Did Malcolm In The Middle Star Jane Kaczmareks Health Issues Affect Her Career?

Highlights

• Jane Kaczmarek's portrayal of Lois Wilkerson on Malcolm in the Middle made her a fan favorite.
• Kaczmarek dealt with osteoarthritis during the filming of the sitcom
• Kaczmarek experienced tough symptoms while filming.

Fans didn't love every Malcolm in the Middle character, but Lois Wilkerson was always a fan favorite. Jane Kaczmarek brought the tough but sometimes compassionate character to life in every single episode. While Lois cares about her kids and her husband, she can't help but become frustrated with the antics of her children time and time again.

Jane Kacmarek and Bryan Cranston got along great while filming the hit sitcom, and it's sweet to learn about this special bond. However, although Kaczmarek became a huge star as a result of playing Lois on Malcolm in the Middle, she had a hard time health-wise. Here's what happened and whether this situation altered her acting career.

Did Malcolm In The Middle Star Jane Kaczmarek’s Career Change Because Of Her Health?

Several Malcolm in the Middle stars are still very active in Hollywood, with Bryan Cranston of course becoming even more famous thanks to his role in Breaking Bad. Some have walked down other paths. For example, Frankie Muniz became a race car driver. Jane Kaczmarek is still a public figure, and she has talked a lot about what her life looked like when she filmed the popular sitcom.

In 2011, Jane Kaczmarek shared that she had osteoarthritis. In an interview with Fox News, she explained that her groin area hurt a lot, and she developed insomnia as a result of how uncomfortable she was.

Malcolm in the Middle aired from 2000 to 2006, and it sounds like the actress noticed her symptoms while filming the series.

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Kaczmarek explained that she had surgery to replace her hip, and after she took some time off to heal, she felt great. She was able to continue acting, which is great news.

However, the actress did share that it was hard to experience such challenging symptoms while filming Malcolm in the Middle. While she played Lois throughout the sitcom's entire run and stayed committed to her beloved character, there's no denying that this was a tough time in her life.

Kaczmarek told Fox News:

“On Malcom, I was kind of walking from doorknob to countertop, I would try to figure out how I could get from A to B in little spurts before the camera could notice that I was limping as bad as I was.”

Jane Kaczmarek’s Roles After Malcolm In The Middle:

• Red Jessica in Jake and the Never Land Pirates (2013)
• Judge Trudy Kessler in Raising the Bar (2008-2009)
• Judge Constance Harm in The Simpsons (2001-2022)
• Phyllis in Carol's Second Act (2019)
• Anne Hoffman in Help Me Help You (2006-2007)
• Mary in Wolves at the Door (2016)
• Cal in The Changeling (2023)

Thankfully, Jane Kaczmarek's health doesn't seem to have changed her career plans at all. Once she had a new hip and was feeling better, she was able to pursue her passions just like she had before.

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In 2017, Jane Kaczmarek talked about her health in an interview with The Los Angeles Times. She shared that she had surgery more than once in the 2000s during the shooting of Malcolm in the Middle. She said:

“I’m one of the lucky ones who has been on morphine several times in my life — all medicinally. I have had my hip replaced four times, and it’s popped out of the socket three times — twice in my bathroom! I don’t wish it on anybody.”

However, there was a time when the Malcolm in the Middle star didn't film the TV series. According to The Tampa Bay Times, she took a two-week break from shooting in 2002. USA Today reported that the actress wanted to be paid more money, but this was never confirmed.

The Tampa Bay Times reported that after her publicist said she had "severe migraine headaches," a statement explained, "There is no connection between her health issues and any contractual matters."

In the last ten years or so, Malcolm in the Middle star Jane Kaczmarek has also acted in the theater. While filming a sitcom involves long days and nights on set, starring in a play is also very physically demanding. It sounds like the actress has been in great health and has been able to pursue whatever she wanted to. In 2017, she starred in Long Day's Journal Into Night alongside Alfred Molina, to name just one of her credits.

According to WUWM 89.7, the actress lived in Milwaukee during her childhood, and she returned to star in the play Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell in May 2023.

Inside The Health Condition Malcolm In The Middle Star Jane Kaczmarek Suffered From

There's a lot to know about osteoarthritis, the health struggle that Jane Kaczmarek learned that she had while starring in Malcolm in the Middle.

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Kaczmarek talked about the condition in a 2012 interview with Spry Living and shared that she has made lifestyle changes:

"I take exercise much more seriously than I did before. My New Year’s resolution is to walk the dog more, or ride my bike to school if the kids forget their lunch, instead of driving. It feels good to stretch your body a little bit and get your heart pumping. I had my three babies very late in life, so I feel a certain responsibility to stick around to watch them grow up."

When asked about getting her hip replaced at the age that she was, the actress said that she felt fine about it:

"At the time, I was shooting Malcolm, and I was constantly asking, “Don’t you think Lois would be sitting in this scene?” On the set, I’d think, “If I can make it to the doorknob, then I can lean on it.” It got to the point where I couldn’t function."

In an interview with Yahoo!, the star shared she can "do what you're supposed to do in life, which is run around, chase your kids, and just be a normal person."

Jane Kaczmarek also explained that after relying on ibuprofen and trying not to walk up and down stairs, she realized that she couldn't live this way. Today, after hip replacements, the Malcolm in the Middle star seems to be very happy, and she is able to act as much as she wants to.

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