“Yes. No. Maybe. I don’t know. Can you repeat the question?”
At the beginning of the 21st century, Malcolm in the middle debuted on Fox. The hit darkly humorous television show – centered around the maladjusted Wilkerson family – represents the traditional middle-class American family home equipped with its own problems.
Created by Linwood Boomer, it stars Jane Kaczmarek as the mother Lois, Bryan Cranston as the father Hal, and their five sons: Francis (Christopher Kennedy Masterson), Reese (Justin Berfield), Malcolm (Frankie Muniz), Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan ), and Jamie (Lukas Rodriguez). The show’s titular character, Malcolm, an adolescent genius with an IQ of 165 and a photographic memory, consistently breaks the fourth wall, both through voiceover and by addressing the viewer directly on camera, in an effort to get more to be recognizable.
Having received acclaim from critics and audiences alike, Malcolm in the middle remained a popular but polarizing show on Fox for seven seasons, from 2000 to 2006. It earned 33 Emmy nominations and won seven Emmy Awards, a Peabody, and a Grammy. The series masterfully blends wagging humor with genuinely tender moments to perfectly portray average American family life. Now, more than two decades after it first aired, the dynamic cast has gone their own individual paths, with some taking the spotlight more than others. From handcrafted jewelry design to a neo-western hit, here are some of the Malcolm in the middle cast is until today.
Craig Lamar Traylor is a motivated artist
Traylor played Malcolm’s beloved best friend Stevie Kenarban, a wheelchair user with a good heart and a geeky personality. Traylor continued to act with various small roles (Matilda, Get an idea, Fred & Vinnie), then he finally found his true passion in the form of wire-wrapped jewelry, a popular form of handmade art that he believes “tames the soul.” Traylor has recently expressed interest in returning to acting, though his apparent success in artistic jewelry and tattoos seems to take up most of his time.
David Anthony Higgins was in a big hurry
Higgins (Joe in the sitcom Ellen) plays Craig Feldspar, Lois’ overly obsessive co-worker who has a crush on her. After the show, Higgins joined the cast of Nickelodeon’s Big hurry as the rowdy manager of a Los Angeles apartment complex. He also starred in a recurring character Mike & Mollyand got notable roles in American Horror Story: Murder House, last man standing, and that of CBS B Positive. He lives with his wife and two children in Studio City, California.
Justin Berfield became CCO
In Malcolm in the middle, plays Berfield Reese, the oldest and dumb brother who keeps causing trouble. After the sitcom, he appeared as a voice actor in several popular animated shows, such as Kim possible And The weird fairy parents. His presence in bigger movies also helped to honor his name, including his role in Max Keeble’s big move.
Unlike other cast members on this list, Justin Berfield transformed his career from an actor to a senior corporate executive in 2010, became the Chief Creative Officer of Virgin Produced, a film and television production company, and amassed a net worth of over $10 million. He also enjoys investing in real estate and is active with several charities, namely St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Virgin Unite.
Erik Per Sullivan keeps a very low profile
Little industry information has been documented on Erik Per Sullivan since the actor’s last appearance as Timmy in the 2010 film. Twelve, alongside Chase Crawford, 50 Cent and Zoë Kravitz. He is most famous for playing Dewey Wilkerson, who is much quieter and less rambunctious than his older brothers.
Before officially retiring from the media industry, Sullivan appeared in films like Infidelity, Wendigo, Joe DirtAnd Christmas with the Kranks. He also voiced the seahorse Sheldon Finding Nemo.The former actor has been reported missing in multiple places Malcolm in the middle reunions, even virtual ones. He has no social media presence at all and his only known hobbies are playing the piano and alto saxophone.
need DJ? Call Christopher Kennedy Masterson
Masterson plays Francis, the family’s eldest son and problem child, who begins the series in military school. He also directed one of the episodes of the show in 2006. The actor is also known for his involvement in several comedy films such as My best friend’s wedding And Scary movie 2.
His last film role came in the 2016 thriller Under the leavesas George, opposite Mira Sorvino. The former actor then decided to effectively switch careers, choosing to focus solely on his emerging profession as a disc jockey. His siblings are The living Dead‘s Alanna Masterson and That 1970s shows and The farmis Danny Masterson.
Fun fact: Aaron Paul auditioned for the role of Francis. He would later be thrown in Break badacross from Cranston.
Jane Kaczmarek is an acting mother
“[Before Malcolm] I couldn’t even get auditions for comedies. I played very unfunny people.”
Starring as the outspoken and overbearing matriarch of the family, Jane Kaczmarek’s role as Lois Wilkerson is one of the most recognized portrayals in the sitcom. Incidentally, the Emmy-nominated actress now has six children of her own.
She has appeared in a number of notable TV roles, namely in Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues, LA Law, Party of Five, Frasier, Felicity, Law & Order: SVU, Playing House, Raising the barAnd The big bang theory. She also played Mrs. Philips This is us in 2018 and Eleanor further Mixed-ish in 2019. Some of her more recent movie roles include the 2018 drama 6 balloons and the 2020 dramedy kill Eleanor.
Say Bryan Cranston’s name
Since Malcolm in the middle, Bryan Cranston has become a household name. In the show, he plays the obnoxious but kind-hearted patriarch of the family, Hal Wilkerson. As die hard Break bad fans know that the actor went on to play ruthless drugmaker Walter White. Cranston has since received numerous awards and nominations, including an Oscar nomination for Trumpo, and two Tony awards Absolutely And Network.
His film appearances include Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Argo (2012), Godzilla (2014), and The top (2017). He also voiced characters Madagascar 3: Europe’s most wanted (2012), Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), and Island of dogs (2018). Cranston reprized his fan-favorite role as Walter White in 2019 El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movieand in the final season of the prequel series You better call Saul. He has teamed up with his co-star Aaron Paul in the production of their own mescal brand and has published a memoir titled A Life in Parts.
Frankie Muniz became a racing driver
Frankie Muniz received critical acclaim and success as Malcolm Wilkerson, a gifted genius with a cynical approach to the world. When Malcolm in the middle officially ended on Fox, Muniz has already acted in big movies, such as Officer Cody Banks And Big fat liar. He also acted in several more movies, such as Running Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), Extreme Movie (2008), Another day in paradise (2016), and The black string (2018). Not to mention his appearances on Criminal ghosts (2007) and Last standing man (2012), The rookie (2021) and New Amsterdam (2022).
From 2012 to 2014, he played drums with the indie rock group Kingsfoil. He has also jumped into the world of open wheel racing, competing in the Atlantic Championship and joining Rette Jones Racing for the 2023 season of the ARCA Menards Series.