Malcolm in the Middle cast and character guide: Who plays whom in the Fox sitcom

Malcolm in the Middle was among the popular sitcoms in the early 2000s. It aired on teh Fox Network. The narrative of the show followed the genius Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz, trying to live his life among his chaotically dysfunctional family.

The sitcom ran for seven seasons and will return with a reboot series in December 2025. Popular actors such as Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek were part of the series, which made it one of the beloved shows of the time, with a fan following that still goes strong. Here is a look at the cast and character guide of Malcolm in the Middle.

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Malcolm in the Middle cast and character guide

The Fox sitcom followed Malcolm’s story of living as the middle child in his chaotic Wilkerson family. Over the seven seasons, the show also followed the interaction of the Wilkersons with their extended families.

The main cast and character guide of Malcolm in the Middle are as follows:

1) Frankie Muniz as Malcolm

Muniz plays Malcolm in the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. He has an IQ of 165 and attends a special class of gifted children like him. The sitcom follows Muniz’s character, who struggles to fit in and, despite his intellectual abilities, becomes a part of destructive schemes with his notorious brothers.

Muniz has appeared in numerous TV shows, such as Lizzie McGuire and The Rookie, and films like Agent Cody Banks and Pizza Man. He will be reprising his role in the reboot series.

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2) Bryan Cranston as Hal

Bryan Cranston appears as Hal in the Fox sitcom. He is Malcolm’s father and is one of the indecisive characters of the show who loves his wife and rarely talks to his rich family, who have not accepted Malcolm’s mother into the family.

Cranston is one of the most popular names in the industry due to his role as Walter White in Breaking Bad. Most recently, he won an Emmy Award for his role in Apple TV’s comedy show, The Studio. Apart from that, he has also appeared in popular movies such as Little Miss Sunshine and Saving Private Ryan, among others.

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3) Jane Kaczmarek as Lois

Kaczmarek’s Lois is the strict matriarch of the Wikerson family, who tries very hard to keep her badly behaved sons in check. She is described as a stubborn and temperamental person who is also dealing with the trauma of her own difficult upbringing.

The American actress is known for appearing in another popular sitcom, Frasier. She has also been a part of shows such as Raising the Bar and Equal Justice.

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4) Christopher Kennedy Masterson as Francis

Masterson’s Francis was the oldest of the four and later five sons of the Wilkerson family. He is the oldest troublemaker of the family, who was also sent to military school in Season 1.

The 45-year-old actor has appeared in movies such as Scary Movie 2 and My Best Friend's Wedding, among others, and TV shows such as That '70s Show.

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5) Erik Per Sullivan as Dewey

Sullivan’s character, Dewey, is the fourth son of the Wilkerson family, who often found himself as the victim in the destructive schemes of his older brothers. Other than Malcolm, Dewey is also shown to be intelligent and passionate about music.

Sullivan has appeared in movies such as Unfaithful and Twelve, and also voiced the character of Sheldon in Finding Nemo.

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6) Justin Berfield as Reese

Berfield’s character, Reese, is the second son and the other older brother of Malcolm. He is described as the most violent among the boys. He is described as impulsive and often is the one who devises the destructive plans apart from Malcolm.

He has appeared in TV shows such as Unhappily Ever After and The Good Life, among others.

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7) James and Lukas Rodriguez/Anthony Timpano as Jamie

Played by three different actors, Jamie is the youngest son of Lois and Hal. Jamie was initially played by brothers James and Lukas. Later, Timpano took over the role. Like Dewey and Malcolm, Jamie is also shown to be smart.

Apart from Malcolm in the Middle, Anthony Timpano has appeared in films such as It Was Always You and A Score to Settle, among others.

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Supporting cast and character guide of Malcolm in the Middle

The supporting cast and character guide of Malcolm in the Middle are as follows:

• Catherine Lloyd Burns as Caroline Miller
• David Anthony Higgins as Craig Feldspar
• Gary Anthony Williams as Abe Kenarban
• Merrin Dungey as Kitty Kenarban
• Daniel von Bargen as Commandant Edwin Spangler
• Eric Nenninger as Cadet Eric Hansen
• Kenneth Mars as Otto Mankusser

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