Taylor Dearden, Cranston’s daughter, became a breakout hit as Dr. Melissa “Mel” King on medical drama “The Pitt.”

Bryan Cranston’s *Malcolm in the Middle *costar Jane Kaczmarek reacts to his daughter’s success on *The Pitt *

Taylor Dearden, Cranston's daughter, became a breakout hit as Dr. Melissa "Mel" King on medical drama "The Pitt."

By Sharareh Drury

May 24, 2026 11:01 p.m. ET

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Jane Kaczmarek in Los Angeles on May 18, Taylor Dearden on 'The Pitt'. Credit:

Warrick Page/HBO Max;Maya Dehlin Spach/FilmMagic

- Bryan Cranston's daughter Taylor Dearden stars as Dr. Mel King on *The Pitt*.

- Cranston's former *Malcolm in the Middle *costar Jane Kaczmarek praised Dearden for becoming a "tremendous success" on the series.

- "To see her rise in this, it's exciting," Kaczmarek said of Dearden.

Over two decades ago, Jane Kaczmarek raised a bunch of boys alongside Bryan Cranston on the Fox series *Malcolm in the Middle*. When the actress looks back on her fictional children/costars, or Cranston's real-life daughter Taylor Dearden, she is in awe of their success.

Speaking with PEOPLE at the premiere of *The Boroughs** *on May 18, the actress reflected on reuniting with Frankie Muniz, Justin Berfield, and Christopher Masterson for the "successful" *Malcolm in the Middle *reboot.

"It was so long ago and to see those kids again — those children were the age Bryan and I were when we did it originally. When we started *Malcolm*, I was pregnant with my second kid, and Bryan's daughter Taylor, who's gone on to be a tremendous success, was 6," the actress said, speaking to Dearden's breakout success on HBO's medical drama *The Pitt*.

"And now ... those kids are 40 and raising their children. That was amazing. Being together was just amazing. We had a great time," Kaczmarek added.**

Taylor Dearden in 'The Pitt'.

Warrick Page/Max

"I remember that kid," Kaczmarek said of Dearden. "First of all, I remember saying to Bryan, 'What's it like to have a child who's 6 that seems so old?' I was doing a play at the Geffen. Taylor was an usher. She had been at USC."**

Kaczmarek continued, "She worked, she auditioned, she hoped something would happen, but she was raised well. So after putting in the tie and the effort and everything and having such talent, to see her rise in this, it's exciting. I mean, it's almost like your own kid."

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Before her role as Dr. Melissa "Mel" King on *The Pitt*, Dearden had appeared on series such as *Sweet/Vicious *and* American Vandal. *In 2010, she appeared in an episode of *Breaking Bad* with her father, portraying a student at the high school where her dad's character, Walter White, taught.

For her role on *The Pitt*, Dearden was nominated for Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series at the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards.**

Bryan Cranston and daughter Taylor Dearden.

Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty; Emma McIntyre/Getty

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Cranston has also praised his daughter's success on the medical drama, telling the Associated Press in 2025, "There is nothing that's more gratifying than when your kid receives praise. Nothing. No one can say anything to me that's better than that."

Cranston added that he along with his wife and fellow actor Robin Dearden "are just over the moon with her work on it."

"She's a very hard-working person. She grew up in it, so it's in her bones," Cranston said. "She's in it for the right reasons, and she loves it."

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Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Medical”