Compared to other sitcoms, especially at the time, Malcolm in the Middle seems to have gotten really out of control. Unbelievable things happened that barely touched reality. Hal was involved in most of them. But Bryan Cranston put himself in danger for a gag.
What is Malcolm in the Middle? Malcolm in the Middle ran between 2000 and 2006 and told the story of Malcolm and his family. At first glance, it seems like a classic sitcom, but Malcolm in the Middle was much cheekier and more anarchic.
This was not only due to the boys, but also to the father of the family, Hal, played by Bryan Cranston. Hal regularly experienced the most bizarre stories in the entire series. But for a joke, he went a little too far and risked his health.
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English trailer for the first season of Malcolm in the Middle
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Dangerously painted
Which episode is it about? In episode 14 of season 2, Hal is confronted with his miserable job. It goes so far that he takes time off work because he is supposedly sick. In his free time, he finally wants to paint a picture that he has had in his head for years. To give the picture the final artistic touch, he covers himself completely in paint.
But that was not a good idea, because it can have serious consequences for one’s health, as he revealed on the Graham Norton Show during the release of the film Argylle.
I was completely covered in blue paint. Completely, from head to toe. That’s how the Goldfinger woman died. It’s not safe because your body can no longer regulate the heat because you’re covering all your pores.
At one point during filming, his body is said to have slowly shut down. He was then quickly grabbed and taken to the shower.
The Goldfinger woman thing is just a myth, as Entertainment Weekly explains. Shirley Eaton, the actress who played the woman in question, is still alive.
That wasn’t the only thing Cranston had to endure. He talks about how the show’s writers wanted to find something that Cranston wouldn’t do in Malcolm in the Middle. As an example, he cites the moment when his entire body was covered in bees. That happened in Season 1 Episode 14.
Even today, Malcolm in the Middle is a fascinating series that has completely turned the genre of family sitcoms on its head. The family in the series is as far from a perfect family as possible, but family issues and togetherness are still portrayed well. Behind the scenes, however, things weren’t always great for Frankie Muniz: Malcom didn’t appear in 2 episodes because he left the set in protest