Former actor Erik Per Sullivan, who played the iconic Dewey character inMalcolm in the Middle, won’t be returning for the upcoming reboot of the classic 2000s sitcom, and with good reason. After running for 151 episodes across seven seasons on FOX from 2000 to 2006,Malcolm in the Middleis getting a 4-episode rebooton Disney+. All the original maincast members ofMalcolm in the Middleare set to return, except for Erik Per Sullivan.
The biggest stars ofMalcolm in the Middle,Bryan Cranston and Frankie Muniz, are set to return for theMalcolm in the Middlerevival, whichMuniz revealed was originally pitched as a movie. “I mean, it was originally, I think, pitched as a like a movie, as a feature, like a two hour movie. And for the sake of it being a Disney plus, it’s four 30 minute episodes, but it’s really one storyline, if that makes sense.” It’s unclear at this time whether the Malcolm in the Middle reboot will be picked up for multiple seasons, but Muniz promised fans that the four episodes will “leave it on a great note.”
Dewey’s Original Actor Erik Per Sullivan Has Been Recast With Caleb Ellsworth-Clark For The Revival
Ellsworth-Clark Has Appeared In Several Notable Films & TV Shows
The role of Dewey in theMalcolm in the MiddleDisney reboot has been officially recast and will be portrayed by actor Caleb Ellsworth-Clark. His past credits include the television adaptation ofFargo, the Guillermo del Toro movieNightmare Alley,and the Amazon dystopian sci-fi seriesThe Expanse. Ellsworth-Clark has also appeared inThe Silencing,Spiral,The Handmaid’s Tale,Joe Pickett, andHell on Wheels. Erik Per Sullivan’s lastfilm or TV credit was in the 2010 conspiracy thriller movieTwelve. Before rising to prominence inMalcolm in the Middle, he made his film debut inArmageddonas the “Kid with Rocket Ship”.
Why Erik Per Sullivan Turned Down Returning For Malcolm In The Middle’s Revival
Bryan Cranston recently shed lighton why Erik, who is currently 33 years old, won’t be returning for theMalcolm in the Middlereboot. “I talked to Erik and I said, ‘Hey, we got the show! It’s going to come back.’ He goes, ‘Oh, that’s fantastic!’ And I go, ‘Yeah, so we’re looking forward to having you back.’ He goes, ‘Oh, no, no, I don’t want to do it. But it’s fantastic.'”
Cranston noted that Erik won’t be returning because he hasn’t acted since he was a kid, andhe’s currently pursuing a master’s degree at Harvard University. “He’s actually going to Harvard. He’s really, really smart, and he’s getting his master’s at Harvard right now. He said, ‘Oh God, no, I haven’t acted since I was 9 or something. So I’m not into it.'”
Erik Per Sullivan hasn’t made any public statements himself about his decision not to return for theMalcolm in theMiddlereboot. It is quite clear, however, thatthe former actor has gone on to other pursuitsand has long since put his acting days behind him.
Erik Per Sullivan Is The Only Main Original Malcolm In The Middle Cast Member Not Returning
The Rest of The Wilkerson Family Will Star In The Disney Reboot
Of the main family members from the originalMalcom in the Middleshow, Per Sullivan is the only one not coming back for the revival. Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield will reprise their roles as Francis and Reese, the older brothers of Dewey and Frankie Muniz’s Malcolm.Cranston will return as his hilarious father character, Hal, alongside Jane Maczmarek, who will reprise her role as Hal’s wife, Lois. The reboot is also written by the original series creator, Linwood Boomer.
Even though Per Sullivan won’t be returning for theMalcom in the Middlereboot series, his replacement, Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, looks like a convincing older version of Dewey.
Even though Per Sullivan won’t be returning for theMalcom in the Middlereboot series, his replacement, Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, looks like a convincing older version of Dewey. While it may have sounded better for marketing purposes to get the entire original main cast back together, hopes are still high that theMalcom in the Middlereboot, which does not have an official release date yet, will be a gratifying success for longtime fans.
