TRIUMPH

​"Living with Cerebral Palsy, it is such a rarity to see people in movies and TV that “look like me”. It never really happened until I decided to binge breaking bad on Netflix in high school. Watching the pilot, I was happily surprised to see someone that looked liked me, Walter Jr., played by RJ Mitte. I was even more elated when I learned that RJ does have cerebral palsy. He brings authenticity and heart and isn’t afraid to make sure that disability is at the center of the story, as is the case in his latest film, Triumph. In the film, Mitte plays Mike, a high school wrestler with cerebral palsy who is out to prove to himself, his father, his coach, and his peers that despite his disability, he can succeed as a high school wrestler. The grit and tenacity that Mitte brings to the role, as well as taking on the all too familiar struggles of fighting for acceptance at school, making friends, getting a girl to see past the disability, and above all else, fit in, really make this movie hit close to home for me.  I’m yearning for more films and television shows with stories centered around people with disabilities, played by actors and actresses with disabilities."

Matthew Walzer
Awareness Ties Official Ambassador for Disabilities Awareness

THE TRAILER

Triumph is inspired by Michael D. Coffey's true story. A bright and determined teen who has mild cerebral palsy strives to be a wrestler on his high school’s team and goes to humorous lengths to win over the heart of a classmate, the girl of his dreams.

​THE AWARENOW FEATURE

THE PRODUCER & THE LEAD ACTOR

​MICHAEL D. COFFEY is a graduate of Amarillo College, where he earned a Microcomputer Specialist Associate degree. He is also a graduate of West Texas A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in computer information systems. Over the years, Michael has invested in three feature films. He is credited as an Associate Producer for the feature film, Nailbiter. His first speaking part is in the feature film, The Sublime and Beautiful, filmed in Lawrence, Kansas. He is helping to produce his screenplay, Triumph, a teen sports-drama starring RJ Mitte (aka Walt Jr. in Breaking Bad) with a cast of other Hollywood actors. Michael has written five screenplays: Triumph, Into the Fire, Somebody Like You, The Funny Guy, and One Eye Open.

R.J. MITTE moved to Hollywood, California, in 2006 with his family to support the foray of his sister, actress Lacianne Carriere, into print and commercial work. For fun, Mitte began training with Los Angeles talent manager Addison K. Witt in Sherman Oaks, Cal. And though many of the actors in the studio were working actors, Mitte was using acting as a means to build friendship with kids his own age while living in a new city. At the encouragement of Witt and talent agent Debra Manners of the Daniel Hoff Agency, Mitte began auditioning for commercials and TV shows like Grey's Anatomy (2005). Mitte tried his hand at background roles and became a regular student on the popular Disney show Hannah Montana (2006), later being romantically linked to the show's iconic star, Miley Cyrus.

Mitte was cast as Walt White Jr., a series regular, and character with cerebral palsy on AMC Network's Breaking Bad (2008). And though Mitte has a mild case of the same condition, he had to do what all actors do: research the character and even relearn many of the challenges he had endured as a child in order to convey a more pronounced version of CP. The Daily Advertiser, a Lafayette, La., newspaper learned of Mitte's work in Hollywood and featured him in an article, noting that R.J. was homegrown, and off to a great start in Hollywood.