Life may still be unfair for some of the characters in “Malcolm in the Middle,” but for franchise newcomer Kiana Madeira, things are going pretty well.
“I wanted to act since I was really young, I was five when I first decided it’s what I wanted to do. But I think I was eight years old when the show first came out, and seeing other child actors doing what I wanted to do always inspired me so much, she told TheWrap ahead of the premiere. “As much as I loved watching shows, especially shows that had kids front and center, a part of my brain as a kid was also like, ‘I can do that.’ They’re showing me that I can also be on TV and tell these funny stories in this new world that’s separate from the world that I existed in. So, Frankie Muniz has always been such an inspiration to me.”
Indeed, Madeira stars as girlfriend Tristan to Frankie Muniz’s titular Malcolm in “Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair,” out now on Hulu. Original cast members Bryan Cranston, Justin Berfield, Christopher Masterson, Emy Coligado, Craig Lamar Traylor, David Anthony Higgins and Jane Kaczmarek also return for the four-episode miniseries, alongside fellow new additions Vaughan Murrae, Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, Anthony Timpano and Keeley Karsten, who plays Malcolm’s daughter Leah.
“It was really great working with [Karsten]. We actually chemistry read together, Frankie, her and I. We were mixing and matching with other actors that could potentially play our roles and I just love what she brought to her character. She has nuances of Malcolm when he was a kid, but also her own fresh take on it,” Madeira said. “And I loved seeing Malcolm have a daughter, specifically growing up around all boys, it’s really cute to see Malcolm navigate the feminine energy. But I also really love that we see Tristan meet Leah for the first time, so it’s not like I was dropped into the world having to already have an established relationship with her, I was able to discover that as we went.”
“Life’s Still Unfair” isn’t the Canadian actress’ first sitcom — one of her first main television roles was on Family Channel teen series “Really Me” — but you more likely recognize her as the lead of Netflix’s “Fear Street” slasher trilogy. Still, she learned a lot from working with one of America’s most famous TV families.
“The whole group was super welcoming and kind. Working with actors who are such vets in the genre was best-case scenario for me, just being on set and absorbing. I really wanted to just be a sponge and learn from them, they were so great to show me the ropes. I also was a huge fan of the original show, so I think I naturally understood the world and the timing of the comedy,” she shared. “But we had a great team behind us. Linwood Boomer, the executive producer and creator of the show, was on set every single day. He wrote the scripts, there really isn’t any decision that’s made without his approval, so that also really helps knowing that someone is there who has your back. Ken Kwapis, our director, also was incredible. He worked on the original show as well, so having that team really allowed me the confidence to step in knowing that I was well taken care of.”
“I learned so much from Bryan Cranston,” Madeira added. “He’s such a physically comedic actor, so just by watching him work, I learned that there’s times where you can be funny in a sitcom through dialog alone, but you can also add so much comedy just by facial expression and body movement. They’re all so talented.”
Plus, she is happy to report that the original single-cam sitcom, which ran for seven seasons from 2000 to 2006, still holds up 20 years later.
“I was re-watching the original show while we were filming, and now with a more adult way of looking at things, I love how the original show was ahead of its time in a lot of different areas, in terms of being diverse, inclusive,” Madeira noted. “I’m not surprised that our continuation touches on topics while also providing representation to communities that otherwise may not have it. I love that Kelly, their youngest child, identifies as being non-binary. That representation is huge and very much in alignment with the style of ‘Malcolm in the Middle.’”
“Looking back, they’ve always shined a light on topics and communities that were not always being represented on screen,” she concluded. “I love being a part of this franchise for that reason.”
“Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair” is now streaming on Hulu.
