Bryan Cranston Apologizes As Hal’s Risqué Antics Spark Debate In Malcolm In The Middle Revival

So, Malcolm in the Middle is making its big comeback—yes, really, on Disney+—and Bryan Cranston wants everyone to know something important right out of the gate: Hal is still Hal, and apparently, that means we're seeing a bit more of him than we might like. Or at least, more of him than most of us asked for.

Cranston Issues a Wardrobe Warning

Cranston is already going around apologizing for "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair," and it's got nothing to do with chemistry sets or criminal empires. He went on Entertainment Tonight and, pretty much in his classic deadpan way, told fans to 'turn away' or 'cover your kid's eyes' ahead of the premiere. Yes, Hal is back to his old antics, and by 'antics' I mean he appears naked—twice, to be specific.

"Hal's going to be naked at some point during this thing," Cranston warned, adding that he was sorry about it in advance.

Maybe it shouldn't be that surprising. If you've followed Cranston's career, running around with no pants seems to be a personal tradition at this point.

Why Is Hal Still Naked?

The show itself has always leaned into ridiculous physical comedy, and Cranston's Hal was usually the first one to take everything way too far. But, even Cranston seems a little amused about how often he ends up undressed in public. According to The Guardian, he joked, 'Taking my clothes off seems to be my whole life.' Not wrong. He just won an Emmy for Seth Rogen's comedy "The Studio," where he wore a leopard-skin thong, so apparently, the guy's up for anything.

He told The Guardian he thought a nudity clause in his contracts meant there'd be some careful planning for those scenes, but, well, clearly not enough to keep him dressed here.

Classic Hal Stunts (and New Ones)

• This is the same Bryan Cranston who let 60,000 live bees cover his body on camera—yes, he actually got stung in the crotch—for the original show.
• He once chugged a blend of raw meat and eggs in a single take, all for a laugh.
• For this revival, he's doing a supermarket dance routine and, for good measure, accidentally takes enough hallucinogens for '15 elephants.' (How that's even possible, I'm not sure, but this is Malcolm in the Middle, so just roll with it.)

Or, as Cranston himself puts it: 'All in the name of comedy, man. You gotta go for it.'

What to Expect

"Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair" brings back the original cast as Hal and Lois hit their 40th wedding anniversary. The four half-hour episodes drop on Disney+ on April 10. So, fans, brace yourselves—Hal is still Hal, and your retinas have been warned.