For those who grew up in the early 2000s, Malcolm in the Middle is a cultural touchstone. From the angsty theme song to the depiction of a relatable family dynamic, the series captivated millions of viewers across the world.

The series followed working-class parents Hal and Louis (played by Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek) as they raise their four boys: Francis (Christopher Kennedy Masterson), Reese (Justin Berfield), Malcolm (Frankie Muniz), Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan), and baby Jamie.
Malcolm In The Middle & 9 Other TV Shows Where The Protagonist Is Not The Most Interesting Character. 05 March 2021; Screen Rant; It isn’t easy to make lead characters interesting, especially when it comes to sitcoms, as they tend to be the moral compass of the show and call the more absurd characters out on their behavior. Directed by James Simons. With Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Masterson, Justin Berfield. Being fed up with military school, Francis gets himself legally emancipated so he can go north to Alaska with his friend Eric and become a logger. This does not sit well at all with the family. Justin Berfield, Actor: Malcolm in the Middle. Justin Tyler Berfield was born on the 25th of February, 1986, and resides in Los Angeles. Born and raised in California, he has been acting since he was 5 years old when he landed a part in a commercial for Folgers Coffee. He has appeared in over 22 national television commercials including an advertisement for Colgate toothpaste and was. 'Malcolm in the Middle' ran from 2000 to 2006, and in that time, Justin had a few guest roles in films and TV shows and also a direct-to-video movie. He started working on the production side of things. He has credits as a screenwriter, producer, director, and actor, with his last project wrapping up in 2012, per IMDb.
While Cranston's Hal stole the show on many occasions, Dewey was also a fan favorite thanks to his mischievous behavior and his fearlessness in being brutally honest. But what had Erik Per Sullivan been up to since rising to fame on Malcolm in the Middle?
Now in his late 20s, Sullivan seemingly retired from acting in 2010 (via Nine Australia). According to IMDb, his last role was in the film Twelve alongside Chace Crawford and Emma Roberts.
Erik Per Sullivan is very hard to find on social media
The actor also starred in the 2007 film Mo and lent his voice to a character in the animated film Arthur and the Invisibles with Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, and Madonna.
Sullivan also starred in a fair few movies while working on Malcolm in the Middle, including Joe Dirt with David Spade and Dennis Miller, Unfaithful alongside Richard Gere and Diane Lane, as well as voicing Sheldon the seahorse in Pixar's Finding Nemo (viaIMDb).
Since Twelve, there's been little to no updates on Sullivan. He's relatively hard to find on social media, and there are no verified accounts to his name. There is an Instagram account with a substantial amount of followers, but there's no way to tell whether it's actually legitimate. The profile does have more recent photos of the actor though, who has grown up considerably since he was last seen on screen.
While Sullivan has stepped away from the spotlight for now, it's clear that love for his performance as Dewey on Malcolm in the Middle lives on.
Berfield in 2005 | |
Born | February 25, 1986 (age 35) Agoura Hills, California, U.S. |
---|---|
Occupation | Actor, producer, writer |
Years active | 1994–2012 |
Children | 1 |
Justin Tyler Berfield (born February 25, 1986) is an American actor, writer, and producer. He is known for his portrayal of Malcolm's dimwitted older brother, Reese, on the family sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. He also played Ross Malloy on The WB sitcom Unhappily Ever After. As of 2010, Berfield is Chief Creative Officer of Virgin Produced, a film and television development, packaging, and production company announced in 2010 by the Virgin Group.
Early life[edit]

Berfield was born in Agoura Hills, California, to Gail Berfield (née Stark) and Eric 'Rick' Berfield. He is the younger brother of actor Lorne Berfield. Berfield is Jewish.[1]
Acting career[edit]
Berfield's first screen appearance was in a Folgers coffee commercial at age five. He went on to appear in 20 other nationally broadcast American commercials as a young child. His TV debut came in the short-lived series The Good Life (1994) in which he co-starred with Drew Carey. More TV appearances followed in Hardball, The Boys Are Back, and The Mommies (1994–1995).[citation needed]
Berfield's first long-running TV role was as Ross Malloy in Unhappily Ever After (1995–1999), in which he notched up 100 episode appearances. In 1995, Berfield (then aged 9) was one of 3000 juvenile actors who auditioned for the role of the young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.
He gained international prominence with his role on January 9, 2000, when Linwood Boomer cast him to play Malcolm's trouble-making older brother Reese on the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. He appeared in all 151 episodes of that series, and with the recording of the 100th episode became the youngest actor in screen history to have appeared in 100 episodes of two different TV series. After Malcolm in the Middle ended on May 14, 2006, Berfield concentrated on production work, although he made a one-off appearance in the series Sons of Tucson in 2010.[2]

Charity work[edit]
In 2001, Berfield was asked to serve as a National Youth Ambassador for Ronald McDonald House Charities, in which he participated for three years until turning 18. He has been active with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and most recently Virgin Unite, the charitable arm of Virgin Group.[3]
Personal life[edit]
Berfield is the father of a young daughter.[4]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | Max Keeble's Big Move | Caption Writer | |
2006 | Romance and Cigarettes | Producer | |
2007 | Blonde Ambition | Producer |
Television[edit]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1994 | The Good Life | Bob Bowman | 13 episodes |
Hardball | Kid | 2 episodes | |
The Boys Are Back | Timmy Flint | 4 episodes | |
1996 | Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man | Episode: 'Exile in Guyville' | |
1995–1999 | Unhappily Ever After | Ross Malloy | Lead role; 100 episodes |
1999 | The Kid with X-Ray Eyes | Bobby | |
2000–2006 | Malcolm in the Middle | Reese Wilkerson | Lead role; 151 episodes |
2001 | Max Keeble's Big Move | Caption writer | |
The Nightmare Room | Josh Ryan | Episode: 'Tangled Web' | |
2002–2004 | Kim Possible | Gill (voice) | 2 episodes |
2003 | Who's Your Daddy? | Danny Hughes | Direct-to-video movie |
2004 | The Fairly OddParents | Ving | 1 episode; voice |
2005 | Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive | Producer, screenplay | |
2007 | The Pet Detective | TV movie, producer, director | |
2010 | Sons of Tucson | Barry | 1 episode; also producer |
2012 | Virgin Produced: Comedy Vault | TV movie, producer |
Malcolm In The Middle Stream

Awards[edit]
Awards | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Award | Category | Nominated work |
1998 | Nominated | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Supporting Young Actor | Unhappily Ever After |
1999 | Nominated | |||
Nominated | YoungStar Awards | Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Comedy TV Series | ||
2000 | Won | Best Young Ensemble Cast: Television | Malcolm in the Middle | |
2001 | Nominated | Young Artist Awards | Best Ensemble in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) | |
2002 | Nominated | Best Performance in a Feature Film: Supporting Young Actor | Max Keeble's Big Move | |
Nominated | Best Ensemble in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) | Malcolm in the Middle | ||
2003 | Won | |||
Nominated | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama): Supporting Young Actor |
References[edit]
- ^Naomi Pfefferman (August 23, 2001). 'From Middle to the Top – Arts'. Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on April 1, 2009.
- ^Justin Berfield biography, imdb.com; accessed September 20, 2016.
- ^Justin Berfield – I Support, officialjustinberfield.com; accessed September 20, 2016.
- ^''Malcolm In The Middle' Stars Frankie Muniz And Justin Berfield Are Officially All Grown Up'. TheThings. March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
External links[edit]
- Justin Berfield at IMDb
- Justin Berfield at AllMovie
Malcolm In The Middle Characters

Dabney Malcolm In The Middle Imdb
