Malcolm in the Middle originally ran on the Fox channel for seven seasons. Chronicling the misadventures of gifted child Malcolm and his dysfunctional family, the series has become one of the 2000s’ most beloved sitcoms.
With many guest performances and recurring roles who carried their own weight — like Eric Hansen, Commandant Edwin Spangler, and Richie — Malcolm’s main cast included some truly hilarious characters. Here is every major character in the show, ranked.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
9 Jamie
20th Television
Jamie was first introduced in the season four episode “Baby Part 2.” While seeing Hal and Lois’ next steps in parenthood was an interesting arc to follow, and the two-part episode “Baby” proved an absurd joy, Jamie did not ultimately amount to much, apart from offering new challenges for the family. This was not because Jamie is a bad character, but a result of the character never becoming old enough to speak in the series.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Jamie still had some smart and funny moments. A fitting and involved role for the toddler was in the season seven episode, “Halloween.” In this holiday special, Jamie ends up crawling throughout the house’s vents, much to the dismay of Hal and Malcolm, who are both paranoid that the home is haunted. Such moments for Jamie were fittingly wholesome, although most of his storylines dragged on throughout in the series.
8 Francis
The eldest brother of the family, Francis’ storylines typically took place remote from Hal, Lois, and the boys. His location changes throughout the series, as does his occupation. In season one, he’s attending military school, making him the odd man out amongst his outcast family. Francis then went on to pursue logging, ranching, writing, and free spiritedness before becoming a dedicated office worker.
While Francis was an important part of the show, his flippant attitudes, anger towards his mother, and general immaturity could sometimes dull the positive aspects of his character. Best suited in his earliest appearances, Francis’ presence wanes as the series progresses. In the final two seasons, Francis only appeared in 10 of the 44 episodes ordered.
7 Craig Feldspar
20th Television
Craig was not a member of the family, but he acted like it. A pest in most senses of the word, Craig was entitled and lazy, despite holding a longtime position at the fictional Lucky Aide, where he worked with Lois. Craig was somehow insecure, yet prideful. Lovelorn, he was known for his persistent and one-sided crush on Lois. He was intrusive, a bad influence, and was shown to dream of Hal’s downfall.
Despite these flaws, Craig was a staple of the series, and one of its most ludicrous creations. Played by David Anthony Higgins, Craig came off as a more self-aware portrayal of immaturity than Francis. More often than not, his inclusion paved the way for some unpredictable setups.
6 Reese
One of the most effective iterations of the archetypical school bully, Reese was often seen as the show’s most amoral character. Not all that heartless deep down, Reese repeatedly lacked the foresight to see why his far-fetched plans and creative efforts would not pan out. Although he grew into a more caring brother, as made clear in the episode “Reese vs. Stevie,” Reese spent most of his early years bullying his younger brother Dewey, forcing Malcolm’s friends to do his homework, and overall getting away with a litany of crimes. Still, Reese delivered some of the show’s most gut-punching and pure instances of comedy.
Here’s Where the Cast from Malcolm In The Middle is Today
5 Malcolm
As the sitcom’s titular lead, Malcolm is a character who was given heavy screen time. He was even granted the privilege to deliver third-wall-breaking monologues throughout the series. While Malcolm was the catalyst of the whole story, and the initial discovery of his high IQ is important, the main character was at most points hyper-fixated on his intellect and not much else.
Portrayed by Frankie Muniz — well known for playing Agent Cody Banks during the same period — Malcolm could feel overbearing as the sitcom progressed. His stubbornness, hubris, and egotism can become a bit unappealing, but nevertheless, a significant reason why the show was so unique in the first place. While Malcolm was not a perfect main character, and it could sometimes be hard to root for him, his complicated exploits led to lessons and conclusions not often seen on cable TV at the time, and overall his development was one of the series’ most intriguing and earned.
4 Stevie Kenarben
Malcolm’s best friend, Stevie Kenarben, often drew the short straw in the series. Intellectually gifted, Stevie was endlessly humbler than Malcolm without losing his ability to excel. These traits didn’t stop him from being picked on, however, and he was often misunderstood by his own family and mistreated by Malcolm.
Stevie was interesting as an outside perspective to Malcolm’s family, showing how alienated both their clans can be. The two had similar upbringings and talents, yet consistently criticized one another, or at the least bickered. Just as Stevie faced struggle in the series, his triumphs were equally fascinating. When Malcolm and Stevie found the means to put aside their disagreements and work together, the duo would embark on some of the show’s most distinct plots.
3 Lois
Played by Jane Kaczmarek, Lois was the much-needed glue of the family, but also the show’s dynamics. Often strict and sometimes too standoffish for her own good, Lois was the tough-shelled yet motherly side of the series. Similar to the show itself, Lois was known to dispel her lessons pointedly.
There has always been much merit in seeing how Lois manages her family, as well as the love she clearly has for them. Her intents never came from a bad place, and, considering her own upbringing, were fair compared to her mother’s sense of right and wrong. Her frequent arguments with her sons were each humorous, and seeing how far both groups would go to outmaneuver the other in a petty way was nothing short of engaging.
2 Dewey
Although he was a genius in his own right, Dewey was always ignored when compared to the demanding Malcolm. The youngest child of the group (until Jamie comes along), and a gifted pianist, Dewey was relatable in his desire to escape and get away from the madness. Clearly possessing the most colorful imagination in the family, Dewey was often in his own head and acted on a whim.
From penning an opera to getting addicted to cigarettes, Dewey’s storylines were some of the show’s most shocking and hardest-hitting. His unrelenting unpredictability and individual worldview were surprising for the young child, but were conveyed to perfection by his actor, Erik Per Sullivan.
1 Hal
Bryan Cranston, a Malcolm enthusiast, is the show’s biggest star today. In addition to his actor’s skyrocketing popularity in the 2010s and onward, which led to a light crossover of Breaking Bad and Malcolm, Hal has always been the show’s most vital component. Easily the series’ funniest, Cranston was not only Malcolm in the Middle’s best main cast member, but the family’s best-performed and most sincerely portrayed character, too.
From his absurdist adventures in the workforce — or often lack thereof — to his hilarious lapses in judgment and leadership, Hal was the sitcom’s most captivating character. Allowing Cranston to move on from smaller roles such as Seinfeld’s Tim Whatley, Malcolm was just the start of the actor’s break into a leading man. Yet, amongst the Oscar nominee’s greatest roles still remains the sitcom dad and goofball.
