What Happened To Justin Berfield After Malcolm In The Middle?

While there are countless family sitcoms from the early aughts, few featured a family quite as dysfunctional as the one in the hit television show "Malcolm in the Middle." During the show's seven-season run from 2000 until 2006, fans tuned in to watch the brotherly antics between the five boys in the family, including Reese Wilkerson, played by Justin Berfield.

Best known for his character portrayal of Reese in the Emmy Award-winning sitcom, Berfield has worked in the entertainment industry for the majority of his life. He got his first acting job when he was only 5 years old and continued to act throughout the rest of his childhood and teenage years. However, after show ended, Berfield seemed burnt out from acting — one of the tragic details about the cast of "Malcolm in the Middle." Like fellow former cast member Frankie Muniz who made the move to racecar driving, Berfield also took a step back from acting. 

Berfield ultimately moved out of the limelight to behind the camera, transitioning from acting to mostly producing. In the years since the popular sitcom ended, Berfield has largely kept his personal life under wraps. Aside from the few snapshots he shares of his children on Instagram, the actor leads a private life, leading many fans to wonder what happened to Berfield after "Malcolm in the Middle." While acting is no longer his main profession, Berfield has stayed busy for two decades since the family sitcom ended.

Justin Berfield's role in the entertainment industry has changed quite a bit since his days playing the devious bully, Reese, on Fox's "Malcolm in the Middle." When he was still a teenage actor working on the show, Berfield set himself up for success in the business of television and movies, beyond just acting.

In 2004, the "Malcolm in the Middle" alum started his own production company, J2TV (also called J2 Pictures), whose name was partly inspired by the family sitcom. Berfield's character in the show was the second oldest son in the Wilkerson family, hence the inclusion of the number two in the name of his production company. Berfield co-founded the production company with entrepreneur Jason Felts, and in 2005, J2TV produced the reality show "Filthy Rich" that aired on E! Network. "Filthy Rich" introduced the world to some members of the famous Kardashian family, so it's thanks in part to Berfield's production company that one of the most successful reality shows, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," eventually came about.

J2TV dissolved in the spring of 2009, but it left an impressive legacy in the world of reality television production. Berfield and his business partner eventually worked for a different production company, but the "Malcolm in the Middle" actor continued to use his directing and producing skills in the meantime.

Only one year after "Malcolm in the Middle" was cancelled, Justin Berfield was involved in the production of a children's movie. The actor was the director and executive producer of 2007's "The Pet Detective." Up until this time, Berfield had limited experience producing movies. However, he showed that he was more than just a child star and that his talents expanded to other facets of the entertainment industry.

When asked in an interview with Patch if the transition from child acting to producing was a smooth experience, "The Malcolm in the Middle" actor responded, "I'd say so ... I got my start behind the camera just before 'Malcolm in the Middle' was ending. Since then, it has gone pretty smoothly." 

"The Pet Detective" features a real life pet detective by the name of Carl Washington. The movie follows Washington as he enlists the help of his two dogs to solve crimes involving missing animals. Although Berfield only had approximately three years of production experience when he worked on the movie, he successfully saw it to completion. While "The Pet Detective" may be all but forgotten two decades after it aired, it was just the beginning of Berfield's executive producing days.

It was not long after "Malcolm in the Middle" ended that Justin Berfield became better known for his production skills rather than his acting skills. In 2010, Richard Branson approached Berfield and Jason Felts to present both men with a job opportunity that would eventually shape their professional careers.

Branson wanted Berfield and Felts to run his new film and television production company, Virgin Produced. The English entrepreneur founded the Virgin Group in 1968 that has since expanded to include multiple facets, including Virgin Produced. Berfield was named the Chief Creative Officer of Virgin Produced and embarked on a career journey together with Felts developing and producing original movies and television content.

In an interview with Variety, the former "Malcolm in the Middle" actor discussed what made the production company different from others at the time. "We are developing and producing films and television shows that are far from traditional," Berfield explained. "We aren't afraid to push the envelope with content." Berfield was only 24 years old when he became Virgin Produced's Chief Creative Officer, a prestigious title for anyone, but especially for Berfield, since he had spent less than a decade working in production when he took the job.

The same year that Justin Berfield took the high-power position at Virgin Produced, he also worked on the film adaptation of the book "An Invisible Sign of My Own" by Aimee Bender. The movie, "An Invisible Sign," starred Jessica Alba who played Mona Gray, an eccentric mathematician.

Berfield was one of the executive producers on the movie along with his colleague, Jason Felts. The former "Malcolm in the Middle" actor mostly worked on sitcoms and reality television up until this point, but "An Invisible Sign" presented him his first opportunity to work as a producer on a fable. 

In his interview with Patch, Berfield revealed that it was only once he felt fulfilled as an actor that he tried producing in the first place. "I think people constantly are looking for fulfillment, and nothing is ever good enough," the actor said. "But I feel fortunate enough to have had the journey I have had so far." Although Berfield has worked in the entertainment industry since he was a child, he appears to remain grateful for every new opportunity in the business.

By 2010, Justin Berfield had almost fully transitioned from acting to producing. However, he made an exception and stepped back into the spotlight on the Fox sitcom "Sons of Tucson." He had a small on-screen role as the character Barry in the show before temporarily retiring from acting again.

Not only did the former "Malcolm in the Middle" star appear in an episode of "Sons of Tucson," but he was also one of the masterminds behind the camera. Berfield co-created the comedy series and also worked on the show as an executive producer through his production company, J2TV, before it closed.

When "Sons of Tucson" was first in danger of cancellation, many fans believed it was due in part to Fox airing the show at a later time slot. Berfield quickly showed his dedication and love for the show; he took to X, formerly Twitter, to express that the show just needed time to grow. Berfield made it clear that the show meant more to him than just money. "Forget about my pockets ... I'll donate half my producer fee for Season 2 to charity," Berfield tweeted (via Extra). Although "Sons of Tucson" was eventually cancelled after only one season, it gave Berfield the chance to flex his multiple creative skills.

By 2012, Justin Berfield had six production credits to his name and showed no signs of stopping. During that year, the former "Malcolm in the Middle" actor produced an inspirational short film called "Departure Date" that was a departure (pun intended) from the longer movie and television productions he was accustomed to working on.

Although Berfield had yet to work on a short film until that point in time, he worked with almost a dozen other producers, including his business partner Jason Felts, to successfully produce "Departure Date." Actors Ben Feldman and Janeane Garofalo were among the well-known actors in the short film. "Departure Date" follows the love-sick character Jake who experiences an epiphany 35,000 feet in the air. 

Despite the fact that the film is less than a half hour long, Berfield showed that he had the skills to produce a fully fleshed out story in a short time frame. The former "Malcolm in the Middle" star worked as a producer on two other short projects that year, including a television special with his production company called "Virgin Produced: Comedy Vault," before temporarily taking a step back from comedy and producing altogether. 

Since Justin Berfield acted for the majority of his life, he is no stranger to working alongside some of Hollywood's most famous actors and comedians. From a young age, he brushed shoulders with A-list actors on television sets and at industry events, such as the Emmy Awards.

As an adult, Berfield continued to work with some of Hollywood's elite through his job at Virgin Produced. When the former "Malcolm in the Middle" actor was Chief Creative Officer at the production company, the movie "Limitless" came out in 2011. Actors Bradley Cooper and the iconic Robert De Niro starred in the Virgin Produced thriller that follows the journey of a struggling writer. In the years that followed the release of "Limitless," Berfield continued to produce movies with some of the most well-known actors.

Virgin Produced also made "Machine Gun Preacher" in 2011 starring Gerard Butler, "Jobs" in 2013 starring Ashton Kutcher, and "Bad Moms" in 2016. Berfield and his creative partner at Virgin Produced, Jason Felts, attended the premiere party of "Bad Moms" where they mingled with cast members, including Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn, on the red carpet before the movie.

Justin Berfield took a multiple-year hiatus from both acting and producing after 2012. While he may not have worked on television shows or movie sets in 2017, he took on the role of a lifetime that year. The former child star married his long-time girlfriend, Liza Almeida, after many years of keeping the details of their relationship and his general personal life private.

In 2020, during the pandemic, the couple welcomed their first child together, a daughter. Berfield posted an image online of him playing with his newborn with an honest caption about becoming a first-time parent during an uncertain time. "Becoming a father during a global pandemic has definitely made this transition interesting," Berfield wrote on Instagram. "But having the extra time to spend with this little one has been fine with us!"

Four years later, the "Malcolm in the Middle" actor's family grew with the birth of his second child. The self-described "simple guy" isn't too active on Instagram, but the majority of his few snapshots show him enjoying outdoor activities like archery and relaxing with his two children and friends.

With multiple Emmy wins and nominations during the show's seven seasons, it's safe to say that "Malcolm in the Middle" was a critical success. In Justin Berfield's interview with Patch, he reflected on his past career highlights, including the show that skyrocketed him to fame at a young age. Before he was even a legal adult, Berfield made television history as the youngest actor to ever be in 100 television episodes of two different shows.

"I realized that I had been on two shows that syndicated to over 100 episodes," Berfield said, referring to his time on "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Unhappily Ever After." Despite this major accomplishment, Berfield did not receive the prestigious award of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Although Berfield does not have a star of his own, that didn't stop him from joining in the celebration when his long-time friend and business partner received one. In 2018, Berfield was among those in attendance to support Richard Branson when he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Richard Branson, who famously revealed details about his trip to space in 2021, posed alongside his wife and business partners, Berfield and Jason Felts, on the momentous occasion. Berfield spent part of his hiatus from film and television production celebrating his friends and loved ones.

A decade since his last producing job, Justin Berfield took up the role again. Berfield flexed his production skills and worked on the reality television show "Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules" that aired on E! in 2022. The show revolved around the lives of various celebrities' children who worked on a ranch in Colorado for a month. David Hasselhoff's daughter, Taylor Hasselhoff, and Shaquille O'Neal's son, Myles O'Neal, were just some of the wealthy cast members on the show.

As previously mentioned, Barfield worked on an earlier reality show, "Filthy Rich," for the entertainment network, so by his second time around, he was more familiar with the format of reality shows. Berfield was one of five executive producers on "Relatively Famous: Ranch Rules" alongside his business partner and friend, Jason Felts. Berfield may have spent his childhood working on family sitcoms, but he diversified his professional experience in adulthood with Felts by his side as a producer on a number of different shows and movies after "Malcolm in the Middle" ended.

Years after the hit Fox sitcom was axed, former viewers of the show were still curious about what happened to the cast of "Malcolm in the Middle" and where their characters would be now. Fans who wondered what Frankie Muniz was up to these days got a huge surprise in 2022 when he teased a "Malcolm in the Middle" reboot. Eventually, it was revealed that Muniz was not the only cast member to partake in the show's revival.

Almost two decades since the series was canceled, much of the cast reunited for the show's reboot. In February 2025, Justin Berfield posted an old picture of his character, Reese, to Instagram and announced he would reprise his popular acting role in "Malcolm in the Middle." Fans who questioned whatever happened to the "Malcolm in the Middle" mom, Jane Kaczmarek, were excited to hear that she too was set to reprise her role in the reunion.

Berfield took to Instagram in May 2025 to share an update on his seemingly temporary return to acting. "It was so amazing catching up with old friends and met some amazing new ones!" the actor wrote of the show's revival. "We're so lucky that we got to come back to these characters after 20 years and see where they've been. I had so much fun getting to go back to my old life as an actor." However, Berfield revealed that his excitement and participation in the reboot did not necessarily mean a permanent return to acting. "Now, it's back to carpools and diapers," Berfield wrote. As of late May 2025, an official release date for the Disney+ reboot has not been revealed.