# ''Malcolm in the Middle'' Ages Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 5, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malcolm-in-the-middle-ages-question/97093 "2001-12-05T20:33:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malcolm-in-the-middle-ages-question/97093/1 "2001-12-05T20:33:51Z")
What are the ages of the kids in **Malcolm in the Middle**? I was wondering this today because on the [IMDB.com](http://IMDB.com) daily newsletter I receive, it says that Frankie Muniz is 16 today. I always got the impression that Francis was 18, Reese was around 14, Malcolm 13, and Dewey 9 or 10. The last episode Reese mentioned he was in high school, I believe, which would put him as a freshman and Malcolm in eighth grade. Then is it just me or was Reese walking around on the middle school playground when he was selling the church donations? ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malcolm-in-the-middle-ages-question/97093/2 "2001-12-05T21:24:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bean\_shadow \* > \*\*Then is it just me or was Reese walking around on the middle school playground when he was selling the church donations? \*\* I think you’re right on the ages. I believe the season premiere showed Reese talking over the fence to Malcolm in the middle school playground - I think the schools are right next to each other. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malcolm-in-the-middle-ages-question/97093/3 "2001-12-05T22:02:02Z")
Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) is actually nearly three months OLDER than the kid who plays Reese (Justin Berfield). (Muniz is short for his age.) Producers love child actors who are small for their age because they are (presumably) more mature and more disciplined and smarter and better able to take directions. Muniz may still be playing high school kids in his twenties. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malcolm-in-the-middle-ages-question/97093/4 "2001-12-06T00:57:43Z")
Francis can’t be 18 yet. In a recent episode he wanted a lawyer’s help to become an emanicpated minor so he could go away to Alaska with a friend. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malcolm-in-the-middle-ages-question/97093/5 "2001-12-06T01:30:29Z")
17 for Francis would be just about right. Remember the episode when they flashed back to the births of each of the boys? The decor of their apartment/condo & Hal’s outfits were in the “Miami Vice” style. That show debuted in 1984, which would put Francis in the 16 to 17 range. I loved that episode… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![snac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@snac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snac)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malcolm-in-the-middle-ages-question/97093/6 "2001-12-06T03:02:21Z")
Since when did this show take place during medieval times? Oh, not those Middle Ages… **sorry** ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malcolm-in-the-middle-ages-question/97093/7 "2001-12-06T05:56:09Z")
Yeah, Francis is about 17… Reese drives this season, so he’s probably 15 or almost 15… I’d stick Malcolm at about 13 or 14… and Dewey is maybe 9 now, cuz he’s starting to orbit around reality. Question: Is the show in a universe where HS starts in 9th grade or 10th grade? I live in MD, where the public high school starts in 10th grade _or maybe used to; I’m not too clear on that_ but most private high schools start in 9th grade. I’m leaning towards 9th grade HS for MitM, but I’m really not totally sure. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malcolm-in-the-middle-ages-question/97093/8 "2001-12-06T14:18:50Z")
This show debuted during the fall of 1999, right (the IMDB gives it as 2000, but that can’t be right)? Is it just me or did Dewey seem like he was six-years-old when the show first started? ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malcolm-in-the-middle-ages-question/97093/9 "2001-12-06T16:55:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Super Gnat \* > \*\*Question: Is the show in a universe where HS starts in 9th grade or 10th grade? I live in MD, where the public high school starts in 10th grade _or maybe used to; I’m not too clear on that_ but most private high schools start in 9th grade. I’m leaning towards 9th grade HS for MitM, but I’m really not totally sure. \*\* [slight hijack] I, too, live in Maryland. I attended private schools, all my life as did hubby and as will/do the kids. In all the private schools I know, HS starts at 9th grade. [/slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malcolm-in-the-middle-ages-question/97093/10 "2001-12-06T17:06:19Z")
I think originally the character Dewey was supposed to be much younger than the age of the actor Erik Per Sullivan (born 7/12/91 according to [imdb.com](http://imdb.com)). However, I think he went through a growth spurt after the first season so they had to perform some sitcom magic and readjust his age by the second season. I’ve been waiting for Frankie Muniz to go through a growth spurt but I guess maybe he’s going to be that short all his life if he’s already 16. Poor guy. FWIW, in my hometown when I was growing up High School was 10-12 and junior high was 7-9. A few years after I graduated they rejiggered the system and now they have 9-12 at the high school, renamed the junior high to “middle school” and put grades 6-8 there. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malcolm-in-the-middle-ages-question/97093/11 "2001-12-06T20:31:00Z")
In the first season, “Reese” was 12, “Malcolm” was 9, and “Dewey” was 6. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2001, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malcolm-in-the-middle-ages-question/97093/12 "2001-12-06T23:56:11Z")
Hollywood likes to use actors much older than those they portray. The reason for this is cause the older they are the more experienced they are. Look at Webster. bean\_shadow did you want their real life ages or show ages?