Whatever happened to Reese from 'Malcolm in the Middle'?

A fixture on many TV screens, both in its initial run and in its many reruns, 'Malcolm in the Middle' is considered one of the best TV comedies of the 21st century.

With 7 seasons and 151 episodes (2000-2006), the series convinced millions of families that their children, parents, and family members were actually not so bad, compared to the Wilkerson family. It was an unintended social service.

Its protagonist, Malcolm (Frankie Muniz), gave the name to the series, but his fictional brothers - Dewie (Erik Per Sullivan), Reese (Justin Berfield), and Francis (Christopher Masterson) - deserved to be mentioned as well.

Each of the kids naughtier than the other, they put Hal Wilkerson (Bryan Cranston) and Lois Wilkerson (Jane Kaczmarek), their fictional parents, through extreme situations that are now part of TV history.

Within that chaotic dynamic of the Wilkerson family, the boy Reese was a prominent figure.

The second son of Hal and Lois made Bart Simpson look like the ideal son. The level of nonsense he could come up with, set the Wilkerson household on fire at least once every other episode.

The brother that everybody wanted to avoid was a character brought to life by Justin Berfield. His success in the role would end up being a hurdle in his career: he would be type-casted.

What did Justin Berfield do to overcome the problem that usually finishes so many actors' and actresses' careers? Well, he basically moved away from the cameras himself.

The actor stopped appearing in front of the cameras and sought a career behind them.

Image: @justinberfield / Instagram

In 2010, four years after the end of the series, Justin Berfield became the Creative Director of Virgin Productions; the division of the Virgin Group in charge of cinema and TV content.

From that moment, the best-known productions in which Justin Berfield has participated are 'Limitless' (2011), 'The Impossible' (2012), and 'Bad Moms' (2016).

As far as his personal life goes, Berfield became a dad during the pandemic. The impossible Reese now has children of his own! As we can see in his Instagram account, the little Liza is the best gift life has given him.

Image: @justinberfield / Instagram

"Becoming a father during a global pandemic has definitely made this transition interesting," he wrote on Instagram. "But having the extra time to spend with this little one has been fine with us!"

Image: @justinberfield / Instagram

We only need to see his smile to know that Liza has brought an extra dose of happiness to the family.

Image: @justinberfield / Instagram

In August 2020, the actor and the rest of his cast mates from 'Malcolm in the Middle' organized a script reading on streaming. A new release from the star cast in the midst of the pandemic was a huge success.

It was such a success that Amazon Prime Video decided to bring back 'Malcolm in the Middle' and added it to its extensive catalog.

Image: @justinberfield / Instagram

Meanwhile, Justin Berfield earns some royalties, works behind the screen, plays with his daughter, and enjoys other hobbies, like fishing!

Image: @justinberfield / Instagram

A fan of fishing, Justin Berfield has little to no similarities with his character, Reese Wilkerson.

Image: @justinberfield / Instagram

What's more, the Virgin Director is known for his solidarity work as National Youth Ambassador for Ronald McDonald House Charities. He was reported to have donated 100,000 dollars to them.

He has also been collaborating with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and is involved with the charitable arm of the Virgin Group.

Despite his calm behavior, it's best not to get on his bad side, because Berfield holds a red belt of Tang Soo Do Karate. Still, it seems impossible to make the happiest guy in Hollywood angry.

Image: @justinberfield / Instagram