Side-By-Side Photos Show How Much The Malcolm In The Middle Cast Has Transformed

It may feel like yesterday that "Malcolm in the Middle" ended, but seeing how much the cast has changed proves it was a long time ago. "Malcolm in the Middle" premiered in 2000 on Fox. Like other Fox sitcoms with an iconic cast, such as "Married... With Children," the show focused on a dysfunctional family rather than an aspirational one. The series ran for seven seasons before ending in 2006. The comedy followed the titular Malcom, a gifted young teen, played by Frankie Muniz. As the title suggests, Malcolm is the middle son in a family of four boys. Despite his intelligence, Malcolm got into just as much trouble as his brothers. The antics of Francis, Reese, Malcolm, and Dewey's weekly schemes were hilarious for viewers and nerve-wracking for their parents, Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek).

With the end of "Malcolm in the Middle" reaching its 20th anniversary, the new parent company, Disney, decided it was the perfect time for a reunion. "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair" brings the family back together 20 years after viewers last saw them as Hal and Lois celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. Malcolm has kept his family at a distance, but the special occasion brings him and his teenage daughter back into the chaos of things. Fortunately, much of the original cast returned for the new series, so let's take a look at how the "Malcolm in the Middle" actors have changed over the years.

The father of the dysfunctional family on "Malcolm in the Middle" was Hal, played hilariously by Bryan Cranston. Hal was utterly in love with his wife, Lois, and loved his kids, even if he wasn't the most responsible or mature father. He usually left the hard parenting up to Lois and supported her choices. 

Before "Malcolm in the Middle," comedy fans would have recognized Cranston from his recurring guest role on "Seinfeld," which included dating Julia Louis-Dreyfus' character Elaine. But it was the more dramatic role of Walter White in "Breaking Bad" (2008-2013) that would catapult Cranston to bigger fame. He'll return to comedy as Hal in the revival series.

Lois, played by Jane Kaczmarek, was the undisputed head of the "Malcolm in the Middle" family. While many found her too loudmouthed or controlling, Lois was a woman who knew how to get things done. For better or worse, she tried to run a house filled with troublesome kids and hold down a full-time job.

Most of Kaczmarek's roles have been serious and dramatic. With "Malcolm in the Middle," she was able to unleash her comedic side. Since the end of the series, she's played a mix of comedy and drama roles. Kaczmarek expanded her field to include voice-over acting and plays. She will reprise the role of Lois in "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair."

The series opened with the eldest brother, Francis, away at military school after his antics went too far for his parents to handle. Played by Christopher Masterson, Francis is constantly at war with his mother, Lois. For most of the show, Francis struggled to find his footing, but by the end, he had found a path he enjoyed.

During the run of "Malcolm in the Middle," Masterson had several cameos in movies and television. These included "Scary Movie 2" and his brother Danny Masterson's hit series "That '70s Show." However, his acting roles began to decline, and he eventually shifted into a new career as a DJ in 2019.

Reese may have been the most troublesome of the boys on "Malcolm in the Middle." Yet Justin Berfield played the role charmingly enough that viewers still liked the character. Reese may not have had the same kind of genius as Malcolm or Dewey, but Reese was talented at coming up with schemes and surprisingly good at cooking.

After the success of "Malcolm in the Middle," many fans wondered what happened to Justin Berfield as he disappeared from the public eye. Much like his on-screen brothers, he decided to move away from acting. Berfield shifted his career behind the camera, working as a film producer.

As the titular character in "Malcolm in the Middle," fans expected Frankie Muniz to build his career in acting. While the series was still on the air, Muniz starred in several films like "Agent Cody Banks" and "Racing Stripes" as well as doing voice acting in "The Fairly OddParents." However, Muniz later moved out of Hollywood and became a NASCAR driver.

Although Muniz has enjoyed his life outside of acting, he returned to play an adult version of Malcolm. In the original show, Malcolm's intelligence made his parents believe he was their only hope of having a successful child. They pushed for him to become president. Despite his high IQ, Malcolm seemed to use his brain to get himself and his brothers into some sticky situations.

For most of "Malcolm in the Middle," Dewey, played by Erik Per Sullivan, was the youngest in the family. As the youngest, Dewey was often overlooked or forgotten by his parents and picked on by his older brothers. Although he may not have been the loudest in the family, Dewey may have been the smartest and most creative, and had the brightest future in front of him.

In the years after "Malcolm in the Middle," Sullivan left the acting world behind for more literary pursuits. On the podcast "Fly on the Wall," Bryan Cranston revealed that his on-screen son wouldn't be returning for the reboot of the series. Cranston said, "I think he's getting his master's at Harvard right now. He said, 'Oh God, no, I haven't acted since I was 9 or something. So I'm not into it." Instead of leaving Dewey out of the revival, actor Caleb Ellsworth-Clark took over the role.

Stevie Kenarban (Craig Lamar Traylor) was a gifted student and Malcolm's best friend. Stevie's parents were overprotective of him due to his asthma and need for a wheelchair. His sarcasm and quick mind outwitted Malcolm and Reese on several occasions.

"Malcolm in the Middle" ended when Traylor was only 17 years old. It seemed he wanted to live a more normal life because he took a break from acting. As an adult, he turned his talents to jewelry making. Yet in 2025, he returned to acting for the film "Renner," and he will appear in "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair."

Craig Feldspar (David Anthony Higgins) worked at Lucky Aide along with Lois. He had a bit of an infatuation with Lois. Throughout the series, Craig became closer to the family, even living with them at one point, despite most of the characters finding Craig annoying. He was interested in Dungeons & Dragons and shocked Malcolm with his softball skills.

After the end of "Malcolm in the Middle," Feldspar continued to act regularly on television. Fans may recognize him from "Big Time Rush," "American Horror Story," or "B Positive."

When Francis moved to Alaska, he met Piama, played by Emy Coligado. The two quickly became close and married not long after meeting. Although his family wasn't in favor of their marriage, Francis and Piama were a good match. Piama was as outspoken and confident as Lois, which caused tension in the family, but they eventually found ways to get along.

During "Malcolm in the Middle," Coligado was also a recurring actor on "Crossing Jordan." Since the end of the series, she has had a few guest roles on other shows. One of her most recent projects was the Apple TV series "The Changeling."

Cadet Drew, played by Drew Powell, was one of Francis' classmates at Marlin Academy. Drew may have been one of the strongest people there, but he had a difficult time sorting out his emotions. Viewers don't know what happened to Drew after Francis left military school, but he will appear in "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair."

Powell has a penchant for playing physically intimidating men. In "Gotham" from 2014 to 2018, he played mobster Butch Gilzean, who became the zombie-like villain Solomon Grundy. Recently, he was part of the amazing cast of "The Pitt," portraying an unhappy patient.

Meagen Fay played Gretchen Mannkusser, one of Francis' bosses. Francis worked at The Grotto, named after Gretchen and her husband Otto. She's a kind woman who aspired to be an actress. Her only regret seemed to be the rift between her husband and their only son, Rutger. Her story ended abruptly when Francis was fired, but she's set to return in the revival series. 

Fay has appeared on many television shows, both before and after her role on "Malcolm in the Middle." Fans may recognize Fay as Rhonda from Maya Rudolph's series "Loot."

Cadet Eric Hansen (Eric Nenninger) attended military school with Francis. When he left the academy, he convinced Francis that they could become rich by moving to Alaska and getting jobs as loggers. Eric soon found out that it wasn't as glamorous as he thought because he was cooking and cleaning around camp rather than logging. When the logging camp closed, Francis left Eric to hitchhike out of Alaska.

Nenninger has had a long list of television guest appearances in series like "The Flash" and "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty," in which he played real-life NBA star Keith Erickson.

One of Malcolm's early friends on "Malcolm in the Middle" was Dabney Hooper, another gifted child. Dabney loved literature and even reenacted the classic play "A Streetcar Named Desire" with cats. Kyle Sullivan played Dabney on the first four seasons of the show.

At the same time as "Malcolm," Sullivan also starred on Nickelodeon's sketch comedy series "All That." But he quit acting and turned to a career in business instead. He did make an appearance on the disturbing Nickelodeon docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" in 2024.

On "Malcolm in the Middle," Abe Kenarban was the father of Malcolm's friend Stevie and best friend to Hal, Malcolm's dad. Like his son, he's asthmatic, especially when stressed out. He mainly followed his wife's commands and felt a little lost when she abruptly left. 

Gary Anthony Williams played Abe hilariously. Viewers may recognize Williams from his on-screen roles in "Boston Legal" and "The Neighborhood." Williams also has an extensive list of voice acting credits, such as in "Doc McStuffins," "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur," and "The Boondocks."

Caroline Miller, played by Catherine Lloyd Burns, was Malcolm's teacher on "Malcolm in the Middle." She was the person who first noticed Malcolm's advanced intellect and got him into the gifted program at the school. She's a caring, if not a little too emotional, teacher who is dedicated to her students until she gave birth in Season 2 and went on maternity leave, never to return. 

After her sudden exit from "Malcolm in the Middle," Burns appeared in several movies. Most recently, she played Linda on HBO Max's "Search Party."

Kasan Butcher played Joe in the earlier seasons of "Malcolm in the Middle." Joe attended the military academy alongside Malcolm's oldest brother, Francis. During a plot to embarrass the commandant, Joe told Francis to back off lest they all get punished. The character didn't appear after Francis left the academy. Although Kasan's longest television run was "Malcolm in the Middle," he was also in "My Name is Earl" and "Without a Trace." He also played Kimball "Big K" Ward in the film "Jeepers Creepers 2."

Another classmate of Francis' at the Marlin Academy was Ken Finley, played by Arjay Smith. He was friends with Francis, even trying to warn him about the extreme hazing at the school. Like many other characters at the school, Finley no longer appeared after Francis moved to Alaska. 

Smith, however, popped up in several movies and TV shows over the years. He starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Emmy Rossum in "The Day After Tomorrow" and had prominent roles on the series "Perception" and "The Rookie."

When Malcolm's first teacher, Caroline Miller, left "Malcolm in the Middle," the kids needed a new teacher. Enter Lionel Herkabe, played by Chris Eigeman. Unlike the loving Caroline, Lionel was mean and bullied his students. He followed Malcolm throughout his school years just to torment him. Lionel himself was once a gifted student like Malcolm, so it was ironically sad that he turned out the way he did.

During "Malcolm in the Middle," Eigeman also played Jason Stiles on the beloved series "Gilmore Girls." He reprised the character in 2016 in the sequel series "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life." More recently, he's been on the television shows "Billions" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."

Artie, played by John Ennis, worked with Francis in Alaska on "Malcolm in the Middle." His character wasn't seen again after the logging camp closed and the employees disbanded. Because the character was portrayed as uneducated and dyslexic, it is difficult to say how he might have fared after Francis left Alaska. 

John Ennis has had several roles in television and movies. He played a cop in the horror-comedy "Eight Legged Freaks" and The Big Bopper in the comedy "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story."

While in Alaska, Francis' main antagonist was his boss, Lavernia, played by Brenda Wehle. Lavernia held a grudge against everyone and wasn't opposed to treating people badly. She especially had it out for Francis and his wife, Piama, after Piama stole Lavernia's pet bird. After the character closed the logging camp, the character exited the show. 

After her time on "Malcolm in the Middle," Wehle appeared in the film "St. Vincent." Wehle has also had roles on many television series, including "Lisey's Story" and HBO's series "The Gilded Age."

On "Malcolm in the Middle," Dan Martin played Malik, one of Hal's poker buddies. Like the rest of the poker players, he has a higher-paying job than Hal does. Although they may have gotten together to play poker, most of the time, the friends were distracted by other things. Malik also played guitar. 

Over the years, Dan Martin has had roles on such shows as "Truth Be Told" and "Chicago Med," but his most prevalent role is on the long-running soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful" as Bradley Baker.

Kitty Kenarban, mother to Stevie and wife of Abe, was played by Merrin Dungey on "Malcolm in the Middle." At first, Kitty was reserved and quiet but also overprotective of Stevie. She controlled Abe's life to ensure he was "healthy." During the series, she realized she had been living her life too much as the good girl and left her family to explore her wild side. Eventually, she returned to the family, apologetic for abandoning them. 

Merrin Dungey has had many credits on television, including "The King of Queens," "Big Little Lies," and "Shining Vale." She has also done voice acting on popular shows like "Star Trek: Lower Decks" and "Bob's Burgers."

Cameron Monaghan played Chad on "Malcolm in the Middle." Chad was a classmate of Dewey's who had an overactive imagination and had a compulsion to organize things. The running gag for Chad featured signs taped to his shirt that he may bite or that warned others, "Do Not Corner." 

After "Malcolm in the Middle," Monaghan went on to play several memorable characters. On "Shameless," Monaghan starred as Ian Gallagher. He played a pair of villainous twins on "Gotham" that were the series version of The Joker. Fans of "Star Wars" may know Monaghan better as Jedi Cal Kestis, for whom he provided the voice and physical appearance in several "Star Wars" video games.

On "Malcolm in the Middle," Lois hired neighbor Jessica to babysit Reese, Malcolm, and Dewey on several occasions. Jessica, played by Hayden Panettiere, cared for the boys but often manipulated and outright tricked them. Malcolm had a crush on her even though he knew she was constantly trying to put one over on him. 

Behind the scenes, Panettiere has faced a lot of tragedy in her life, but she continues to act. Panettiere famously went on to play the superpowered cheerleader Claire on NBC's "Heroes." She also starred in the country music drama "Nashville" from 2012 to 2018.

Jennette McCurdy played two different characters on "Malcolm in the Middle." In one episode when all the characters were gender swapped, she's a female version of Dewey, named Daisy. In another episode, she played Dewey's classmate Penelope. 

Both appearances were before McCurdy had her big break on Nickelodeon, where she became known for playing Sam Puckett on "iCarly" and its spin-off "Sam & Cat." She stopped acting and focused on work behind the camera. In 2022, she published the memoir "I'm Glad My Mom Died," in which she opened up about her hidden and traumatic childhood, including her history with substance use.

Long before Emma Stone was an Oscar-winning actress, she appeared in an episode of "Malcolm in the Middle." Stone played a character named Diane, who was part of a group of mean girls who tormented Reese in the final season of the show in 2006. 

It wasn't until the next year that Stone would have her breakout role in the comedy "Superbad." Since then, she's starred in movies like "Easy A," "The Help," "La La Land," and "Poor Things."