Malcolm in the Middle star sparks widespread fan concern as he poses for first reunion snap

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A recent behind-the-scenes picture from the new Malcolm in the Middle reboot has caused concern among fans about the health of one of the show’s actors.

Frankie Muniz, the star of the popular sitcom, shared a photo on Instagram on Thursday celebrating a reunion with his former on-screen brothers, Justin Berfield and Christopher Masterson—who played Reese and Francis on the show.

Muniz playfully explained in his post that he wasn’t supposed to share this news yet, but the show’s theme song reminded him of how excited he was. He’s thrilled for fans to see the new episodes and said he misses working with his co-stars. The original series, which aired on Fox from 2000 to 2006, was a big hit and won seven Emmy Awards.

Fans were excited to see the three actors reunited, but a recent photo caused concern for Berfield. People noticed a significant change in his appearance compared to how he looked 20 years ago when the show ended.

One person exclaimed, “Reese? Is that really you?” Another commenter noted that he had lost a lot of weight since appearing on the show.

Many other fans expressed similar feelings, with some writing things like, ‘Reese? Blink twice if you’re alright,’ and ‘I barely recognized him.’

Daily Mail has not received a response to its request for comment from Berfield. 

Fans reacted strongly to the new look, with some joking that Justin seemed to have changed his ethnicity. Others simply commented that he looked drastically different, and one person even asked who the ‘random British guy’ was.

Another joked, ‘LOL Reese looks like he turned European.’   

Berfield started acting at age five, appearing in a Folgers coffee commercial, but decided to leave Hollywood after finishing his role on Malcolm in the Middle.

He then moved into a creative leadership role, becoming Chief Creative Officer for Virgin Produced, the entertainment division of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group.

In a 2010 interview with Variety, he stated that they were creating films and TV shows that were unconventional and weren’t afraid to take risks with their content.

A year later, he explained to Agoura Hills Patch why he switched from acting to producing. He realized he’d been on two TV shows that ran for over 100 episodes each, and feeling satisfied with his acting career, he wanted to try producing.

It seems like people are always searching for something more, and often feel unsatisfied, but I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had in my life so far.

He explained that while both of his careers have been different and rewarding, he’s currently very happy with his present work and situation.

‘It’s a whole new level of stress. It’s a different kind of stress, but they’re both rewarding.’

These days, Berfield lives a quieter life, focusing on his family. He and his wife, Liza Almeida, married in 2017 and have two children together.

I was scrolling through the comments on Frankie Muniz’s post, and everyone started wondering about Dewey! It’s been a while since we’ve seen Erik Per Sullivan, the actor who played his youngest brother on Malcolm in the Middle, and people were really curious about what he’s up to now.

Some viewers were disappointed that Dewey Malcolm, the beloved character previously portrayed by Erik Per Sullivan, wasn’t included.

Bryan Cranston later confirmed the story. He and Jane Kaczmarek played Muniz’s parents on the popular show.

Bryan Cranston shared on the Fly on the Wall podcast that he told Erik the show was renewed. Erik was pleased to hear the news, but surprisingly declined to participate, saying he didn’t want to return despite being happy for the show’s revival.

The actor also mentioned that he’s attending Harvard. He described him as very intelligent and said he’s currently pursuing a master’s degree there. The actor relayed that his friend said he hasn’t acted since childhood and has no interest in returning to it.

Last December, a reboot of ‘Malcolm in the Middle,’ called ‘Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair,’ was announced, and it was confirmed that Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek would return as their famous characters.

Berfield and Masterson joined the four-episode Disney+ revival, alongside Kiana Madeira, who plays Malcolm’s girlfriend.

The cast also includes new actors Vaughan Murrae, Keeley Karsten, and Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, with Ellsworth-Clark taking on the part of Dewey.

Reflecting on the experience last month, Muniz admitted the project exceeded his expectations.

He shared on a podcast that he genuinely loved filming the reboot, saying it exceeded all his expectations. He emphasized how much he enjoyed the experience.

Viewers will likely be surprised by where the characters end up and how the story unfolds. However, with only four episodes, it’s been challenging to cover twenty years’ worth of events in just thirty minutes each.

‘But I think people are going to be very happy with what they came up with.’

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2025-10-25 00:19