R.J. Mitte grew into public consciousness from an epic depiction of the drug world. He was one of the beloved characters on Breaking Bad from the beginning of that show's groundbreaking run to the end, portraying the son of protagonist drug lord Walter White. It was providing for his adored son that turned sadsack chemistry teacher White into the manufacturer and wholesaler of high-end crystal methamphetamines. Nothing but death, agony and destruction followed, for nearly everyone in White's path, until the show finally came to a controlled stop last year.
Prince George gets to meet Mitte (pronounced: MIT-uh) tonight and once again he is at the centre of a drug-based performance only these drugs are all the good kind - enhanced brain chemistry and blood flow - the natural high you get from a dance beat that lifts you up and holds you up for hours. Mitte is not just an actor. He makes his Canadian debut at Northern FanCon as a mainstage deejay.
His show is called Breaking Beats.
"Because of all the work that I'm doing - auditions, speeches, board meetings - I needed something different for myself, and just have fun," said the Louisiana-born Mitte who now lives full time in California. He is not a musician but said "I grew up around music, I really enjoy music as a fan, I love what it does and how it evokes such an emotional response with just sound, but at such a high level. I love to see other people having fun with what I'm doing, and partying to it. My enjoyment is seeing the enjoyment in others."
Breaking Bad certainly brought unprecedented levels of enjoyment to TV audiences. It is frequently critiqued as the best television show ever made. Its gritty depiction of the personality-rich characters and their dynamic lives changed the way scripts were written and made superstars out of the cast.
But a television performance is delivered to a camera in a controlled setting. The audience reaction is separated from performer, unlike a theatre actor, standup comedian or in his case a beat-mixing deejay. Mitte is now using his Breaking Bad fame to experience that instant feedback.
Audiences are all too eager to meet him in front of those stages because he also has a compelling personal story to tell. Although the show barely touched on it, just showed it, the character of Walter White Jr. was disabled. He required canes to walk and spoke with a slur. Audiences wondered if the actor was putting that on, and to an extent the answer is yes, but Mitte was gifted with a degree of cerebral palsy so part of the so-called disability was his actual daily reality.
He has now become an outspoken advocate for actors with those alternate characteristics, the way they are reflected in society-mirroring art forms like television and movies.
"I don't really care to be a role model. I'm not trying to be a role model, that's just happened, but I see all these - I can't call them kids, because they're my age - people who have so much power and who are strong. I get to see people for who they are, so it's definitely an interesting experience," he said.
He is helping to change the conversation in modern society about people with physical and mental differences, because his pop-culture fame brought along with it the unavoidable truths about his (and therefore others') true abilities. It helped that he was also GQ handsome and romantically linked to celebrity partners, which also scored equality points with the public at large.
Still, being an actor is not the same as being a smooth delivery person for a live message. Mitte is demonstrating another skill, that of confident public speaker whether that be on television talk shows or on a keynote stage.
"I just talk. Speaking in front of a crowd, that's the easy part. I'm always interested in how people think and what people perceive about what I have to say. The whole concept behind the speeches derives from the concept of diversity in the arts media, and the importance of that. It's about bullying and standing up for what you believe in, but lately it has also become a talk about manipulation of fear, and what that does to you, and how that changes you without you even knowing. Because if you live with fear and in fear, it changes who you are and what you're meant to do because you won't go and do 'that,' you won't take 'that' risk. You have to move past that - your fear, and the fear people may be projecting onto you. You can try to live without that basis of fear. You have to be able to adapt that fear. You don't have to have nerves of steel, you just have to not let it sway you. You can still be afraid. There is nothing wrong with feeling afraid. It's about being able to look fear in the face and not let it sway you from what your intentional goal was."
His goal tonight at the Northern FanCon Day 1 after-party is to bring down the house with intoxicating melody lines and sick beats.
Project X brings the Saturday after-party
The second day of Northern FanCon brings another night of power beats. Special music host -New York model and mix-master - Jesse Marco (Project X) is in the spotlight. Audiences will remember him from his starring role in the mega-party blockbuster movie Project X.
His encyclopedic knowledge of music and remarkable skill have taken him around the globe headlining college tours, appearing at festivals, and holding residencies at some of the world's most renowned venues including LIV (Miami), Hakkasan (Las Vegas), 1OAK (Los Angeles), MIXX (Atlantic City) and Marquee (New York).
Jesse's latest single, Superstar, on Glassnote Records, follows a string of acclaimed official remixes, and his 2012 single Daddy Cool spent multiple weeks on the Beatport House chart. Jesse has recently lent his expertise to Dior, Stussy, and Visionaire curating exclusive mixes and compilations. His weekly bootlegs have also been widely supported by deejays and music blogs across the globe.
The Saturday night Northern FanCon After Party will have Heroes Vs. Villains theme. Chose your side and dress to kill. Batman vs Superman, Sansa vs Daenerys, zombies vs humans, Marvel vs DC, Crows vs Wildlings, Star Wars vs Star Trek...
Both after-parties will be all ages with a 19-plus beverage garden on the side. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
