You probably know Roy Frank “RJ” Mitte as the guy who plays Walter White’s son on Breaking Bad. Like Walt Jr., RJ also has cerebral palsy, but to a lesser extent than his character. Now 22-years-old, RJ spends his time spreading awareness about his disability, speaking out against bullying, auditioning for new movies, and touring as a DJ. One gets the sense that he never sits still for long.

This weekend RJ is in Prince George performing a “Breaking Beats” show for Northern FanCon 2015. Sad Mag‘s Shannon Tien talked to him about “feeling” beats, taking risks, and being shy.

SM: Why are you going to Prince George?

RJ: I’m in Prince George for the Comicon there. It’s going to be good. I actually haven’t been to that part of Canada before so I’m excited. I have a lot of friends…one or two from Prince George, but I have a couple from that area.

SM: Do you like the out of doors?

RJ: I do. I like the woods. I’m from Louisiana. I grew up with the forest. Not forest like Prince George has, but forest to a degree. I’ve been to Canada quite a few times. The one thing I enjoy about coming up to Canada is the wilderness. It’s beautiful to look at. Yeah, I’m excited to come. My friend is going to be DJing with me, DJ Mia.

SM: So you were formerly an actor on Breaking Bad. What made you want to become a DJ?

RJ: I’m not really a DJ per se. It’s an opportunity for me to do this. I do so much different work. I’m always auditioning. I’m always doing one thing after another. I thought it would be nice for a bit of a change. I do a lot of talks and I speak at different universities. And one of the main topics I talk about is getting out of the realm of comfort. Not being afraid to do that. And [DJing] is definitely stepping out of the realm of comfort for me. But I’m lucky enough to have this opportunity to grow. I think the more you put yourself out there and take risks, the better off you’ll be in the future. It may not always work out, but at least you tried.

SM: How long have you been DJing?

RJ: I got into it when I was younger. I had some equipment and I’d play around with it, and play with Garage Band. But I had some of my equipment stolen and then I just kind of stopped. Then I was talking to one of my agents about it and they were like, “Why don’t you try it out?” [laughs] And I was like, “Maybe…” Then next thing I know they’re like, “Get up here. We’re doing this, like…Get ready.”

SM: So you didn’t have anyone teach you or anything?

RJ: No. Well I’ve been working with Mia, actually, for a couple of months now. And I know a lot of people in the industry. And I always watch people…but I have a hard time being proactive in front of people. [Laughing] So for the industry I’m in, I’m actually fairly shy. It’s just odd.

SM: So who inspires you in the industry right now, in terms of DJs or artists?

RJ: There’s a few that I know and hang out with and learn from. I mean there’s never just one. The advice is to never take inspiration from just one type of outlet. You have to see it all and you have to learn for yourself:. Trial and error. Always pushing forward and not allowing yourself to be vulnerable.

SM: So how do you come up with a set list? What’s your process?

RJ: I listen to a lot of music and keep listening to DJs. But I’m still working on my set list with Mia today…This will be my fifth show ever.

SM: Does your show contain any connections to Breaking Bad?

RJ: To a degree. I play some of the music from the show. It has a lot of noise and different beats so I try to mix it in as much as possible but not all the time do people catch them. This is something to me that I can just have fun with and hope people have a good time.

SM: How is your DJ career related to your anti-bullying and disability activism?

RJ: I haven’t really incorporated it yet. I’d like to learn more [about DJing] before I introduce those worlds together. I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I’m always pushing forward.

SM: What are some of the challenges involved in DJing with cerebral palsy? It’s a disability that affects hand-eye coordination and movement.

RJ: Nope, my CP doesn’t bother me at all with this. The thing that bothers me is I have a tendency to not hear certain sounds. I don’t always have the best hearing. So that’s been my challenge.

SM: So what are some tricks that you use to overcome that challenge?

RJ: I mean, you can feel the beat. You don’t have to hear it. Sometimes I’ll feel the beat instead. It doesn’t really bother me, but sometimes I just catch myself and I’m like “Oh, I can’t hear that beat,” because I can feel it.

SM: That’s so interesting! So your biggest challenge is being shy, then?

RJ: Yeah I definitely believe that. That’s something I’m definitely dealing with [laughing].

 

 

This interview has been edited and condensed. For more about RJ Mitte, follow him @RJMitte.