BREAKING BAD by Vicki Salemi
S ure, RJ Mitte is most known for his outstanding role in the award- winning drama Breaking Bad but what you may not know is this actor is a huge anti-bullying ambassador with a soft spot in his heart for his Javanese, Pup, and his late beloved Scottie, Pearl.
difference, they are out there. Most of them are on one show but hey, it’s still making strides. LM: How have perhaps Pup and your late dog Pearl helped you with your illness early on? RJM: I was lucky enough as a kid, I had treatment and therapy and I was always surrounded by animals. One time my family had a farm and at one point we had 13 dogs between the farm for everything for hunting and fishing, everything. LM: Let’s talk about Pearl. What type of dog was she, when did she pass and what did she mean to you, how long was she in your life? RJM: Pearl died last year on September 11th. She was a Scottie. I wore her collar as a bracelet. I loved her! I had her for 19 years and I grew up with that dog and she was great, she was very polite and a good dog. I love her to death, I miss her. It’s sad, I miss her. She lived a long life and we were very, very, very lucky to have her as long as we did. LM: What thoughts go in your mind when you think about her? RJM: There are so many words that come to my mind. I was working when she passed… LM: Describe your Javanese, Pup. RJM: Pup is Javanese, she just turned seven in Februaryand she has a big personality. If you walk into the house, you have to say hello to her, she doesn’t shut up and she’s a good dog. She grew up with Pearl -- kind of raised her as a puppy and the thing about Javanese is they’re very attached. They get separation anxiety so after a while it took a pretty big toll, she’s doing much better now but yeah, it’s interesting. We’re thinking about getting another dog for her because she needs it.
Photo by Daniel Martinez Matallana
L
ick Magazine: Let’s talk about your involvement with anti-bullying and #CuttheBullCampaign. Why is this so near and dear to your heart? RJ Mitte: It’s an issue that’s growing and growing. It’s really important to me because I was able to do this through Shriners Hospitals for Children. They’re very close to my heart and I’m lucky to be able to be part of this. I’ve seen it [bullying] dictate in trying to intimidate you and put you into a position where you don’t want to be. LM: What’s one way people can stomp out bullying and stand up for themselves? RJM: When you see something’s wrong, stand up for that. You know, when you see something happening, when you see somebody being picked on, don’t be scared to say, “Enough of that.” LM: With your cerebral palsy, what are your thoughts on awareness and a primetime character having a disability? It’s not something you see too often on shows. RJM: I’m a big supporter of awareness with disabilities on television. When I first started, there was only five or six and I was lucky enough to be one of them. Now there are 11. It’s a very small number but they are making a
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