Actor RJ Mitte Wants to Improve Disability Diversity in Hollywood
*By: Madison Alworth*
RJ Mitte wants to change the way people perceive those with disabilities.
And the "Breaking Bad" actor has an idea of how to do that.
"If you want to have a really amazing impact with what you're doing, bring real characters. Bring real people," Mitte told Alyssa Julya Smith at the SeriesFest industry festival in Denver.
Mitte is best known for his role as Bryan Cranston's son on the hit AMC show. He pulled from his personal experience to play a teen with cerebral palsy, a disorder he was diagnosed with at the age of three.
Now, he is working to help other actors and creatives with disabilities make an impact in the industry. Mitte works with the SAG-AFTRA Performers With Disabilities Committee and spoke on its panel at SeriesFest this year. The discussion, titled "Inclusion Impact", featured agents, casting directors, writers, and actors who are all working to create a Hollywood more inclusive of disabilities.
Mitte hopes to not only open doors for disabled creatives, but to also encourage them to follow their dreams and not let fear get in the way.
"'Can't' is a decision. That's a conscious decision of, you're not going to do that," said Mitte.
Instead, he wants others to look for possibilities everywhere.
"I think we need to change that mindset of 'can't' and really realize that if you want that, take that. That belongs to you. But you have to work for it, you have to go out there and make that yours."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/actor-rj-mitte-on-expanding-diversity-in-hollywood)
Chef Palak Patel's love of cooking started when she was a teenager searching for ways to fuse her mother's Indian recipes with some of her favorite American foods. Patel, author of cookbook 'The Chutney Life,' joined Cheddar News to share some of her favorite appetizers and snacks ahead of next month's Diwali festivities.
'Living for the Dead,' a new series from Kristen Stewart and the team behind 'Queer Eye', recently premiered on Hulu and follows five queer ghost hunters traveling around the country. The show's cast -- Ken Boggle, Roz Hernandez, Juju Bae, Logan Taylor and Alex Le May -- joined Cheddar News to discuss the project and what scary encounters they experienced while filming.
Britney Spears' highly anticipated memoir “The Woman in Me” will be released Tuesday, revealing the pop superstar's personal take on events that have played out publicly in her decades as one of the most scrutinized figures in American life, along with private moments that she previously kept under wraps.
The first museum in the U.S. dedicated to the climate crisis is in New York. Miranda Massie, director at The Climate Museum, joined Cheddar News how the museum uses art and cultural programming to help people understand how big of a role each and everyone plays in understanding and helping with the climate crisis.
