{"id":223606,"date":"2025-10-24T23:04:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T23:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/223606\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T23:04:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T23:04:14","slug":"malcolm-in-the-middle-star-sparks-widespread-fan-concern-as-he-poses-for-first-reunion-snap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/223606\/","title":{"rendered":"Malcolm in the Middle star sparks widespread fan concern as he poses for first reunion snap"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fans of Malcolm in the Middle<\/a> were left worried over one of the show\u2019s beloved cast members after a behind-the-scenes photo from the upcoming reboot<\/a> went viral.<\/p>\n

The sitcom’s lead star Frankie Muniz took to Instagram on Thursday to celebrate his TV family\u2019s long-awaited reunion, posting a candid shot with his on-screen brothers Justin Berfield and Christopher Masterson \u2014 aka Reese and Francis.<\/p>\n

\u2018I was told not to post this yet, but then I remembered the theme song,\u2019 Muniz joked in the caption, referencing Boss of Me, the track that opened the hit Fox series, which ran from 2000 to 2006 and earned seven Emmys<\/a>. \u2018I\u2019m just too excited for y\u2019all to see the new episodes and I miss my brothers.\u2019<\/p>\n

While fans were thrilled to see the trio back together, the photo sparked a flurry of concern for Berfield \u2014 who, posing between Muniz and Masterson, had followers doing a double take over his dramatically different look 20 years after the show\u2019s end.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

One commented, \u2018Reese??? Baby, is that you????\u2019, while another wrote, ‘Yeah, he got a lot more skinny then he was during the show!!\u2019\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Other fans echoed the same sentiment, writing, \u2018Reese? Blink twice if you’re ok,\u2019 and \u2018I didn\u2019t even recognize him.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Fans <\/p>\n

Fans of Malcolm in the Middle were left worried over one of the show\u2019s beloved cast members after a behind-the-scenes photo from the upcoming reboot went viral.<\/p>\n

\"While <\/p>\n

While fans were thrilled to see the trio back together, the photo sparked a flurry of concern for Berfield\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"After \"Berfield <\/p>\n

After the photo went viral, followers were doing a double take over Berfield’s\u00a0 dramatically different look 20 years after the show\u2019s end; (R in 2004)<\/p>\n

Daily Mail has not received a response to its request for comment from Berfield.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some fans went even further, with one saying \u2018he looks hella different,\u2019 and one quipping, \u2018Who\u2019s the random British guy?\u2019<\/p>\n

Another joked, \u2018LOL Reese looks like he turned European.\u2019\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Berfield, 39, who began acting at just five years old in a Folgers coffee commercial, ultimately stepped away from Hollywood after Malcolm in the Middle ended.<\/p>\n

He later transitioned behind the scenes, becoming Chief Creative Officer at Virgin Produced \u2014 the entertainment arm of Richard Branson\u2019s Virgin Group.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking to Variety<\/a> in 2010, he explained, \u2018We are developing and producing films and television shows that are far from traditional. We aren’t afraid to push the envelope with content.\u2019<\/p>\n

A year later, he told Agoura Hills Patch<\/a>\u00a0what inspired his pivot from acting to producing, saying, \u2018I realised that I had been on two shows that syndicated to over 100 episodes and that I felt fulfilled as an actor and decided to try my hand at producing.<\/p>\n

\"Berfield, <\/p>\n

Berfield, who began acting at just five years old in a Folgers coffee commercial, ultimately stepped away from Hollywood after Malcolm in the Middle ended<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"Fans <\/p>\n

Fans took to social media to voice their concerns<\/p>\n

\u2018I think people constantly are looking for fulfilment, and nothing is ever good enough, but I feel fortunate enough to have had the journey I have had so far.\u2019<\/p>\n

Comparing his two careers, he added, \u2018They’re both unique in their own ways, but I’m enjoying what I’m doing and where I’m at right now.<\/p>\n

\u2018It’s a whole new level of stress. It’s a different kind of stress, but they’re both rewarding.\u2019<\/p>\n

Now Berfield leads a much more private life, raising two children with his wife, Liza Almeida, whom he married in 2017.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in the comments of Muniz\u2019s post, others turned their attention to another missing Malcolm alum \u2014 youngest brother Dewey, originally played by Erik Per Sullivan.<\/p>\n

As one fan explained in the comment section, \u2018For those asking for Dewey, he will be replaced by another actor because Dewey (the actor) wanted to focus in his studies so they respect his decision.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Justin <\/p>\n

Justin Berfield began his acting career at the tender age of five but his breakout role was as Reese, Malcom’s impulsive and dimwitted older brother<\/p>\n

\"After <\/p>\n

After the series came to an end, Justin moved behind the camera and began working as the Chief Creative Officer of production company Virgin Produced (pictured in February 2025)\u00a0<\/p>\n

That theory was later confirmed by Bryan Cranston, who, along with Jane Kaczmarek, portrayed Muniz\u2019s parents in the beloved series.<\/p>\n

\u2018I talked to Erik and I said, \u201cHey, we got the show! It\u2019s gonna come back.\u201d He goes, \u201cOh, that\u2019s fantastic!\u201d And I go, \u201cYeah, so we\u2019re looking forward to having you back.\u201d He goes, \u201cOh, no, no, I don\u2019t want to do it. But it\u2019s fantastic that you are,\u201d\u2019 Cranston revealed during a June appearance on the Fly on the Wall podcast<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018He\u2019s actually going to Harvard,\u2019 the actor added. \u2018He\u2019s really, really smart, and I think he\u2019s getting his master\u2019s at Harvard right now. He said, \u201cOh God, no, I haven\u2019t acted since I was nine or something. So I\u2019m not into it.\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n

When news of the reboot \u2014 titled Malcolm in the Middle: Life\u2019s Still Unfair \u2014 was announced last December, it was confirmed that both Cranston and Kaczmarek would reprise their iconic roles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Berfield and Masterson later signed on for the four-episode Disney+ revival, which also stars Kiana Madeira as Malcolm\u2019s girlfriend.<\/p>\n

Newcomers Vaughan Murrae, Keeley Karsten, and Caleb Ellsworth-Clark round out the cast \u2014 with Ellsworth-Clark notably stepping into the role of Dewey.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the experience last month, Muniz admitted the project exceeded his expectations.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u2018I\u2019m not exaggerating when I say filming this reboot, like I loved it so much, way more than I ever thought I could have,\u2019 he said on a podcast.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018I think people will be surprised, in a sense, where everybody is and the story. But it\u2019s only four episodes\u2026 It\u2019s hard to fit in 20 years of stuff into four 30-minute episodes, right?\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘But I think people are going to be very happy with what they came up with.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fans of Malcolm in the Middle were left worried over one of the show\u2019s beloved cast members after…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":223607,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[97,96,391,478,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-223606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-dailymail","tag-entertainment","tag-tv","tag-tvshowbiz","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223606"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223606\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/223607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}