Justin Berfield, known for portraying Reese in the 2000s hit series Malcolm in the Middle, has returned to acting after a 20-year hiatus. The 40-year-old actor reprises his role in the four-part revival Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, which premiered on Friday on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. The series reunites original stars including Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Frankie Muniz, and Christopher Masterson, though Erik Per Sullivan opted out.
Reasons for the Long Break
Berfield began acting at age five and spent seven years on Malcolm in the Middle, working nonstop throughout his youth. “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.”
During his time away, he ventured into producing projects such as The Country Bears, Romance and Cigarettes, Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive, and Sons of Tucson. He also traveled extensively before focusing on family life.
Family Life and Fatherhood
Berfield married Liza Almeida and became a stay-at-home dad to their two children, including a daughter born in 2020 and a second child a few years later. He keeps his family private 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.”
Bringing his eldest daughter to the set proved rewarding. “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,” Berfield shared.
Seamless Return to Acting
Stepping back in front of the cameras brought minimal anxiety. “I’d stepped away from acting for 20 years now, so I didn’t have a lot of pressure,” he said. “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 the original cast, crew, and creator Linwood Boomer ensured quality. Berfield attended the New York premiere 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 noted. “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 in May last year 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!”
