‘Malcolm in the Middle’ Star Justin Berfield Once Auditioned for Anakin Skywalker
Long before ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ became a hallmark of early 2000s sitcoms, its future star was pursuing a very different kind of fame. Justin Berfield, who spent seven seasons portraying the mischievous older brother Reese, found himself in the midst of one of Hollywood’s most competitive child casting calls.
At that time, Berfield was already an established child actor, known for his role as Ross Malloy on ‘Unhappily Ever After’ after starting his career in commercials at just five years old. This experience positioned him as a strong candidate when a unique casting opportunity came his way.
That opportunity was for ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace,’ which prompted casting directors to seek a young actor to portray Anakin Skywalker in the eagerly anticipated prequel trilogy. Berfield has confirmed that he was indeed part of that extensive search, revealing that he auditioned for the role of young Anakin around 1995, when he was only nine years old.
The scale of that casting search was truly impressive. Approximately 3,000 young actors were evaluated for the role, and Berfield’s audition reportedly placed him among a select group of finalists, which included Cameron Finley, Devin Michael, Michael Angarano, and a young Haley Joel Osment. Footage from the casting process has circulated online, showcasing several of those candidates, including Berfield, being assessed for the part.
Ultimately, the role went to Jake Lloyd, whose portrayal of young Anakin became one of the most recognizable and debated performances of the prequel era after ‘The Phantom Menace’ was released in 1999.
However, missing out on the galaxy far, far away did not hinder Berfield’s career. Shortly after his audition for Anakin, he secured the role that would define his career, playing Reese Wilkerson in Fox’s ‘Malcolm in the Middle,’ which premiered in 2000 and ran for seven seasons until 2006.
Berfield appeared in all 151 episodes of the series, and along with his previous 100-episode stint on ‘Unhappily Ever After,’ he became the youngest person in television history to appear in over 100 episodes of two different network shows. This achievement highlights just how much of his childhood was spent working steadily in the industry before ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ made him a household name.
Berfield’s portrayal of Reese, the lovable yet troublesome character who often clashed with Frankie Muniz’s title character, became a beloved aspect of the show, earning him a loyal fan base that has remained with him long after the series concluded. In hindsight, the Anakin audition serves as an interesting Hollywood anecdote, a role that could have dramatically altered his career trajectory had the casting gone differently.
Instead, Berfield’s journey led him to a genre-defining sitcom rather than a franchise, a trade-off that ultimately worked out well for both him and the show that brought him fame. After ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ ended, Berfield shifted his focus behind the camera, taking on production roles in film and television, including developing and producing feature films, scripted series, and digital media projects.
This serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of Hollywood casting, especially in large franchise searches involving thousands of hopefuls. A few different decisions in a casting room decades ago could have completely changed the course of one of television’s most memorable early-2000s ensembles, and audiences may never have known the difference.
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