As Walter White Jr, the moral compass at the heart of 'Breaking Bad', RJ Mitte became an instantly recognisable face without ever appearing in a film. But now he's doing that, too.
Mitte makes his feature debut in 'House Of Last Things', a mind-bending thriller set in an eerie house in Portland, Oregon, haunted by an unspoken tragedy. We spoke with the talented young actor about the film, the legacy of 'Breaking Bad', his work as a public speaker and activist (he has mild cerebral palsy in real life), and, of course, breakfast.
I'm looking forward to seeing 'House Of Last Things' at the Gold Coast Film Festival. How did you get involved with this movie? I got involved with this movie some time ago when the director called me. He asked me if I wanted to be part of it, so I read it and I liked it. I thought it was a very interesting script, so I was more than happy to accept. We actually shot it three years ago up in Portland, Oregon.
It was fun, we had a blast. I had so much fun working with the stars, Lindsey Haun from 'True Blood' and Blake Berris from 'Days Of Our Lives', who are the two leads. It was such a pleasure to be a part of it.
Even though you had fun making it, the movie itself looks creepy as hell. Are you a fan of psychological thrillers?
Yeah! I mean, I love how he [director Michael Bartlett] put this one together. He just has a brilliant mind. It's really interesting because his mind is a lot like the movie — it jumps around a lot, but there's a real art to it. The film has these very interesting shots, and those sorts of movies are just very fun to make, because you can do almost anything.
Because you had such a good time on set, was it strange for you when you first saw the movie, and suddenly it's terrifying?
The interesting thing is that I don't really find it scary. It's not really a scary story... it's more of a sad story, just because you watch this family get taken over and you watch it get torn apart.
A film like 'House Of Last Things', or a show like 'Breaking Bad', taps into the dark side of human nature, but you gave a speech at Kansas University recently and said that you believe all people are inherently good. Why do you believe this?
I do believe that everyone is inherently good. The thing about it is that you develop habits along the way. Everyone wants to do the right thing, but there are certain times when it just doesn't click. I've seen people snap over time, but everyone means well. Everyone wants what's right. But at the end of the day, sometimes people feel like they have to do the wrong thing to survive.
Do you see yourself as a leader in that sense? Through your speeches and your presence on screen, do you see yourself as someone who can inspire other people?
I have no idea, you know? You can only hope. I've done quite a few speaking engagements now, and everyone seems to be inspired by what they take away from it. I just hope that everyone's been enjoying them. You can only hope to inspire people, you know?
At the end of the day it's really not about anyone else. It's all you. It has to be you, and it has to come from you. It's important that people realise for themselves that they're not defined by their limits. You can really overpower them.
It's interesting, because most actors are just allowed to be actors. They're not expected to be a champion for a particular cause, they're not expected to represent a certain group of people. But you are a representative for a cause, you are a representative for a lot of people who feel like they haven't seen themselves represented properly on screen before. And those people, of course, are people who love breakfast.
How did this breakfast meme happen? It kind of got out of hand, didn't it?
I have no idea! It definitely got out of hand. The thing about it is that in 'Breaking Bad', the breakfast scenes are the only times the family isn't going insane. They were the only times everyone wasn't just completely lying to the other people.
You saw a happiness in those breakfast scenes, you saw a happy family, you saw a normal family. I think that's what people related to in those scenes. I think that's why that breakfast meme went crazy.
Was there a point where the makers of the show started going out of their way to put you in breakfast scenes?
I have no idea! Nobody really expected people to get on a breakfast kick. Who would have thought that of all the things in the show, the one thing people would take out of it would be breakfast? It's like, really?
In real life, do you enjoy breakfast any more than the average person? Is it just another meal for you?
Hey, I don't mind breakfast. I'm a big bacon fan. Breakfast is, like, the best thing at 2am, actually. I think that's the best time to eat breakfast. The last couple of times I've eaten breakfast were very, very early breakfasts. But no, I mean, who doesn't like breakfast?
It was that sort of show — people loved it so much, they would look into it and try to pick up on any sort of recurring themes they could find, and breakfast was one of them. What was it like to be part of a show that had such a fanatic following?
Well, it's funny, because we always had a great following, but the fanatic following — how crazy people have gotten about the show — that's just been really recent. We always had a few people that loved the show, but it's grown exponentially.
It's something nobody could have expected. We knew we had something that was written like a great piece of literature, but we never knew that so many people would catch on to it. It took them a little while, but people finally started watching, and it's something that's still growing every day.
Something interesting about your roles in 'Breaking Bad' and 'House Of Last Things' is that you're playing characters with more severe cerebral palsy than yourself. You stopped using crutches years ago, for example, but your characters still use them. Is it strange for you to have to revisit stuff like that for a role?
No! I think it's important that people see real characters in television and film. I think they're very important parts to have, especially from the standpoint that there aren't that many characters with disabilities on television.
There are some very talented actors with disabilities, but there's still not a lot of parts for them. It's a growing cause, and I think it's very important for people to be able to be represented in film and television.
Do you specifically seek out roles where you can see an opportunity to represent cerebral palsy, or do you just go for roles, and sometimes they might write that in after you're cast?
No, I go for the roles that hire me. At the end of the day, that's the thing. I am in no way... I mean, I'm picky with my roles, yes, but in no way, shape or form am I beyond playing anything. If you call me for an audition, I'll be there, no matter what type of character it is. At the end of the day, in this business, you've got your job to do. Because it really is a business.
'House Of Last Things' screens at BCC Pacific Fair as part of the Gold Coast Film Festival on Thursday April 10.
