RJ Mitte Of 'Breaking Bad' Is Busting Stereotypes About Cerebral Palsy

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."

Listen now!

On the Brain & Life podcast, RJ Mitte discusses his experience in the entertainment industry as an individual with cerebral palsy. RJ also shares his journey in finding confidence despite the bullying that he endured throughout his childhood.

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."

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 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."