Who is Kelly in Malcolm in the Middle? Vaughan Murrae plays the reboot's first nonbinary Wilkerson

Kelly is the newest — and perhaps most significant — addition to the Wilkerson family in Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair. In the 2026 revival of the classic sitcom, Vaughan Murrae plays Kelly, the sixth and youngest child of Hal and Lois Wilkerson. Murrae is a nonbinary actor from Canada who uses they/them pronouns. The role marked their first comedy performance and brought them widespread recognition.

Key takeaways

• Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair was released in its entirety on 10 April 2026.
• Kelly is a brand-new character whose presence was hinted at in the original series finale, when it was revealed Hal and Lois were expecting a sixth child.
• Murrae became the first nonbinary actor to win the Boccalino d'Oro for Best Performance at the 75th Locarno Film Festival.
• Vaughan Murrae has 137,000 Instagram followers under the handle @vaughanmurrae.
• Murrae was born on 25 September 2005 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

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Profile summary

Who is Vaughan Murrae in Malcolm in the Middle?

Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair brings in a long-speculated, never-before-introduced character to the Wilkerson family: Kelly, the youngest child of Hal and Lois. While longtime fans may not recognise the name right away, Kelly was hinted at in the original series finale when Lois revealed she was pregnant once again.

Vaughan Murrae plays Kelly — Hal and Lois's self-sufficient, studious, nonbinary youngest child who serves as the family's informant. Kelly is the only sibling without a file at the police station and achieves strong grades.

What is Kelly like as a character?

Kelly shares many of the same personality traits as their older brothers — described as "intelligent and capable but a somewhat selfish trickster." In the new miniseries, Murrae's character is similar to Malcolm's: both are smart and independent, in contrast to the typical chaos of the rest of the family.

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"I find that Kelly is a character that prides themselves on justice and doing good and not being a bad child. But then Reese is very much the opposite of that. But Kelly's not above vengeance." — Vaughan Murrae, The Mary Sue

An early plotline sees Kelly fighting with their older brother Reese to see who can best the other in a battle of reputation ruining.

Why is Kelly nonbinary?

Creator Linwood Boomer and executive producer Tracy Katsky told Deadline in a 9 April interview that the decision was deeply personal, reflecting their own family, where three of their four children are different.

"Three out of four of our kids are [redacted], and without making it a thing and without making an issue, I think it's really nice to have a character that — that's just a facet of their personality as opposed to the entire story," executive producer Tracy Katsky told Deadline.

In Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair, Kelly marks a meaningful step forward for LGBTQ+ representation, seamlessly woven into the show's chaotic, comedic world rather than treated as a central plot point.

Vaughan Murrae's career before Malcolm in the Middle

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Early life and modelling

Murrae is from Hamilton, Ontario. The famous Canadian actor began questioning their identity during grade school, first identifying as a lesbian while in the fifth grade, before going on to come out as nonbinary.

At the age of 12, Murrae began their career at Anita Norris Model Management. The agency had a newly established talent division for which Vaughan was tested, then given the option to list in either the modelling or talent division. Vaughan chose acting as their principal endeavour while also picking up minor modelling assignments.

Breakthrough: Before I Change My Mind (2022)

In 2022, Murrae starred as Robin in the film Before I Change My Mind. Set in 1987, while the other students wonder if their new classmate is a boy or a girl, Robin forges a complicated bond with the school bully, making increasingly dangerous choices to fit in.

For their leading role, they became the first nonbinary actor to win the Boccalino d'Oro (Golden Jug) for Best Performance at the 75th Locarno Film Festival; the jury amended the award's name to be gender-neutral. Murrae is quoted: "They had changed the name of the award for me… to 'Best Acting Performance.'" "That was something that I just did not expect to happen."

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"The Boccalino d'Oro means Golden Jug. The ceremony was founded by journalists; it's like an independent critic's award. For the Locarno Film Festival, they changed the name. I was very shocked because I didn't even know the award was for me at first." — Vaughan Murrae, Schön! Magazine

Television roles

The character of Casey in The Way Home was originally written as female, but after Vaughan's audition, the producers were so impressed that they changed the character's pronouns to match Vaughan's nonbinary identity.

In other past works, Vaughan Murrae also played the role of Kat in the popular Shaftesbury Kids web series The Solutioneers, and in Apple TV+'s Ghostwriter, as Slone, the mysterious new kid.

Filmography

What pronouns does Vaughan Murrae use?

Murrae began questioning their identity during grade school, first identifying as a lesbian while in the fifth grade, before going on to come out as nonbinary. The situation was, in their words, "rather comical" — they were at a friend's place and stumbled upon an Instagram post about they/them pronouns. The next thing they knew, they were sending a text to their mum, breaking the news they were nonbinary. Her reply was: "I'm already practicing."

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Murrae's mother Annastacia reportedly responded immediately and has since become a vocal advocate for her child, educating herself about nonbinary identity and working to ensure Vaughan's safety and rights at school.

They play nonbinary and female-presenting roles, and speak fluent English, intermediate French, and beginner Italian and Korean.

Latest news

Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair (April 2026)

The four-episode miniseries Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair reunites most of the original cast, including Frankie Muniz (Malcolm), Bryan Cranston (Hal), Jane Kaczmarek (Lois), Christopher Masterson (Francis), Justin Berfield (Reese), and the youngest son, Dewey, now played by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark.

Malcolm in the Middle ran for seven seasons on Fox from 2000 to 2006. The revival premiered nearly 20 years after the finale.

Murrae has spoken openly about the pressure of joining such an established cast for their first comedy role.

"I think that that's also why it's so important to have things like Malcolm, especially now… we can still laugh at ourselves… And I'm hoping that people are able to look at Kelly and have hope that things might get better." — Vaughan Murrae, Awards Radar

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In an interview with The Direct, Murrae said they wanted fans to "feel like Kelly has been in the family like forever," adding: "They're a character that is, I think quite wise and down-to-earth, but they're not above the crazy."

Vaughan Murrae's net worth

No major outlet such as Forbes, Celebrity Net Worth, or Business Insider has published a verified figure for Murrae's net worth. Given that they are still in the early stages of their career, their financial standing is likely modest. Industry speculation suggests their net worth is under $1 million, though this figure has not been confirmed. Their income is generated primarily from acting in television series and feature films, modelling assignments, public appearances, and entertainment-related collaborations.

FAQ

1. Who plays Kelly in Malcolm in the Middle? Kelly is played by nonbinary actor Vaughan Murrae.
2. Is Vaughan Murrae nonbinary in real life? Yes. Vaughan Murrae, who is playing a nonbinary character in the show, is nonbinary in real life and uses they/them pronouns.
3. When was Vaughan Murrae born? Vaughan Murrae was born on 25 September 2005 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
4. How did Vaughan Murrae become famous? They gained prominence for their lead role as Robin in the 2022 feature film Before I Change My Mind, directed by Trevor Anderson.
5. What award did Vaughan Murrae win? In August 2022, their performance earned them the Boccalino d'Oro (Golden Jug) Audience Choice Award for Best Acting at the 75th Locarno Film Festival — a historic achievement as the festival's first nonbinary recipient in its 75-year history.
6. Where is Vaughan Murrae from? Murrae is from Hamilton, Ontario.
7. Is Kelly a new character in the Malcolm in the Middle reboot? Yes — Kelly is a new character whose presence was hinted at in the series finale when it was revealed Hal and Lois were expecting a sixth child.
8. What other shows has Vaughan Murrae appeared in? In 2024, Murrae appeared as Casey Goodwin in the Hallmark series The Way Home. Their other credits include roles in the web series The Solutioneers and the Apple TV series Ghostwriter.

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Quick facts

• First nonbinary actor to win the Boccalino d'Oro at Locarno.
• Malcolm in the Middle is their first comedy role; they play the youngest Wilkerson child, Kelly.
• Skilled in martial arts, including Tae Kwon Do and kickboxing.
• Has a keen interest in language and is learning French, Korean, and ASL.
• Murrae's mother Annastacia became a vocal LGBTQ+ advocate after Vaughan came out as nonbinary.

We highlighted facts about the legacy of Canadian comedians, which showcases their profound impact on global entertainment. From the beloved characters of John Candy to the sharp wit of Norm Macdonald, these performers have left an indelible mark on comedy that resonates with audiences worldwide.

Source: Legit.ng