Malcolm in the Middle is one of this century’s sweetest, silliest, and most enduring sitcoms — and it’s about to make a comeback.
After years of chatter, Disney Branded Television confirmed it would produce a four-episode revival that brings the dysfunctional family back together to celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary of Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek).
Frankie Muniz, who played the eponymous Malcolm, will reprise his role, as will Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield, who played Malcolm’s older brothers, Francis and Reese. Not returning, however, is Erik Per Sullivan, who played Dewey. It was announced this week that Caleb Ellsworth-Clark would take over the role.
A premiere date for the revival is yet to be announced, so why not scroll down and see what the Malcolm in the Middle cast has been up to since the show’s 2006 finale? Or don’t — we’re not the boss of you.
Frankie Muniz, then and now. Deborah Feingold/FOX; Chris Graythen/Getty
Frankie Muniz was nominated for an Emmy and two Golden Globes for Malcolm in the Middle, which he starred in for seven seasons. He enjoyed a successful film career during the show, leading films like My Dog Skip (2000), Big Fat Liar (2002), and Agent Cody Banks (2003), but stepped back from the spotlight following Malcolm‘s 2006 bow.
Though Muniz made sporadic appearances in films, including a memorable turn as Buddy Holly in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), he focused more on his personal life. He got engaged in 2005 to a New Orleans hairdresser, then again in 2008 to a publicist, Elycia Turnbow. In 2011, Muniz made headlines after reports emerged claiming the actor put a gun to his own head during an argument with Turnbow. The couple later denied the incident, saying they were “still together and are moving forward with their lives and with their relationship.”
In the years after Malcolm, Muniz doggedly pursued his dream of becoming a race car driver, a hobby he chased for years before competing professionally as part of NASCAR’s ARCA Menards Series in 2023. He also spent years playing drums with a band called Kingsfoil.
Erik Per Sullivan, Justin Berfield, Frankie Muniz, and Bryan Cranston in ‘Malcolm in the Middle’. Fox Network/Courtesy Everett
In 2017, Muniz competed on the 25th season of Dancing With the Stars, placing third with partner Witney Carson. During the show, he revealed he’d suffered nine concussions throughout his life, leaving him with memory loss.
He elaborated on his condition in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “They were going to ask me those questions and I told them, ‘To be honest, I don’t remember going to the Emmys when I was nominated.’ I don’t have any stories or anything cool for the package,” he told EW. “I don’t specifically remember being nominated, or what I felt, or what we did. My mom told me we went to the dentist that day.”
He continued, “I’m not looking for sympathy or anyone to care about it. This is my life and I’ve moved forward. It doesn’t stop me from being anywhere I want to be. I’ve been so lucky and fortunate in my life to be able to do all the things I’ve gotten to do.”
Though he may not remember much from Malcolm in the Middle, he remains close to his former TV family, especially Cranston. “He still reaches out to me every couple of weeks, check in on me,” Muniz said on a 2024 podcast. “He really cares about what I’m doing, comes to the races, if my band was playing, came to shows. I mean, he’s such an inspiration, and like I said, that’s what I strive to be that for someone else in the future.”
Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston in ‘Malcolm in the Middle’. Saeed Adyani/Fox
Muniz married model Paige Price in 2019. Two years later, they welcomed their first child. Earlier this year, he revealed that he rewatched the series with his family, but came away with an unexpected revelation. “[Paige] looked at me at the very end and she goes, ‘You weren’t acting at all. You are literally Malcolm,'” Muniz said. “And I’m like, ‘I don’t know how to take that because Malcolm sucked.’ He was the worst character on that show!”
In addition to starring in the upcoming Malcolm in the Middle reboot, Muniz has recently appeared on series like The Rookie (2021), New Amsterdam (2022), and Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens (2023), as well as I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Australia (2024).
Bryan Cranston, then and now. Fox Network/Courtesy Everett; Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic
It’s not easy for an actor to make the leap from sitcom stardom to celebrated dramatic actor, but Bryan Cranston managed it. Two years after Malcolm‘s final season, he took the role of cancer-stricken chemistry teacher Walter White in AMC’s crime drama Breaking Bad (2008–2013), which scored him six Emmy wins for acting and producing over five seasons.
Since Breaking Bad, Cranston has appeared in everything from blockbusters like Godzilla (2014) to awards fare like Argo (2012) and Trumbo (2015), the latter of which earned him an Academy Award nomination. He’s also become a regular in Wes Anderson’s troupe of A-listers, having starred in Isle of Dogs (2018), Asteroid City (2023), and this year’s The Phoenician Scheme. He recently appeared in Apple TV+’s The Studio.
Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek in ‘Malcolm in the Middle’. 20th Century Fox Film Corp/Courtesy Everett
Cranston will also reprise his role as Hal, Malcolm’s sweet, dopey dad, in the revival. In 2023, he spoke with EW about his fondness for the original series. “I love that show. To me, it was the comedic flip side to Breaking Bad because of the quality of the writing,” he said.
“I would love to reunite with that cast and that crew, and tell those stories in that character again,” he continued. “To be able to slip into Hal again, at this age, all those years ago, [would be] phenomenal…. I’m thrilled at the prospect of it.”
Cranston has been married to actress Robin Dearden since 1989. Their daughter, Taylor Dearden, is also an actress.
Jane Kaczmarek, then and now. Fox Network/Courtesy Everett; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Jane Kaczmarek received seven Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe nods for her role as Lois, Malcolm’s tough-as-nails mother.
Kaczmarek bounced between film, television, and theater following Malcolm‘s bow. In 2012, she was nominated for an Ovation Award for her role in David Lindsay-Abaire’s play Good People. She also had a recurring role on the series Raising the Bar (2008–2009). Her recent work includes guest spots on ABC’s Mixed-ish (2019) and AppleTV+’s The Changeling (2023).
She will reprise her role as Lois in the upcoming revival series.
Kaczmarek was married to The West Wing and The Handmaid’s Tale actor Bradley Whitford for 17 years. The couple divorced in 2010.
Christopher Masterson, then and now. FOX; Robin Marchant/Getty
Christopher Masterson, the younger brother of That ’70s Show star Danny Masterson, played Francis, Hal and Lois’ itinerant eldest son. Though Francis began the series at military school, he eventually worked his way through Alaska and the American West before landing a desk job.
Masterson followed his years on Malcolm with roles on White Collar (2011), Men at Work (2012), and Haven (2014).
He pivoted to DJ’ing in the 2010s, saying in a 2012 interview, “I deejayed in my bedroom for two years, literally two years that I’d just be whiling out in my bedroom… I just kept practicing and when I felt like I was okay I started playing at restaurants, house parties and random little places. I did that for a long time until I started playing at a bar here or there and I’d be really nervous.”
In 2019, Masterson married actress Yolanda Pecoraro on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Two years later, the couple welcomed a daughter, Chiara Darby. He’ll return as Francis for the Malcolm in the Middle reunion series.
Justin Berfield, then and now. 20th Century Fox Film Corp/Courtesy Everett; Michael Tullberg/Getty
After appearing on five seasons of The WB’s Unhappily Ever After (1995–1999), Justin Berfield went right into another hit sitcom with Malcolm in the Middle. On it, he played dim-bulb (and cooking prodigy) Reese. He mostly stepped away from acting following the finale and focused his efforts on producing.
“I realized that I had been on two shows that syndicated to over 100 episodes, and… I felt fulfilled as an actor and decided to try my hand at producing,” he said in a 2011 interview. “I think people constantly are looking for fulfillment, and nothing is ever good enough, but I feel fortunate enough to have had the journey I have had so far.”
When he was just barely out of his teens, he served as a producer on John Turturro’s Romance & Cigarettes (2005) and the Jessica Simpson-starring Blonde Ambition (2007). He started a production company, J2TV, and then partnered with Virgin mogul Richard Branson to form Virgin Produced, for which he served as CCO. The company produced films like Limitless (2011), Jobs (2013), and Bad Moms (2016).
Per his Instagram, Berfield is now a father. He also teased his return to the world of Malcolm in early February, sharing a photo of Reese behind the wheel with the caption, “On my way to meet the MITM fam. See you soon!”
Erik Per Sullivan, then and now. 20th Century Fox Film Corp/Courtesy Everett; Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
As Dewey, Erik Per Sullivan often found himself as a punching bag for his character’s older brothers.
Like Muniz, the actor had several successes on the big screen during the show’s run, playing young Joe Dirt in David Spade’s Joe Dirt (2001) and voicing Sheldon in Finding Nemo (2003). But aside from a role in the 2010 film Twelve, Sullivan has mostly stayed offscreen since Malcolm‘s finale.
In an interview last year, Kaczmarek said he “wasn’t interested in acting at all.”
She continued, “He goes to school at a very prestigious American university that he’s asked us all to be quiet about and he loves Charles Dickens. He’s doing graduate work in Victorian literature. I admire it because so many people think being in show business is the greatest thing in the world. It’s not for everyone.”
Thus, Sullivan will not return for the Malcolm in the Middle reunion series.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly’s free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
