Justin Berfield, known for portraying Reese in the hit 2000s series Malcolm in the Middle, steps back into the spotlight at age 40 for the four-part revival Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair. The limited series premiered recently on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, reuniting original stars Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Frankie Muniz, and Christopher Masterson. Erik Per Sullivan, who played Dewey, reportedly chose not to participate.
Reasons for Stepping Away from Acting
Berfield began acting at age five and starred in Malcolm in the Middle for seven years. After constant work, he sought change. “I just wanted to change because I had started acting when I was five. Fortunately, I worked quite a bit, and I then got on Malcolm in the Middle, which was seven years,” Berfield stated. “I just grew up working constantly, and I wanted to try something different.”
Life as a Producer and Stay-at-Home Dad
During his two-decade hiatus, Berfield ventured into producing with projects like The Country Bears, Romance and Cigarettes, Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive, and Sons of Tucson. He also traveled extensively before marriage and fatherhood shifted his focus. Berfield and his wife, Liza Almeida, have two children, including a daughter born in 2020 and a second child a few years later. He prioritizes their privacy but shares occasional glimpses on Instagram.
“I got married and had a couple of kids and then time flew by,” he explained. “Now it’s been 20 years, and we’re fortunate enough to be able to step back into it now.” Berfield enjoyed introducing his eldest daughter to his work firsthand. “It was just really nice showing my eldest daughter just me working so she can actually see it’s better than just turning on the TV and showing them something. She actually got to see me on set,” he said.
Low-Pressure Return to the Cameras
Returning after 20 years brought minimal anxiety for Berfield. “I’d stepped away from acting for 20 years now, so I didn’t have a lot of pressure,” he noted. “Obviously I had pressure on myself because I wanted to do a good job. I wanted people to enjoy the show, but it was more just me enjoying the moment too. For me, it was a little bit different. It was low pressure.”
Reuniting with Original Cast and Creator
Reconnecting with the familiar cast, crew, and series creator Linwood Boomer eased the process. The cast gathered at the New York premiere, where Berfield attended with his wife and daughters. “I had very little stress that it wasn’t going to be great because he wasn’t going to come back and do something that he didn’t feel was great,” Berfield said. “When he was on board, he wrote it with a few of the original writers of Malcolm. I knew it was going to be funny. I knew it was going to have the flavor and the familiarity of what this crazy family is. So I wasn’t concerned at all.”
Reflecting on production wrap-up last May via Instagram, Berfield wrote: “Just reflecting on the final days on the Malcolm in the Middle Revival set. It was so amazing catching up with old friends and met some amazing new ones! 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…now it’s back to carpools and diapers!”
