A theatre full of fans welcomed RJ Mitte, a co-star on the TV show Breaking Bad, to Carleton on Oct. 3 to talk about disabilities and his career.
Students lined up around the theatre with some waiting outside for hours.
The Carleton Activity Board and the Carleton Disability Awareness Centre worked together to organize the highly-anticipated event.
Mitte has spoken to several schools across the United States about the challenges he faced with bullying, having grown up with cerebral palsy and how at age 14, he came to play Walter Jr., breakfast-lover and son to high school teacher turned meth-dealer.
He spoke to Carleton about how he didn’t let fear dictate who he was and who he would become despite the challenges he faced as a child.
“My message that I bring and speak about is mostly about setting an example,” he said, urging students to step out of their realm of comfort and use fear to grow from past experiences.
Although Mitte said he grew up having to deal with bullies because he was different, he didn’t let that limit his own abilities.
He also emphasized the value of seizing opportunities—a lesson that he said his marine grandfather taught him and eventually got him a job on a massively popular TV show.
“If you can look at a disability as a learning experience and take control of who you are and what you are, you can do anything,” he said.
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