SEATTLE — RJ Mitte was the face of all that was good in a world "Breaking Bad." He played Walter White Jr. in the hit drama for its entire 5 season run.
"We were critically acclaimed. We didn't actually have the numbers that most shows have to survive so, luckily for us, our critically acclaimed aspect is what kept us alive."
RJ's career had begun just a few months before he got the call from "Breaking Bad." He'd been working as an extra on the set of "Hannah Montana."
"There was an alien. A tall, like, reptilian-looking alien. And that's me. I sweated so hard. Every time I took that mask on, everyone would just look at me and go (startled face)."
RJ has cerebral palsy. With the success of "Breaking Bad," he's become a symbol of inclusion in Hollywood, "A lot of people feel like they're not being seen or they're not being heard."
He says we all have our struggles, and we all have to live in our own version of "normal."
In "Breaking Bad", RJ's character used crutches. The actor had some experience with that in real life, but it's not because of his cerebral palsy: "I'm very accident-prone, so I have used crutches. But not for any reason other than my own stupidity."
Now, RJ is working on a new movie with "Empire" star Terrence Howard, "I love Terrence, man."
RJ still sees his old "Breaking Bad" costars whenever they can align their busy schedules. He'll always be thankful for the show that gave him a career and a life so good he almost can't believe it.
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