Malachi Barton is an American actor, born on 10 March 2007, who grew up on Disney Channel — first as Beast Diaz in Stuck in the Middle and now as Victor, the vampire at the heart of Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires. He is 19 years old as of October 2026, and after more than a decade of steady work he has become one of the leading faces of Disney’s newest generation, with Camp Rock 3, Coven Academy and a confirmed Zombies 5 all attached to his name.
At a Glance
- Full name: Malachi Daniel Barton
- Born: 10 March 2007, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA
- Age: 19 (as of October 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Actor and singer
- Years active: 2014–present
- Best known for: Beast Diaz in Stuck in the Middle (2016–2018), Marshall in Under Wraps (2021), Colby Madden in The Villains of Valley View (2022–2023) and Victor in Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires (2025)
- Parents: Felicia Barton (singer-songwriter) and Loren Barton (guitarist and tour manager)
Who Is Malachi Barton?
Malachi Barton was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and raised in a household where entertainment was the family business. He is the only child of Felicia Barton, a singer-songwriter who competed on the eighth season of American Idol in 2009 and went on to write songs for artists including Demi Lovato and Lea Michele, and Loren Barton, a guitarist and tour manager. His mother has also worked as a background vocalist on the ABC revival of American Idol since 2018.
The family later relocated from Virginia Beach to Los Angeles to support his career. Barton has spoken warmly about that support system in interviews, telling Pop-Culturalist in 2025 that both of his parents “have always been in my corner” and describing his father as someone he has looked up to for as long as he can remember. It is a background that helps explain the most unusual thing about his career: how early it started, and how steadily it has been managed ever since.
How Did Malachi Barton Start Acting?
Barton made his television debut in 2014, while still only six or seven years old, with a small role in the comedy series Workaholics. Guest appearances followed in 2015 on See Dad Run, Instant Mom and Nickelodeon’s Henry Danger — the classic apprenticeship of a working child actor, picking up single episodes wherever he could.
What separated Barton from most child actors doing the same circuit was how quickly Disney moved. Within two years of his debut he had been cast in a main role on a Disney Channel sitcom, and he has essentially never left the network’s orbit since — a twelve-year run, as of October 2026, that has carried him from child parts to franchise leads.
What Was Malachi Barton’s Breakthrough Role?
Beast Diaz in Stuck in the Middle (2016–2018)
Barton’s breakthrough came as Beast Diaz in the Disney Channel sitcom Stuck in the Middle, which previewed on 14 February 2016 before settling into its regular run that March. The single-camera comedy was told from the point of view of Harley Diaz, played by Jenna Ortega — the middle child of seven in the Diaz family. Barton played Beast, one of the “invincible and indestructible” twins alongside Lewie, and the second-youngest of the seven siblings.
The series ran for three seasons and 57 episodes, ending on 23 July 2018, with Barton in the main cast throughout. For a generation of Disney Channel viewers, Beast — loud, fearless and usually mid-stunt — was their first introduction to him, and the show established the comic timing that Disney would keep finding uses for over the following decade.
Voice Work and a First Feature Film
As Stuck in the Middle ended, Barton added voice acting to his résumé. From 2018 to 2022 he voiced Lionel in the Disney Jr. animated series Fancy Nancy, a main voice role that ran alongside his on-camera work. He also voiced Leo in an episode of Elena of Avalor and made guest appearances in Disney Channel’s Bunk’d and Just Roll With It.
His first feature film came in 2019, when he played the young Diego in the live-action adventure Dora and the Lost City of Gold, appearing as the younger version of the title character’s cousin. It remains a useful marker in his filmography: proof, early on, that his casting appeal extended beyond the Disney Channel soundstages where he had grown up.
Marshall in Under Wraps: His First Leading Movie Role
Barton’s step up to leading-man status came with Under Wraps, Disney Channel’s remake of its own 1997 Halloween film — the movie that had launched the Disney Channel Original Movie brand. The remake premiered on 1 October 2021 on Disney Channel and arrived on Disney+ a week later.
Barton starred as Marshall, one of three twelve-year-old friends — alongside Gilbert, played by Christian J. Simon, and Amy, played by Sophia Hammons — who accidentally revive a mummy, name him Harold, and race to return him to his resting place before midnight on Halloween while criminals try to sell him to the highest bidder. Where Stuck in the Middle had made him part of an ensemble, Under Wraps put the film’s emotional centre on him.
The film did well enough to earn a sequel, Under Wraps 2, which premiered on 25 September 2022 with Barton returning as Marshall — and showing the musical side of his training, performing the number “My Kind of Monster.”
Colby Madden in The Villains of Valley View (2022–2023)
Between the two Under Wraps films, Barton took on another series lead. The Villains of Valley View premiered on Disney Channel on 3 June 2022, following the Maddens — a family of supervillains forced to change their identities and hide out in a Texas suburb after their daughter stands up to the League of Villains’ leader.
Barton played Colby Madden, the youngest of the family, whose alter ego Flashform gives him shapeshifting powers — a gift the show mined for comedy, with Colby repeatedly transforming into other people (and occasionally household objects) to keep the family’s secret. The series ran for two seasons, with the final episode airing on 1 December 2023, and confirmed Barton as one of Disney Channel’s most reliable young leads: funny, physically expressive and able to anchor effects-heavy comedy.
Victor in Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires
Who Does Malachi Barton Play in Zombies 4?
The role that changed Barton’s career arrived in 2025. Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires, the fourth film in Disney’s hit musical franchise, premiered on Disney Channel on 10 July 2025 and streamed globally on Disney+ from 11 July 2025, according to Disney Branded Television.
Barton plays Victor, a vampire from Shadyside who, in Disney’s description, can harness the power of the wind. The film pairs him with Freya Skye as Nova, a Daywalker who harnesses the power of the sun, as a summer road trip drops original stars Zed (Milo Manheim) and Addison (Meg Donnelly) into a new rivalry between Daywalkers and Vampires. As The Walt Disney Company’s own coverage of the film put it, Manheim and Donnelly were consciously “passing the torch” to Barton and Skye. Barton described Victor to Disney as “a very charismatic kid” who is “super adventurous and always looking for the next experience,” but who has been taught to stay inside his Shadyside bubble — until he meets Nova.
How Successful Was Zombies 4?
Very. According to figures reported by Deadline, Zombies 4 drew 9.3 million views globally in its first ten days on Disney+, pushing the four-film franchise past a quarter of a billion streaming hours. The nine-song soundtrack, released by Walt Disney Records, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Kid Albums chart and No. 3 on its Soundtracks chart, with Barton performing across the album — including the “Dream Come True” duet with Skye, which he has called a turning point for the characters.
Barton and Skye reunited in November 2025 for “Snow Angels,” a holiday duet from the world of the film, released as a single on 14 November 2025 with a music video premiered by Billboard Family. Barton also took Victor on the road in the summer of 2025 as part of the Descendants/Zombies: Worlds Collide arena tour, and returned to the character in the short-form series Locker Diaries: Zombies in 2026.
What Has Malachi Barton Done in 2026?
As of October 2026, Barton is coming off the busiest year of his career — one that also brought industry recognition. At Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood event on 5 August 2026, reports of the event said he received a Rising Star Award.
Fletch in Camp Rock 3
In September 2025 it was announced that Barton had been cast as Fletch in Camp Rock 3, the revival of the musical franchise that launched Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers. The film premiered on 13 August 2026 on Disney Channel and the next day on Disney+, with the Jonas Brothers returning as Connect 3 and Lovato among the executive producers. Barton plays one of the new generation of campers competing to become Connect 3’s opening act — a casting that Disney’s official interview with Barton and co-star Liamani Segura framed as the franchise handing itself to its next era.
Jake in Coven Academy
Weeks later came a deliberate change of pace. Coven Academy, a supernatural drama created by Tim Federle and set at a boarding school for the magically gifted in New Orleans, premiered on Freeform on 1 October 2026, with the full season following on Disney+ and Hulu on 2 October 2026. Barton — whose casting as Jake was first announced on 15 August 2025 — plays what Disney describes as “a magnetic warlock with a dangerous edge,” his first lead role in a teen drama rather than a family comedy or musical.
For readers following the current wave of young leading men, our profile of Christopher Briney traces a similar path from teen franchises to headline roles.
Is Malachi Barton in Zombies 5?
Yes. Disney officially greenlit Zombies 5: Secrets of the Sea on 2 March 2026, and the title was revealed on 18 May 2026. Barton returns as Victor opposite Freya Skye’s Nova, with the peace their characters won in Zombies 4 tested by the arrival of a band of mermaids. Franchise stars Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly return as executive producers. The film has been in production in New Zealand and is scheduled for release on Disney Channel and Disney+ in summer 2027.
Filmography at a Glance
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Workaholics | Tiny Kid | TV guest role |
| 2016–2018 | Stuck in the Middle | Beast Diaz | TV series, main role |
| 2018–2022 | Fancy Nancy | Lionel (voice) | Animated series |
| 2019 | Dora and the Lost City of Gold | Young Diego | Feature film |
| 2021 | Under Wraps | Marshall | TV movie |
| 2022 | Under Wraps 2 | Marshall | TV movie |
| 2022–2023 | The Villains of Valley View | Colby Madden / Flashform | TV series, main role |
| 2025 | Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires | Victor | TV movie |
| 2026 | Camp Rock 3 | Fletch | TV movie |
| 2026 | Coven Academy | Jake | TV series, main role |
| 2027 | Zombies 5: Secrets of the Sea | Victor | TV movie (upcoming) |
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Malachi Barton?
Malachi Barton is 19 years old. He was born on 10 March 2007 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and turned 19 in March 2026.
Who does Malachi Barton play in Zombies 4?
He plays Victor, a vampire from Shadyside who can harness the power of the wind. Victor is one of the two new leads of Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires (2025), opposite Freya Skye as the Daywalker Nova.
Who are Malachi Barton’s parents?
His mother is Felicia Barton, a singer-songwriter who competed on season 8 of American Idol in 2009 and has written songs for artists including Demi Lovato and Lea Michele. His father is Loren Barton, a guitarist and tour manager. Malachi is their only child.
What was Malachi Barton’s first Disney role?
His breakthrough Disney role was Beast Diaz in the Disney Channel sitcom Stuck in the Middle (2016–2018), where he played the younger brother of Jenna Ortega’s character, Harley Diaz. He had made his TV debut two years earlier, in 2014, with a small part in Workaholics.
Who does Malachi Barton play in Camp Rock 3?
He plays Fletch, one of the new campers competing for the chance to open for Connect 3. Camp Rock 3 premiered on Disney Channel on 13 August 2026 and on Disney+ the following day.
What is Malachi Barton’s role in Coven Academy?
He plays Jake, described by Disney as “a magnetic warlock with a dangerous edge,” in the supernatural drama Coven Academy. The series premiered on Freeform on 1 October 2026, with the full season streaming on Disney+ and Hulu from 2 October 2026.
Will Malachi Barton be in Zombies 5?
Yes. Barton returns as Victor in Zombies 5: Secrets of the Sea, greenlit by Disney on 2 March 2026 and scheduled for release on Disney Channel and Disney+ in summer 2027.
Sources: The Walt Disney Company (Zombies 4 and Camp Rock 3 coverage), Disney Branded Television press releases (via The Futon Critic and DGE Press), Deadline (Zombies 4 viewership; Villains of Valley View renewal), Billboard (Zombies 4 soundtrack charts; “Snow Angels” premiere), TV Insider (Coven Academy cast and premiere), Pop-Culturalist (2025 interview), IMDb (birth details and credits).
