of the same medical and social challenges as White.

"People with CP overcome hurdles every day," Mitte says. "One thing I've learned from my disability is that when there is an obstacle, you adapt and grow. You can't let that obstacle break you down and discourage you."

Adopted shortly after birth by Ray Frank Mitte Jr. and his wife, Dyna, Mitte was a happy child who walked on his toes as a toddler. Doctors told his parents that if he did not walk normally by age 4, they would perform a heel operation.

At the age of 3, a friend of Mitte's grandmother recognized the signs of CP in RJ, and urged the family to have him evaluated at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Shreveport, LA, their hometown. There, doctors diagnosed Mitte with CP and formulated a treatment plan that included wearing leg and body casts and night braces to straighten his limbs.

Braces, splints, or casts can improve range of motion in joints and hand or leg function and joint stability in children with CP, says Yolanda Holler-Managan, MD, a pediatric neurologist with Covenant Children's Hospital in Lubbock, TX, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the Neurology Now editorial advisory board. "Early intervention has been shown to help children with CP to develop more normal posture, muscle tone, and movement patterns," Dr. Holler-Managan says. "CP can't be cured, but treatment can greatly improve a child's speech and movement abilities."

Actor RJ Mitte poses with a long board.

Facing down bullies

In addition to overcoming physical challenges, Mitte also had to learn how to deflect taunting by other children.

"I was verbally harassed, knocked down, and even had my hand broken," Mitte says. "Having CP made me a target for bullies, and I learned that kids with disabilities are twice as likely to be bullied as other kids."

In October, Mitte joined forces with Shriners Hospitals for Children as the celebrity spokesperson for their "Cut the Bull" campaign. Supporters are encouraged to share Mitte's story, which is on the Cut the Bull website, as well as to take a pledge at their school or in their community to stand up against bullying.

The actor says he was fortunate to have had a few close friends who defended him when he was bullied, and he now encourages others to be that kind of friend.

"When you see a child being bullied, be that hero, and speak up and say something," Mitte says. "Be the advocate you would want someone to be for you."

As a young boy, Mitte took both karate and martial arts classes that not only helped his spasticity, but also increased his confidence.

"If I was pushed, I learned to get back up, look the bully in the eye, and ask them what their problem was," Mitte says. "It's important to take a stand, and to show bullies they can't push you around."

A message from RJ Mitte

RJ Mitte shares the importance of going after your dreams and overcoming hurdles related to your neurologic condition by taking care of your mind and body.

Breaking out on 'Breaking Bad'

Rather than allow others to break his spirit, Mitte says his experiences have made him stronger and even more determined to succeed in life. When his younger sister, Lacianne Carriere, was discovered by a talent agent and invited to an audition in Los Angeles in 2005, 13-year-old Mitte and their mom accompanied her. The agent decided to sign both siblings, and Mitte added acting classes to his daily regimen of speech therapy and exercise.

His enthusiasm and raw talent quickly landed him roles on television shows, including Hannah Montana, Weeds, Everyone Hates Chris, and 7th Heaven. In 2008, he landed the role of Walter White's son.

"My role on Breaking Bad was the opportunity of a lifetime," Mitte says. "I hope I was able to educate viewers about CP and to give them a better understanding of what it means to live with a physical disability."

Since the series ended last year, Mitte has had a recurring role on the television show Switched at Birth, and recently finished filming the movie Who's Driving Doug. He has modeled in ads for the Gap clothing store, and frequently tours the country speaking at universities, high schools, and colleges about the stigma associated with disabilities and the bullying that people with chronic illnesses often suffer.

Staying active

When he's not acting, modeling, or speaking, Mitte exercises or plays sports, both to maintain flexibility and reduce stress. "I've always loved exercise," he says. "I hated wearing leg braces because I used to get lots of blisters. I played soccer for six seasons, which helped me get to the point where I no longer needed braces."

Today he runs, lifts weights, and works out on the elliptical machine. "It's easy to get lazy," he says, "but I know that regular stretching and exercise help my tight muscles." He works on his hand-eye coordination by playing video games, a strategy that researchers at the University of Toronto recently confirmed makes learning new sensorimotor skills, or eye-hand coordination, easier.

Encouraging children with CP to play sports is one of the best ways to make them more fit and strong, says pediatric neurologist Janice Brunstrom, MD, founder of the St. Louis Children's Hospital Cerebral Palsy Center, who also has CP. "Chronic pain, fractures, scoliosis, and hip dislocation are all side effects of immobility for people with CP."

A strong advocate of the benefits of exercise, Dr. Brunstrom founded the Carol and Paul Hatfield Cerebral Palsy Sports and Rehabilitation Center at the St. Louis Children's Hospital, where children with CP and other disabilities can take part in basketball, swimming, dance, martial arts, and more. All sports activities are supervised by physical therapists who are trained to adapt activities to each individual. "Participating in sports gives kids the opportunity to be social with their peers, which is very important," Dr. Brunstrom says.

Regular exercise is also good for overall health. A 2011 report released by the Health Resources and Services Administration showed that obesity rates for children with disabilities were 38 percent higher than for other children. And adults with disabilities are three times more likely than others to develop heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Changing perceptions

"Many people think that because some people with CP have a speech impediment, they have lower intelligence, but that's a myth," says Mitte. Given all his years talking to doctors and his life experience, Mitte jokes, "I'm probably ahead of the curve."

Mitte considers CP an ability, not a disability, and is proud of how it's made him the person he is today.

"I've learned that no one can stop you from achieving your dreams," he says. "It's important to focus on your goal and to move forward and be the person you're meant to be."

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