On Monday, October 30th, 2000, Malcolm in the Middle's Chris Masterson talked about playing a rebel brother and dating a fellow TV star.

FOXcom_Host: Chris Masterson has arrived! Welcome, Chris!

chris_masterson: Hi, everyone.

chris_masterson: I'm at my house in L.A.

chrisishot: Chris, how is this season of Malcolm going to be different from last season?
chris_masterson: I don't think it's going to be very different.

Jennie: Hi Chris! I luv you! The Season Premiere of Malcolm In The Middle is only 6 days away... can you give me some clues about what's gonna happen 2 Francis this season?? Thanx, Your #1 fan, Jennie.
chris_masterson: One thing I think everyone will enjoy -- more about the parents, Hal and Lois.

laurabelle: How old were you when you began acting and what was your first gig?
chris_masterson: My first gig was a Trident Sugarless Gum commercial and I was 3 years old.
chris_masterson: I chewed gum in Central Park all day and ended up throwing up.

hermione: what other shows or movies have you been in besides malcolm?
chris_masterson: I was in "Singles," which was a Cameron Crowe movie.
chris_masterson: I was in "My Best Friend's Wedding," "Cutthroat Island."
chris_masterson: I also used to be on "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman."

reachu42: who were you competing against when you were trying out for the role of francis? anyone we would know?
chris_masterson: I don't know who I was competing against, actually.
chris_masterson: When I went to the audition, I arrived a little late and there was no one else there.

MITM_FANATIC: Which has been your fave acting job so far? I LOVE YOU GUYS!
chris_masterson: "Cutthroat Island," the movie, has been my favorite acting job so far.
chris_masterson: I was 14 and I was living in Thailand for 6 months.
chris_masterson: That's been the best so far.

JBGirl1: Hey Chris I have a questin it is really stupid though... were you in a movie called " Campfire Tales"? I think that is the name. I was surfing the t.v and I stopped and watched a little of it and I thought I saw you but it was to dark wasn't sure bye. Thanks JBGirls1
chris_masterson: Yeah, when we shot that movie, we actually had the title "Fear."
chris_masterson: But then the film with Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon of the same name came out, so we had to change it.

judycarter: who is the nicest to work with on Malcolm?
chris_masterson: Everybody on "Malcolm" is very cool.
chris_masterson: I wouldn't say there's one person nicer than another.

urock: Who do you like the most out of justin,frankie ect... luv ya from kelly
chris_masterson: I like them all equally, they're all great kids.

MITM_FANATIC: Chris, who do you hang around most with on the set?
chris_masterson: Most of the time, I hang out by myself because on our average episodes, the kids work in the morning.
chris_masterson: And I work military school at night.

chrisyoutheman: Do you ever feel left out because Francis is always away at military school? I mean, don't you think all the fun goes on at the house?
chris_masterson: I actually enjoy being at school more than I do coming home.
chris_masterson: Because we shoot very quickly in the scenes at school.
chris_masterson: Not having the kids around makes everything go faster.

Jason: How old are you on the show? How old are you in real life?
chris_masterson: In real life, I'm 20.
chris_masterson: On the show, we actually don't know my age. We also don't know where our family is from.
chris_masterson: And if you've noticed, we don't have a last name.

IcEydUdE21: Are you going to be home in alot in the new episodes?
chris_masterson: This season, we've shot about 10 so far, and I've come home 3 times.

MikeDaddy: Do you feel like your really the other boys' big brother at all on the set?
chris_masterson: Yes, sometimes when I'm with the kids, they ask me the kinds of questions one might ask their older brother.
chris_masterson: Sometimes I do feel like an older brother, but most of time I just feel like we're friends.

Owen: Hello Chris... I just wanted to say that Malcolm in the middle is a great show. In what direction would you like to see your character go this season and in the future? Any chance of your character moving back home with the rest of the family? Its one nutty family!
chris_masterson: I'd like to see Francis go places which aren't our house or military school.
chris_masterson: Because it's fun to get into a new environment.
chris_masterson: So far, I've gone to New Orleans for Mardi Gras and also to the Lucky Eight to work with my mom.
chris_masterson: And those episodes were really fun to shoot.

MITM_FANATIC: I LOVE MITM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since you spend so much time filiming, are most of your friends actors?
chris_masterson: Actually, no, I have a few friends who are actors.
chris_masterson: I also have some friends who work construction.
chris_masterson: And I even have a friend who's a garbage man.

laurabelle: What are some of your favorite bands and/or musical artists?
judycarter: whats your favorite band?
chris_masterson: I'd say my three favorite bands or artists are Radiohead, Jeff Buckley and Bjork.
chris_masterson: I just saw Radiohead play at the Greek Theater in L.A. and it was an amazing show.

urock: I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you have a girlfriend?
chris_masterson: Yes, I do have a girlfriend.

Frog_Girl: so, is you're girlfriend really Laura Prepon?
chris_masterson: Her name is Laura Prepon....
chris_masterson: And we actually live together.
chris_masterson: But thank you!

IcEydUdE21: Do alot of people notice you alot when your out? Do you get alot of teenyboppers? ARG they are so annoying ....lol
chris_masterson: Yes and no.
chris_masterson: I find that when I get out of L.A., I get recognized more.
chris_masterson: But I think that's because people in L.A. are more pretentious.
chris_masterson: So even if they do know you, they don't want you to know that they do.

JenniferJ: How would you describe yourself when you meet new people?
chris_masterson: I wouldn't, I'd be more interested. I'd be more interested to see what they thought.

urock: Do you ever sometimes wish you weren't famous??
chris_masterson: LOL.
chris_masterson: No.

Frog_Girl: Yo! I hope this isn't annoying, but I think Malcolm in the Middle is the coolest show! my friends and I always talk about it on the bus going to school! what kinds of TV shows/ or movies do you like to watch
chris_masterson: Thank you!
chris_masterson: I like a wide variety of shows and movies.
chris_masterson: My favorite all-time show is "The Larry Sanders Show."
chris_masterson: I also like "Oz."

monkeyfan: Does the success of "Malcolm" intrude on your personal life at all?
chris_masterson: No, not really. If anything, it's given me more opportunities to do better work.
chris_masterson: So I would say that "Malcolm" has enhanced my life rather than intruded on it.

Tooder_Paded: Are you going to be on "Say What Karaoke" anymore?
chris_masterson: Not for a while...
chris_masterson: but we're talking about possibly doing a few more episodes over Christmas.
chris_masterson: The show's a lot of fun to do.

dream063: What was the best part about being a judge in "say what karaoke" on MTV?
chris_masterson: The best part was getting to yell at teenagers.
chris_masterson: Being a teenager myself and being that I like getting yelled at...
chris_masterson: I had a great time.

Tooder_Paded: Is your brother ever gonna make a guest appearence on MITM?
chris_masterson: There's no plan for Danny to appear on "Malcolm" any time soon.
chris_masterson: I think he's content being Hyde on "The 70's Show"...
chris_masterson: but that would be fun.

MikeDaddy: Is there any competition between you and your brother?
chris_masterson: No. We both started working together when we were very young
chris_masterson: so any rivalry we had was extinguished a long time ago.

urock: How do you and your brother get along?
chris_masterson: We're both very happy for each other that we're successful.

rollergirl16: what is your brother Danny like?
chris_masterson: In some ways, like his character...
chris_masterson: and in other ways, Danny and Hyde are nothing alike.
chris_masterson: Very nice, very funny, a lot of fun to be with.

reachu42: if you had a child would you let him or her be a child actor?
chris_masterson: I would leave that up to them, if when they got to an age where they could make that decision, I would support them either way.
chris_masterson: I had a great childhood growing up in this business.

laurabelle: What do you feel is the most challenging aspect of acting?
chris_masterson: Wearing makeup....
chris_masterson: It feels horrible when they make you up, and then you fall asleep, and then they wake you up to do a scene...
chris_masterson: still very sticky.

laurabelle: Do you have any advice for peeps trying to start an acting career?
becky239: what kind of advice would u give for somone , like me, whowants to become an actor?
chris_masterson: My advice would be to find an acting class and work at it till you feel comfortable...
chris_masterson: and then call local agents, ask them if you can audition for them.

AstroKidd: Who is your hero? Or who do you look up to?
chris_masterson: I think I look up to my father more than anyone else.
chris_masterson: He's by far the most interesting person I've ever met...
chris_masterson: and he has an amazing outlook on life.

JenniferJ: What's your most embarassing moment?
chris_masterson: I used to be on a show called "The Road Home" when I was 13.
chris_masterson: One day we were shooting a scene on a dock
chris_masterson: and during a close-up
chris_masterson: a dog peed on my leg.
chris_masterson: That was very embarrassing!

AstroKidd: How many hours a day do you spend filming malcolm?
chris_masterson: Personally, I usually only work 3 days a week
chris_masterson: and it can take us anywhere from 3 hours to 12 hours.

luvlygurl: do you ever watch your show when it's on sundays?
chris_masterson: Yeah, I watched it last night.
chris_masterson: I actually just got TV about 2 months ago.
chris_masterson: And before that, I would watch our episodes on videotapes.
chris_masterson: But it's nice to see it live with commercials.

hihi: So far what has been your favorite episode?
Yankee8022: What has been your favorite episode so far?
chris_masterson: That would be a tie between our first Pilot episode
chris_masterson: and our Season Premiere, which will be on this Sunday at 8:30.

IcEydUdE21: Are you anything like Francis?
chris_masterson: Francis is a lot like I was when I was 14.
chris_masterson: Sometimes I read scenes and I'm not exactly sure how I should play them.
chris_masterson: So I think about when I was 14 and what I would have done in those situations...
chris_masterson: and it seems to come really easy.

dream063: What's the best thing about playing on MITM?
chris_masterson: I really like the way the character is written.
chris_masterson: He always seems to get into trouble, but it always seems to come from a good place.
chris_masterson: I think he's more passionate than devious.
chris_masterson: So it's fun to play that kind of character.

LadiesPunchinbag: What do you like most about working with the other actors and actresses on the show?
chris_masterson: I love working with everyone on the show.
chris_masterson: They're all very different, but it's thoroughly entertaining to watch their personalites change as they become their characters.
chris_masterson: Especially Bryan, who plays Hal.

chrisyoutheman: If you were stranded on a deserted island and could bring only one cast member from the show, who would you bring???
chris_masterson: I guess it would depend on how long I was going to be on the island.
chris_masterson: But most likely, I would bring Bryan Cranston. He'd be funny enough to entertain me on a deserted island.

megan: do you feel people treat you differently now that you are on a hit tv show?
chris_masterson: I sure hope not!
chris_masterson: I haven't noticed a change in any of my friends and family.
chris_masterson: I think the only difference is sometimes when I'm out in public, people will call me "Francis"
chris_masterson: which I don't like.

megan: do you play pool as well as your character?
chris_masterson: No, I'm pretty good at pool. I used to have a pool table in my house.
chris_masterson: But Francis seems to be quite the expert. I think if I had to play him, I would definitely lose.

hihi: Did you really buy Laura a horse?
chris_masterson: Yes, I did.
chris_masterson: I bought her an Arab named Shasheem.
chris_masterson: They seem to be a good match. They're both quite feisty.

JenniferJ: What was your fave school subject?
chris_masterson: I'd say my favorite school subject was history.
chris_masterson: My least favorite subject was math.

Owen: what actors do you look up too?
chris_masterson: I'm most impressed by Lili Taylor, Gary Oldman and John Malkovich.
chris_masterson: They're all very versatile and are the most believable as their characters that I have ever seen.

Coolness: have you had any doubts about acting?
chris_masterson: Before I make a choice as an actor, I think about that choice for quite a while.

chris_masterson: So by the time that I actually do it, it doesn't really matter to me whether it was the right choice or the wrong one.
chris_masterson: It's more important that I pull it off for myself.

chrisyoutheman: What would you never do for a role? Where would you cross the line?
chris_masterson: I would never molest an animal. It's just too easy.

luvlygurl: so babe what are you doing on halloween?
chris_masterson: I'm staying at home and feeding candy to hungry trick-or-treaters.

riogirl14: Are you in college or plan on going to college?
chris_masterson: I went to film school for one year, but I found that with my work schedule, I really couldn't give it my all.
chris_masterson: So I'm taking a break until I have more time.

OneyBaloney: Hey Chris, its Eryn, I was wondering, do you plan on working in any movies soon, or have any movies in the process, thanks! Luv ya!
rollergirl16: are you going to be in any upcoming films?
chris_masterson: I did a film for VH1 called "Back in Black."
chris_masterson: I've kind of been taking it slow as far as films are concerned because of my schedule.
chris_masterson: I'm also waiting for a project that really interests me.

MITM_FANATIC: MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE IS THE BEST SHOW EVER! DO YOU PLAN TO STAY ON THE SHOW AS LONG AS IT AIRS?
chris_masterson: Thank you!
chris_masterson: I definitely would want to be part of "Malcolm" for at least the next few years.
chris_masterson: But that's about as far ahead as I can see right now, but I love the show.

Owen: what types of projects interest you the most?
chris_masterson: I don't have any one type, but if I read a script and I'm at all scared to play that kind of part, I usually know that that is a good part for me.

chrisyoutheman: Where do you see yourself in 5 years, ten years?
chris_masterson: I don't know.
chris_masterson: I can say that in 5 months from now, I'll be working on the show and hopefully have gone to Europe for a while.

urock: hi chris you are sooo hot and so cool i was woundering do u have a e-mail address that me and the other fans could write u at?
Justingrl01: chris do you have like a fan email address?
chris_masterson: Thank you...and I actually don't have e-mail.
chris_masterson: But check out the "Malcolm in the Middle" site on FOX.com.

FOXcom_Host: Chris will be taking off shortly, so now's your chance to say good-byes!

Jennie: Do you read your fan mail???
chris_masterson: Yes, I do.
chris_masterson: And although it takes me quite a long time, I do write back to everyone.

jd11: Would you ever like to do anything besides act, even if only for a day?
chris_masterson: At some point, I'd like to direct. That has always been an interest of mine.
chris_masterson: I also wouldn't mind being a cowboy.

FOXcom_Host: Chris, thanks for taking the time to chat with us!!!

MITM_FANATIC: Bye Chris and thanks from my whole family for making MITM such a great show to watch
chris_masterson: You're welcome and thank you so much for watching.
chris_masterson: It means a lot to me and a lot to the show.

mitmlover: I LOVE YOU CRIS I AM UR #1 FAN !!!!!!
Tooder_Paded: I LLOOVVEE YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SOOO MUCh!!!

FOXcom_Host: Thanks again for being here!

chris_masterson: Absolutely, thank you!

riogirl14: Bye Chris we love you & tell Frankie & Justin is said hi & i love them.
hihi: Chris, I love you and good luck with the show! : )
mitmlover: BYE I LOVE YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Frog_Girl: bye bye Chris
Jason: I can't wait until next Malcolm in the Middle season!!!

FOXcom_Host: A big thank you to all you awesome chatters for coming to this event!