Aaron Paul posted a video of his late “Breaking Bad” co-star RJ Mitte advocating for mental health alongside a moving tribute following his death earlier this week.
On Wednesday, Paul added his voice to the many former “Breaking Bad” stars mourning Mitte’s death. The actor – who played Walter White Jr. – died on Monday. It was ruled a suicide. In Paul’s tribute to the actor, he wrote a moving caption apologizing for not knowing how much Mitte was hurting.
“You have always been an inspiration for so many. I am so sorry you were hurting my friend. I wish we knew,” Paul wrote. “You constantly had a smile on your face and you took every single challenge that was given to you with such confidence and grace. 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.”
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Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman in the series, accompanied his caption with a video of Mitte advocated for mental health.
“Hey everyone, I hope y’all are doing well today in this time of uncertainties. I would like to talk to you a little about mental health,” Mitte said in his video. “It’s very important to take care of one’s physical health, but it’s equally as important to take care of one’s mental health. More often than not, we hide that. We hide how we’re truly feeling, of what we’re truly thinking — the ‘OKs’ and ‘I’m fine’ and ‘I’m good.’ But is that what you really are? Are you OK? Are you good? Not always, but it’s OK to be not always good. It’s not OK to harbor that feeling, harbor those emotions. So I’m hoping to inspire each and every one that sees this video today.”
A number of Mitte’s former “Breaking Bad” co-stars took to social media in the hours and days following the announcement of his death to mourn. Bryan Cranston, who played Mitte’s onscreen father Walter White, shared that he was in “deep despair” over his co-star’s passing.
“We were texting each other just a few weeks ago – figuring out when we could meet for lunch,” Cranston wrote. “I don’t know if that lunch would have changed his future … But I do know that I loved him, and thoroughly enjoyed being with him throughout the years on the series, and after the spotlight on ‘Breaking Bad’ dimmed … I’ll miss you, son.”
“Oh my God! Was working just found out about RJ,” Dean Norris, who played Mitte’s on-screen uncle Hank Schrader in “Breaking Bad,” wrote on X. “I am heartbroken. Though RJ didn’t play my TV son, I always looked out for him as a young kid on set.”
