RJ Mitte's plan for Breaking Bad memorabilia when he died is breaking people's hearts
The late RJ Mitte revealed that the souvenirs he acquired from the set of Breaking Bad were priceless to him - and he refused to part with them even in death.
The 34-year-old star passed away in Brownsvillle, Texas, on Monday (13 October), his representative sadly announced.
Famed for playing the on-screen son of Bryan Cranston in the hit series beloved by fans across the world, Mitte previously told explained that he held all of the memorabilia he collected very dearly.
In a statement shared with 'profound sadness', Mitte's representative announced that the actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate had died yesterday.
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It explained that he had drawn 'from his own experience living with cerebral palsy' to put his all into his Breaking Bad character, Walter 'Flynn' White Jr.
"Mitte brought authenticity to the role and built a platform on disability awareness and inclusion," the statement said. "Beyond entertaining friends and family around the world, he served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s. At this time, we ask people to respect the privacy of RJ Mitte’s family and close ones."
In the popular series, Mitte's character relied on crutches to get around and this is an aid that he also used during childhood to help him walk.
The crutches had significant sentimental value to him after Breaking Bad came to an end in 2013 - and he previously explained that even a $2 million price tag wouldn't tempt him to part with them.
During an appearance on The Iced Coffee Hour podcast in November last year, the Mississippi-born actor said that he was actually quite the collector.
Mitte told podcast hosts Graham Stephan and Jack Selby that he has held onto 'pretty much everything' of significance that he has accumulated since he was around nine-years-old.
"I honestly collect a lot of things," Mitte said. "I've got a ton of things. Breaking Bad stuff...I got a bunch of meth from the show, from season one.
"When I'm given like art and stuff, I can't throw it away. I went to try clear out some stuff and I felt so guilty when I tried to throw out this one piece and put it back in the box.
"I always want to have that, so if one day I run into them and they're like, 'Hey remember that thing I gave you?' I can say without question, 'Yes I do still have it, it's in my storage unit'. It's quite the weight, but I'm a collector."
Detailing what he bagged from the set of Breaking Bad, Mitte went on: "I have my crutches and they're pretty sick. I have a Heisenberg hat, some pairs of underwear, I have some of my clothes."
Mitte was offered 'significant' sums of money for character's crutches
"The only thing I truly wanted after the show was my crutches, that was like my big one grab. I was like at the end of the series, these are mine."
He claimed that the famed Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum, had previously asked him to donate the crutches - but Mitte turned them down.
"I'm like, 'No, I'm keeping them'," the screen star went on. "I have them. They're memorabilia. They're mine. Think about this - I used these crutches for seven years straight. I used those crutches for seven years.
"I thought about giving them, and then I was like, 'Man, I'd rather have them with me'."
Mitte said he'd also been offered 'significant' sums of money for the crutches that his character used, but he also rejected these offers.
Discussing what he intended to do with all the items he had collected over the years, Mitte added: "I'm one of those people...I tell my family, it's going to be in my will, no one is allowed to sell my stuff.
"Even after I'm dead. I'm already putting it in there. It's going to be like a little museum, it's like it's all yours, I'm not here, it's all yours, but..."
A clip of this conversation has resurfaced on social media in wake of Mitte's passing and fans have been paying tribute to the Breaking Bad star in the comments.
One person wrote: "This is so sad. Bro was a legend."
Another added: "This is so heartbreaking. I must have watched that series 10 times over."
And a third wrote: "Oh wow. What a kind heart and soul RJ had."
Topics: Breaking Bad, Celebrity News, Nostalgia, TV and Film
Olivia Burke