Article - "MITM at the end"

Ryebeach

Moderator
Here's a very nice article from the Sioux City Journal, which gives some insight as to how Jane, Bryan and Frankie feel about the ending of MITM, as well as their perceptions/feelings on some of the more "out there" storylines over the past 7 seasons. :) It's interesting to read Bryan, Jane and Frankie's take on the show and their characters. That's not something we read about too often.

SiouxCityJournal - 5/5/06 - MITM Article
 

Wildcat

Retired Moderator
Nice article Ryebeach, thanks for posting! That quote from Bryan in the first two sentences does a great job of summarizing the way we felt when we got the news of the cancellation in January. :(
 

tjpeople

Site Administrator
Staff member
Thought id copy the article, cuase its a good read, and i dont wnat it dissappearing.

It's 'Malcolm' at the end
By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer

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</td> <td class="cutline">It's time to say goodbye to the cast of "Malcolm in the Middle," clockwise from top left, Lukas Rodriguez, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Masterson, Erik Per Sullivan, Jane Kaczmarek, Frankie Muniz and Justin Barfield. The series ends May 14 on Fox.</td> </tr> </tbody></table> LOS ANGELES -- Living with the threat of cancellation is a bit like wondering if grandma is going to die, says actor Bryan Cranston.

"When you finally get that call, you know it's expected but it still takes your breath away."

Cranston and the other cast members of "Malcolm in the Middle" got the news in January. The first day back to work after the call, "we had a nice, tearful embrace," Cranston says. "The show has been like a pair of comfortable shoes. You slip into a character and a show that's well-written and everything's great. It's hard to say goodbye."
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</td> </tr> </tbody></table> For Frankie Muniz, the show's end cracks a door to a new life. After the final episode airs, he'll move to New Orleans where he and his fiancee plan to make their home. He expects to race cars in the next year and take some time off from show business. "I'm not going to rush into anything," he says. "I'm lucky to be 20 years old and able to take a year, five years off and do whatever."

That freedom appeals, as well, to Jane Kaczmarek who hasn't had much time to play real mom during the show's seven-year run. "I'll get to go to Brownie meetings. I'll get to do a lot of things I've missed out on."

When Kaczmarek's manager called with the cancellation news, her 8-year-old was with her. "What do you wish would happen more than anything in the world?" she asked the girl. "Your show got canceled?" she replied.

"Having a mom who's there is very important," Kaczmarek says.

And yet, "Malcolm" was often chided for its offbeat look at parenting. Mom yelled; dad cowered.

Cranston says the odd coupling was by design.

"In the beginning, Hal wasn't written to be much of anything. I had maybe five lines in the pilot. In the audition, I just tried to be the opposite of what the Lois character seemed to be. She was bombastic, aggressive and in charge. The only thing I could think of being was emotionally supportive and sensitive."

In time, Hal changed immensely. He revealed a lot of inner secrets (who knew he was a roller-skating champion?) and outward aggressions. "Hal has a wide parameter of insanity," Cranston says. "Had the show gone another year, he could have done even more."

Kaczmarek figured there was still life in the concept. "Lois was a mother who said 'no.' She wasn't someone who would sit and talk about how her kids were feeling. These were people just juggling to keep their heads above water. They had no money, no housekeeper, no baby-sitter, no health care."

Stories, as a result, could be a bit bizarre -- even in the show's final days. One of the last episodes featured Lois learning how to ride a bike. "I've always been amazed by our writers. I don't know how they come up with this stuff."

The show went too far, she says, when Francis, the oldest son, delivered Lois' last baby. Kaczmarek says that was "over the top," but she didn't protest the way she did when Francis brought home his bride and the writers wanted her to be mean to her new daughter-in-law. "I don't care what kind of mother she is, she should be happy if her son comes home with a wife."

Cranston says he thought it was a bit bizarre when Hal and Lois stole a car, yet Hal wouldn't dream of swiping the neighbor's newspaper. "He'd read it, then put it back in the plastic bag on the lawn."

Muniz enjoyed the wild mood swings that occurred in Malcolm's family. When Malcolm got a girlfriend and broke up with her, "I got to do a lot of fun acting things. I was extremely happy one minute and depressed and crying the next."

Because he started the show when he wasn't even a teenager, Muniz got to grow up on television. The series is like a video diary. "I don't remember a lot of the episodes, so I get to look back on them like everyone else. It's fun to watch."

And a bit telling. Often, he says, fans would come up and tell him, "My family's just like that." "I don't know if that's a good thing," he adds with a smile.

Like his TV parents, Muniz is looking forward to time off. More than anything, "Malcolm" has afforded its cast the financial freedom to say no to projects they don't want to do.

"It's a rare thing for an actor," Cranston says.

Because Kaczmarek's husband, Brad Whitford, is also ending his series ("The West Wing"), they'll finally get to relax. "I haven't seen a single new show all year long."

She suspects she'll take a memento from the set, but "it's such a dump who would want that stuff?"

Often, she admits, she'd take toys home to her children for birthday and Christmas presents. "You'd get puzzles with a few pieces missing, but the kids didn't care." When her children were done with them, she'd bring them back to the set and no one would be the wiser.

Now, those days are almost gone.

Muniz, for one, believes the show will have a long shelf life. "You never knew what the family's last name was or where they lived. We could have been from Nebraska or by the beach. We could have been from anywhere. We were never stereotyped."
 

simon_4420

New member
Thanks Rye for posting:)

It was a good read and it was really nice to hear some of the casts thoughts. Its weird that Frankie is saying he would like to see some of the episode, as must actors say how much they try and avoid watching themselves on TV... :D
 

tony_montana

Semper Fidelis
First of all, thumbs up to whoever wrote the article.:) Very nice.
Yeah, it's gonna suck next Sunday, but like Frankie said, I believe the show will have a long shelf life and sooner or later the dvd's will be released. Im already saving up money for the day that happens.:D
I just want to extend my blessings to the entire cast and crew. To them, I say thanks for seven great seasons of one great show. God be with all of them in the future.:)
 
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