Bryan Cranston is back in full dad mode, and he’s loving every second of it.
The 69-year-old actor has reprised his fan-favorite role as Hal in the Malcolm in the Middle revival, and the experience has been nothing short of joyful for him. It’s been nearly two decades since the show wrapped up, and slipping back into Hal’s chaotic, lovable world has hit Cranston right in the feels.
Talking to people, Bryan opened up about just how much he missed the character. “Slipping back into that character of Hal for me was so rewarding, I missed him,” he said. “It’s been almost 20 years since we said goodbye. And he’s a sweet, lovable man. He’s really a lovable guy, and it was fun to see my whole family back together. It was great.” It wasn’t just a solo return either, most of the original cast came back for the revival. Jane Kaczmarek, Frankie Muniz, Christopher Masterson, and Justin Berfield all reunited to bring the sitcom’s dysfunctional family energy back to life.
One of the funniest things? Bryan said it was Hal’s iconic wardrobe that helped him step right back into character. He joked about wearing one of those signature patterned short-sleeve shirts that screams “Hal” in the loudest way possible. “It’s a short-sleeve shirt that Hal would wear, a patterned short-sleeve shirt that screams out he’s not going anywhere,” Bryan laughed. You can already picture it, him walking around in that shirt, looking completely out of his depth while trying to parent.
Before this revival even came to life, Bryan had previously expressed interest in revisiting the Malcolm in the Middle universe. In a 2023 interview with E! News, he admitted he’d be totally down to do a reunion movie if the idea made sense. “There was some talk about the possibility of doing, like, a reunion movie of Malcolm in the Middle,” he said. “We had such a great family on that, and I certainly would be open to that if there was a good idea that came up, like, ‘Oh, that would be fantastic to explore what happened to this family 20 years later.’ I can’t believe it’s already that, but that would be fun to do.”
Meanwhile, Frankie Muniz, who played the titular Malcolm, has also come to appreciate the show in a whole new way. “When I was filming the show, I obviously was a kid,” he said. “We did seven seasons, 151 episodes. I didn’t really watch the show when it was on.” But things have changed. In recent years, Frankie has gone back and watched the entire series, this time as a fan. “I’ve now since watched the show with my wife. We [watched] all 151 episodes, and I realized, ‘Wow, that’s what we were making.’ I can separate myself from being on it and watching it as a fan.”
The revival is already giving fans the exact kind of chaos, warmth, and nostalgia they remember. Seeing Cranston back as Hal, complete with wild facial expressions, ridiculous parenting attempts, and total chaos, is a comforting throwback. And for the cast, it’s clearly more than just work. It’s about reconnecting with characters and friendships that helped define a moment in pop culture.
Bryan Cranston’s return to Malcolm in the Middle reminds us why the show worked in the first place. It was messy, heartfelt, hilarious, and totally original, and Hal was a massive part of that charm. If the revival lives up to even half the energy of the original, it’s going to be a must-watch for both longtime fans and curious newcomers. Whether or not the movie happens, this reunion is already proving to be something special.
