‘He’s stronger because of it’: actor RJ Mitte opens up about impact of ‘Triumph’ on special needs community

HARLINGEN, Texas (KVEO) Actor Roy Frank RJ Mitte III talks about his role in his new movie Triumph as an inspirational film for all.

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Triumph tells the true story of Michael “Mike” D. Coffey, a teenager with cerebral palsy in the 1980s who aspires to join his high school wrestling team, inspiring his teammates, coach and father.

Mike is at first discouraged and underestimated, giving triumph a new definition when it defies all expectations.

KVEO spoke to Mitte about his role and what drove him to play the character.

Originally started acting to meet people in a new community, he kicked off the start of his career by landing his first big role in Breaking Bad at the age of 13.

Mitte told KVEO that he chooses his films based on a character’s morale. One of the reasons he chose to play Mike is because of his direct connection to the character’s values ​​which have resulted in positive overall effects on the community.

The perseverance that the real character had [and] how much he believed in what he wanted was a main thing that drew Mitte to the character. There are a lot of opponents and that’s what life is like when you work in a community that doesn’t understand, you’re going to have a lot of nays, but you just have to keep persevering.

The character Mike and Mitte both participate in physiotherapy throughout their lives, painful as it is Mitte spoke about the importance of therapy. Not only physical but also mental.

Therapy is a key point in life, physical occupational therapy and even mental therapy are so important to be able to harness them, they allow us to become stronger, said Mitte. We are able to work on what we are missing and overcome it. Therapy is painful and frustrating, you don’t want to do it, but if you want to be stronger you have to have it turned off or not.

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In the movie Triumph, Mike is bullied for a brief moment but is quickly rescued, Mitte tells KVEO about his bullying rankings and his personal experiences.

I had my hand broken at school, I had bullies who suffocated me and who fought. Bullies will always be there, you can’t always stop it, but you can stand in what you believe in, Mitte said. Stand up for yourself, talk to your peers, your teachers and your parents. Bullying is a cry for help. Sometimes people just want to hurt people they are doing to themselves. So awareness is the key

Jeff, who plays one of Mike’s close friends in the movie, tells Mike I don’t want to be disabled like you. Mitte expresses her opinion on how to break the stigma of people with disabilities or people with conditions not being able to participate in activities such as wrestling or anything out of the norm for a person under such conditions.

You don’t have to live in this mindset in this disbelief and hate, you can improve yourself, you can’t do everything you used to do. You can learn to do this just for you. Join your community and adapt, it’s the mindset that makes you disabled, said Mitte. Yes, it can be difficult, but if you want to see the best result, fight for it. It won’t always work. It’s okay to fail, it’s not okay to give up forever.

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If a disabled person or someone with an illness is afraid to participate in something outside of their norm, Mitte encourages individuals to work towards that goal.

Be open-minded and step outside, Mitte said.

RJ Mitte spoke about the impact it would have on the Rio Grande Valley, Mitte spoke to children from Capable Kids and the Moody Clinic here in the valley. Mitte had screenings in the community, the kids got to see Mitte on screen as Mike and in person as RJ.

I was able to inspire [the children feel they are] to be represented

Finally, Mitte spoke to KVEO about the surprising end of Triumph. Mike struggles throughout the film to get to the all-in but unfortunately never wins. Mitte and a team of producers fought for the end over Mike not actually winning his last game.

It’s not a traditional schedule, it’s a realistic ending, Mitte said. You can’t always win, and you shouldn’t always win. If you are able to hit the top for a fraction section, it’s a win.

KVEO spoke to a local educator in the valley about her perception of the film and the impact it will have on children with disabilities or the conditions here in the valley.

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Perla Guerrero, a former local special education teacher, shared her thoughts.

The film is an inspiration to others with and without disabilities. It is certainly encouraging for all students as a self-reflective that one is solely responsible and in control of maintaining barriers or working hard to overcome them, Guerrero said. When you see a person with a disability defying all expectations, it encourages, inspires and motivates others to have the strength to keep working hard to achieve their goals.