malcolm in the middle
mary kate and ashley magazine - june/july 2001, issue 2

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just left of center

justin berfield, who plays the second-oldest brother, reese, on fox's sunday-night smash "malcolm in the middle" gives mary-kateandashley his take on your questions.

working it out
q: i love to shop and buy clothes, cds, accessories, video games - you name it. the problem is i usually have to borrow from my parents to pay for my stuff, and now they want me to get an after-school job. i've never worked before and i don't have the slightest idea on how to get a job! help! - annie
justin: annie, you could start by babysitting, pet walking, watching someone's house while they are on vacation, washing cars, or mowing lawns.

but mom, i don't need a sitter
q: i am 12 years old and my parents think i still need a babysitter! how can i show them that i am mature enough to stay at home by myself? it's so embarrassing! - kara
justin: get your parents to leave you alone at home for an hour at a time. soon, they will begin to trust you.

to call or not to call
q: this boy i like from school told me to call him sometime. help! i am totally freaked out to do this. should i wait for him to call me, or should i call him? i don'ot want to scare him off. - jennifer
justin: if he told you to call him he must be interested in you. call him!

no more ms. nutty
q: for as long as i can remember i've been a jokester. i am always making my friends laugh and doing stupid tricks. at first, i loved the attention, but now i don't. sometimes i have a bad day too, and everyone expects me to be the life of the party - all the time. how do i get people to take me seriously? - miranda
justin: if you are not always putting on a show people won't expect it all the itme. to get people to take you seriously, taking issues more seriously instead of making jokes.

scared smoochless
q: i am the last one out of all of my friends to kiss a boy. and now i really want to, but i don't know how. i don't want to mess up the first itme. is there anything i can do to prepare myself? - colleen
justin: you will know when the time is right and it is comfortable. don't rush things just because your friends are doing it.

friend troubles
q: i have this friend who always gets mad at me. she gets mad when i'm too busy to hang out. i can understand because i am super-busy at school. i'm in the drama club, write for the newspaper and am president of my class. i feel like if i confront her with the problem it's just another reason for her to be mad at me. what can i do? - kellie
justin: you should encourage her to participate in some of your activities, or you could make special plans with her. just don't break them.

killer crush is killing me
q: i have a gigantic crush on one of my guy friends. i kinda want to tell him, but i'm really scared it will end our friendship. he's the coolest guy. what do i do? - chris
justin: you should test his feelings for you by flirting with his friends. if he shows jealousy, then he might want to be more than friends.

ask task: help needed
q: my school's sadie hawkins' dance is right around the corner. it's where the girls ask the guys, and i have a guy in mind to ask, but i've never asked a guy out before. what can i say that won't make me look like a tool? - louise
justin: go with a group instead of just you two. he will most likely not feel pressured by your invitation, if when you approach him, you tell him it's a group situation.