Bryan Cranston is ready for the world to welcome the Wilkerson family back into their television screens.
Last year, over 20 years since Malcolm in the Middle first aired, Disney confirmed that it was officially bringing back the series for a limited run, with most of the original cast returning, including Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Christopher Masterson, and Justin Berfield.
And though there’s no release date just yet, the Breaking Bad alum is getting fans ready for it with insight into what it has been like slipping back into character as family patriarch Hal.
Speaking with People at an FYC event for his new hit AppleTV+ show, The Studio — which has been renewed for a second season — Bryan said that “slipping back into that character of Hal for me was so rewarding.”
“I missed him,” he confessed, noting: “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 all my whole family back together. It was great.”
In spite of the lack of release date, the reboot, which will consist of four episodes coming to Disney+ in honor of the beloved sitcom’s 25th anniversary, has already wrapped filming.
© Getty ImagesAlso asked if there was anything that helped Bryan get back into the character so many years later, he revealed: “It’s a short-sleeve shirt that Hal would wear, a patterned short-sleeve shirt that screams out he’s not going anywhere.”
According to the Disney+ logline for the revival, “Malcolm and his daughter are drawn into the family’s chaos when Hal and Lois demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party.”
© Getty ImagesThe original premise of the Fox show followed kid genius Malcolm (Frankie), the third-born child in a dysfunctional family of four (and later five) boys, dealing with the complexities of his intellect paired with the eccentricities of his oft-chaotic family.
One original cast member not coming back is Erik Per Sullivan as Dewey, who left acting in 2010 when he was 18 years old, and, now 33, was only recently seen in public in April for the first time in almost 20 years.
© Getty ImagesOn the other hand, titular character Malcolm, played by Frankie, will be coming back in spite of the former child actor’s recent step away from acting and career pivot towards race car driving. He wrote on Twitter, now known as X, earlier this month: “Just wrapped filming the Malcolm in the Middle reboot, and man, I’m still reeling. This experience was straight-up incredible — like stepping back into Malcolm’s wild world but with all the love and chaos cranked to 11. Reuniting with the cast, getting to know some new characters, laughing till it hurt, and making new memories on set felt like a dream I didn’t want to wake up from. It went by so fast, like a blur of perfect moments. I wish it could go on forever.
“I’m so happy to have gotten the chance to relive being on this show with a greater appreciation of what we were making knowing how many people around the world truly love Malcolm and his family. Another big thing I am taking away from this experience is how much I truly love being an actor. I never officially felt like that label fit me, but now I wear that label proudly and hope to do so much more of it in the future. I am so sad to have to say goodbye to my MITM crew, I love each and everyone of you.”
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