Share and Follow
The beloved series “Malcolm in the Middle” is making a comeback, but not every familiar face is returning to the screen. Erik Per Sullivan, renowned for his role as Dewey, Malcolm’s younger brother, has chosen to step away from the limelight, even as lucrative offers beckoned.
While Disney+ revives the hit series, Sullivan has opted for a different path. His former co-star, Jane Kaczmarek, revealed that Sullivan turned down a generous offer to reprise his role. Instead, the 34-year-old has channeled his energy into academics, working towards a master’s degree in Victorian literature at none other than Harvard University.
Kaczmarek shared with The Guardian, “He’s studying Dickens and is an incredible student. They offered him buckets of money to come back, and he just said, ‘No thank you.’” Sullivan’s decision underscores his commitment to a quieter life of scholarship, away from the bustling world of television.
The revival will still see the return of key cast members: Frankie Muniz will reprise his role as Malcolm, with Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek returning as his parents, Hal and Lois. Chris Masterson and Justin Berfield will also rejoin as Malcolm’s older brothers, Francis and Reese. This time, the storyline shifts to a grown-up Malcolm navigating the challenges of fatherhood with his own daughter.
The four-episode revival reunites Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, Bryan Cranston and Kaczmarek as Malcolm’s parents Hal and Lois, along with Chris Masterson and Justin Berfield as Malcolm’s older brothers Francis and Reese, with the story now following a grown-up Malcolm raising a daughter.
Speaking to The Post in November 2025, Muniz revealed Sullivan is “very happy in the life that he’s created outside of the entertainment world.”
“He made the decision that he didn’t want to get back into it — which we completely respect,” he said, adding that no one from the cast wanted to “force” Sullivan “to do something he didn’t want to do.”
“We had his blessing from day one to have the role be in the show and recast it. So I hope people aren’t too upset that he didn’t come back, but it was by his choice.”
Sullivan starred in “Malcolm in the Middle” from 2000 to 2006. He hasn’t acted since 2010, last appearing in the crime thriller “Twelve,” and has largely stayed out of public view since then.
In April 2025, Sullivan was photographed out in public for the first time in 18 years when he was spotted leaving his house in Boston to grab a coffee.
The show later tabbed “Fargo” actor Caleb Ellsworth-Clark to portray Dewey in the reboot.
“We started talking about doing the reboot over ten years ago,” Muniz told The Post.
“And then Bryan Cranston really kind of took the lead in pushing it. But early on, we sent out an email, me and Bryan, to everybody kind of saying like, ‘Hey, if this happened, would you guys be interested?’ Just to gauge.”
“And we knew early on that Erik was not going to be apart of it,” Muniz added.