Breaking Bad tributes to R.J. Mitte poured in from his former co-stars Aaron Paul and Dean Norris, who shared personal statements remembering the actor after his death. Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman on the AMC series, and Norris, who played Hank Schrader, both offered remembrances to The Hollywood Reporter.
Paul wrote that he was “at a loss” over the news. “I am heartbroken over this news. RJ, I love you my friend.
You will be missed,” Paul said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. He closed his message with a broader note to readers. “And to whoever happens to be reading this, please know you are loved, and you are not alone.
Always remember that,” Paul said.
Breaking Bad Co-Stars Share Memories
Norris, who did not share scenes with Mitte as father and son on the show, said he still kept an eye on him during production. “Though RJ didn’t play my TV son, I always looked out for him as a young kid on set. He was a sweetheart of a young man and will be greatly missed,” Norris said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter.
“This is so heartbreaking, I can’t believe it. Thinking of him and his family,” he added.
The tributes followed a podcast appearance Mitte made earlier in October 2026, when he reflected on working with Bryan Cranston and Anna Gunn on The Joe Vulpis Podcast. He praised their professionalism and said the set carried a light-hearted atmosphere between takes despite the show’s dark subject matter, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Remembrances From Other Collaborators
Mitte’s death drew reaction beyond the Breaking Bad cast from people who worked with him on other projects. William Mark McCullough, who played Mitte’s father in the 2023 film The Unseen, called him “kind, thoughtful, and talented” in an Instagram comment, adding that the news “hits hard,” according to TVLine.
Jennifer A. Goodman, who wrote The Unseen and co-starred in the film with Mitte, said in a statement that he was “such giving actor” who “brought such talent to the screen and off.” Niko Pepaj, who appeared alongside Mitte in the 2017 film The Recall, wrote in an Instagram comment that Mitte “broke my heart brother” and told TVLine he was shattered by the news.
Background
Mitte became known to television audiences for his role on Breaking Bad, where he worked alongside Cranston, Paul, Norris and Gunn across the show’s run on AMC. His later film credits included The Unseen in 2023 and The Recall in 2017, projects that brought him into contact with collaborators like McCullough, Goodman and Pepaj.
Additional tributes from the broader entertainment community continued to surface following the initial statements from Paul and Norris, according to The Hollywood Reporter and TVLine.
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