After almost two decades away from screens, Malcolm in the Middle has returned with a four-episode revival.
While most of the main cast, including Frankie Muniz and Bryan Cranston, came back, Erik Per Sullivan, who played Dewey, was nowhere to be found.
Dewey, Malcolm’s younger brother, was one of the series’ most heartfelt characters, largely thanks to Sullivan’s charming performance. Ahead of the revival’s release, it was revealed that the character, now an adult, would be recast.
Highlights
- Malcolm in the Middle revival features most of the original main cast, but one star is noticeably absent.
- Cast and producers have shared rare updates about the Dewey actor’s life after the sitcom ended.
- The reboot recasts the fan-favorite role of Dewey, with an uncanny replacement.
Here’s why Sullivan chose not to return and what he’s been up to since the sitcom ended.
Why didn’t Erik Per Sullivan return for Malcolm in the Middle revival?
Image credits: Vince Bucci/Getty Images
Erik Per Sullivan played Dewey in all 151 episodes of Malcolm in the Middle. After the series ended in 2006, the child star stepped away from acting to focus on his studies. In 2009, he enrolled at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
His last screen appearance came in the 2012 teen crime drama Twelve, directed by Batman Forever filmmaker Joel Schumacher. Over the years, Sullivan has kept a low profile away from showbiz.
Image credits: Fox
During an appearance on the Fly on the Wall podcast in June 2025, his on-screen dad, Bryan Cranston, revealed that Sullivan was currently studying at Harvard and had opted not to reunite with his co-stars for the revival.
“He's really, really smart, and he's getting his master's at Harvard right now," Cranston said.
The Breaking Bad star added that the Dewey actor, now 33, was no longer interested in acting and instead focused on his studies.
While Cranston was excited to have him back for the revival, Sullivan told him, “Oh God, no, I haven't acted since I was 9 or something. So I'm not into it.”
After learning what he's been up to, most fans were convinced Sullivan's decision was in line with his character.
"Honestly, coulda been the reason Dewey himself couldn’t be around," one user wrote on X.
Another added, "Such a Dewey thing to do."
Malcolm in the Middle producers tried hard to bring Erik Per Sullivan back
Image credits: thewaltdisneycompany.com
Earlier this month, Jane Kaczmarek, who plays Lois, told The Guardian that Sullivan was studying Victorian literature at Harvard. He was reportedly offered a large sum to reprise his role but declined.
She said, “They offered him buckets of money to come back, and he just said: ‘No thank you.’”
Image credits: Arnaldo Magnani/Getty Images
In a separate chat with ScreenRant, producer Tracy Katsky revealed the creative team tried hard to convince Sullivan to return. Dewey’s scenes were written so Sullivan could be incorporated at the last minute.
“We knew that if he was just on a laptop, we could film the whole thing [remotely at the end].”
However, Sullivan was firm on his stance, and Katsky respected the former child star’s decision.
Who plays Dewey in Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair?
Image credits: Kristina Bumphrey/Getty Images
Ultimately, the producers had to recast Dewey for the revival, but understood it would be tough for fans to accept a new actor in the role.
Eventually, Caleb Ellsworth-Clark was cast as Sullivan’s replacement after casting director Juel Bestrop noticed his uncanny resemblance to Dewey in the original series.
“He actually looks more like Dewey than Erik now looks like Dewey,” Katsky said.
Image credits: Hulu
Ellsworth-Clark hails from Canada and has previously appeared in shows such as The Expanse, Fargo, and The Handmaid's Tale.
The revival premiered on April 10 to mostly positive reviews and currently holds an 82% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair is streaming on Hulu.