跟进：R.J.米特死因获发言人证实 选角导演比亚利撰文悼念、《绝命毒师》主创同行致哀
《好莱坞报道者》（THR）10月14日晚刊出《绝命毒师》选角导演沙龙·比亚利（Sharon Bialy）的第一人称悼念文（由斯科特·范伯格整理）。比亚利在文中回顾了当年米特的试镜、他的魅力与留下的影响——她与搭档谢丽·托马斯（Sherry Thomas）正是当年为该剧选角、把米特带到主创文斯·吉利根面前的人。米特10月12日在德克萨斯州布朗斯维尔的家中逝世，年仅34岁；本网已于12日报道其死讯。
比亚利此前在《电视指南》的《绝命毒师》十周年口述史中曾回忆这段选角经过：吉利根希望由真正患脑瘫的演员出演小沃尔特，一度考虑病情更重的演员；但米特花了十到十二年在治疗中努力学会清楚说话、不用拐杖行走。比亚利说："你不能因为一个孩子这样努力过，就让他吃亏。"米特生前在本月5日的播客访谈中也讲过，当年的试镜前后历时六个多月、共五轮；一次试镜时，滑雪摔伤腿的比亚利把自己的拐杖递给他试用——剧中小沃尔特使用的前臂拐杖，原型是吉利根一位已故友人。
死因方面，米特的发言人向《人物》杂志证实，米特系自杀身亡；《综艺》亦经其发言人确认了这一死因。布朗斯维尔警方对CNN表示，10月12日中午前后接报到场时米特已经身亡，目前未发现他杀嫌疑，调查仍在进行并已安排尸检；卡梅伦县治安法官辛迪·伊诺霍萨（Cyndi Hinojosa）称，她于当地时间下午1时32分宣布米特死亡。米特的家属此前通过发言人发表声明，称他是"备受爱戴的演员、慈善家和热情的残障权利倡导者"，并请外界尊重家人隐私。
剧中饰演其父的布莱恩·克兰斯顿（Bryan Cranston）周一晚发表声明，称自己"深陷悲痛"：他14岁试镜时就认识米特，看着他以极大的热情出演小沃尔特；米特天生患脑瘫，"从不——从不——让这一挑战成为任何事的借口"。克兰斯顿还写道，两人几周前还在发短信约午餐，得知米特自杀"尤其令人难以承受"，文末说："我会想你的，儿子。"饰演杰西的亚伦·保罗（Aaron Paul）通过THR表示自己"心碎、无言以对"，并写道："请记住，你被爱着，你并不孤单。"饰演汉克的迪恩·诺里斯（Dean Norris）在社交平台写道，自己在片场一直照看这个年轻人，"他是个讨人喜欢的年轻人，我们会非常想念他。"鲍勃·奥登科克（Bob Odenkirk）对《人物》表示，米特是"一个愿意分享自己的故事、花时间帮助他人的好人"，"这实在、实在令人悲伤。"AMC电视网也发表声明，称米特为这个角色带来了"真实、温暖与人性"。
布朗斯维尔市宣布，将于本周五（10月16日）上午10时在"The Mitte：艺术与文化中心"为米特举行公开的生命礼赞纪念活动——他生前担任罗伊·F·与乔安·科尔·米特基金会主席，多年推动这座由布朗斯维尔美术馆旧址改建的文化中心。市长约翰·考恩（John Cowen Jr.）称他是"一股向善的力量"。家属表示，希望各界以向脑瘫研究捐款代替献花。
米特1992年8月21日出生，3岁确诊脑瘫，2006年随家人迁居洛杉矶。他在AMC剧集《绝命毒师》（2008–2013）全部五季中饰演同样患脑瘫的小沃尔特·"弗林"·怀特（Walter "Flynn" White Jr.），共出演56集，并随剧组获得2014年美国演员工会奖剧情类最佳群戏奖。他长期为残障群体发声：担任联合脑瘫协会与Shriners儿童医院的大使、米特基金会主席、演员工会残障演员发言人，并获SAG-AFTRA哈罗德·拉塞尔奖。其其他作品包括《错位青春》（Switched at Birth，2014）、《凯旋》（Triumph，2021，兼执行制片）、《正义守护者》（The Guardians of Justice，2022）与今夏上映的《Westhampton》。据EW报道，他身后留有未婚妻肯尼迪·苏亚雷斯（Kennedy Suarez）。
（资料来源：《好莱坞报道者》、《娱乐周刊》、CNN、《人物》、TMZ、《电视指南》）
Follow-Up: Rep Confirms R.J. Mitte's Cause of Death as 'Breaking Bad' Casting Director Sharon Bialy Pens Tribute and Cast Mourns
The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday evening (October 14) published a first-person remembrance of R.J. Mitte by Sharon Bialy, the casting director who, with her partner Sherry Thomas, handled casting for "Breaking Bad" and brought the actor to the attention of series creator Vince Gilligan. In the piece, as told to Scott Feinberg, Bialy reflects on Mitte's audition, his appeal and his legacy. Mitte died at his home in Brownsville, Texas, on October 12 at age 34; GSM reported his death the same day.
In TV Guide's 10th-anniversary oral history of the series, Bialy previously recalled how the casting came together: Gilligan wanted an actor who actually had cerebral palsy to play Walter White Jr., and while he considered someone whose condition presented more severely, Mitte had spent 10 to 12 years in therapy working to speak more clearly and walk without crutches. "You don't want to penalize someone who's worked so hard," she said. Mitte himself, on a podcast released October 5, described the audition process as one of the longest of his life — five readings over more than six months — and recalled that Bialy, then on crutches after a skiing injury, handed him her crutches at one audition; the forearm crutches used by Walter Jr. were modeled on a late friend of Gilligan's who had cerebral palsy.
On the cause of death, Mitte's representatives confirmed to People that he died by suicide; Variety likewise confirmed the cause through his representative. Brownsville police told CNN they received an emergency call around midday on October 12 and found Mitte already deceased; no foul play is suspected, the investigation is ongoing and an autopsy has been ordered. Cameron County Justice of the Peace Cyndi Hinojosa said she pronounced him dead at 1:32 p.m. local time. His family, through representatives, called him a "beloved actor, philanthropist, and passionate disability rights advocate" and asked that their privacy be respected.
Bryan Cranston, who played Mitte's on-screen father, said in a statement Monday night that he was in "deep despair," recalling that he met Mitte at 14 when he was cast as Walter White Jr. and that Mitte, born with cerebral palsy, "never — ever — allowed that challenge to be an excuse for anything." Cranston added that the two had been texting only weeks earlier about meeting for lunch, that learning Mitte took his own life was especially devastating, and closed: "I'll miss you, son." Aaron Paul, in a statement reported by THR, said he was "at a loss" and "heartbroken," adding, "please know you are loved, and you are not alone." Dean Norris wrote on social media that he had always looked out for Mitte as a young kid on set: "He was a sweetheart of a young man and will be greatly missed." Bob Odenkirk told People that Mitte was "a good person who shared his personal story and his time to help out others" and that the news was "simply, deeply sad." AMC said Mitte brought "authenticity, warmth and humanity" to the role.
The City of Brownsville announced a public celebration of life for Mitte on Friday (October 16) at 10 a.m. at The Mitte: Arts and Cultural Center, the former Brownsville Museum of Fine Art building he championed for years as president of the Roy F. and Joann Cole Mitte Foundation. Mayor John Cowen Jr. remembered him as a "force for good." His family has asked for donations to cerebral palsy research in lieu of flowers.
Mitte was born on August 21, 1992, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 3, and moved to Los Angeles with his family in 2006. He played Walter "Flynn" White Jr. — a character who, like him, had cerebral palsy — across all five seasons of AMC's "Breaking Bad" (2008–2013), appearing in 56 episodes and sharing the cast's 2014 Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding ensemble in a drama series. He served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children's, as president of The Mitte Foundation and as a SAG spokesman for actors with disabilities, and received the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award. His other credits include "Switched at Birth" (2014), "Triumph" (2021), which he also executive produced, "The Guardians of Justice" (2022) and "Westhampton," released this summer. According to Entertainment Weekly, he is survived by his fiancée, Kennedy Suarez.
(Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, CNN, People, TMZ, TV Guide)
图片来源：R.J.米特，2024年摄于波特兰玫瑰城漫展。Gage Skidmore／Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 3.0
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