Actor Bryan Cranston is best known for his critically acclaimed role as Walter White in Breaking Bad, one of the greatest TV shows of all time. Despite his impactful performance in the series, it cannot match the vigor of another Cranston performance, which saw him go to great lengths.
During his stint on the hit sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, Bryan Cranston resorted to doing his own stunts. However, given his character, Hal’s constant antics in the show, Cranston found himself in perilous situations, including an occasion where he was covered with 60,000 bees. Here is what Cranston had to say about his stunt work in Malcolm in the Middle.
Bryan Cranston covered himself with 60,000 bees for Malcolm in the Middle
Bryan Cranston rose to prominence with his comedic performance as Hal in the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, which aired for seven seasons before ending in 2007. Hal is the father of five children, whose indecisiveness often leads him into hilariously complicated situations.
During his time on the series, Cranston opted for doing his own stunts, which quickly became a challenge for the writers who wanted to push the actor to his limits. As a result, Cranston admitted on The Graham Norton Show that the writers wanted to come up with something he wouldn’t agree to do.
Cranston went on to describe the various crazy stunts he pulled off during this time, stating (via Metro):
I was strapped on a moving bus, I had 60,000 stinging bees on me, and I did a thing where my character was covered from head to toe in blue paint.
Cranston referred to the season 1 episode, titled The Bolts and Bees, where he was covered in bees in one of the most hilarious gags from the show. However, Cranston admitted that the stunts became dangerous after a point and would physically shut down after performing some of them.
Bryan Cranston reacts to reprising Malcolm in the Middle role for revival series
Following the show’s conclusion in 2006, Cranston went on to play the role of Walter White in AMC’s Breaking Bad. The actor received critical acclaim for his performance, winning multiple Best Actor Emmy Awards during its six-season run.
Over the years, Cranston remained open to the idea of reprising the role of Hal in a potential Malcolm in the Middle revival. The reunion is finally materializing and was reported to be in development at Disney+ in December 2024. As of May 2025, filming on the 4-episode reunion special has been completed.
The revival will see Cranston reunite with Malcolm actor Frankie Muniz and his other co-stars from the original series. In a conversation with People, Cranston reacted to reprising the role of Hal.
Slipping back into that character of Hal for me was so rewarding — I missed him. It’s been almost 20 years since we said goodbye. And he’s a sweet, lovable man.
The 69-year-old actor made the above statement, admitting that it was fun to see his entire family from the sitcom reunite for the revival, except actor Erik Per Sullivan, who was replaced by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark as Dewey. The revival currently does not have a confirmed release date.
Malcolm in the Middle is currently streaming on Disney+ (USA).
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
