Why Erik Per Sullivan Won’t Appear in ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ Revival

A reason has been given for why original Malcolm in the Middle star Erik Per Sullivan turned down the upcoming Disney+ revival.

The former child actor portrayed Dewey, the second youngest son. The role will instead be played by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark in the four-episode revival.

Sullivan had retired from acting after the 2010 teen film Twelve. But he was still asked about Malcolm in the Middle when the revival was first set in motion. Bryan Cranston, who plays the father Hal, revealed on the Fly on the Wall podcast why Sullivan was “the only one who didn’t come back.”

“I talked to Erik, and I said, ‘Hey, we got the show! It’s going to come back,’” Cranston recalled. “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.’ 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 nine or something. So I’m not into it.’”

The fact that Sullivan hasn’t acted in over 15 years and he’s going to college, it’s not surprising that he decided to sit out the revival. If the revival manages to snag more episodes, it’s unlikely that Sullivan would come back since Ellsworth-Clark now plays Dewey, and he seems pretty content with the path he’s on, which makes sense.

That being said, aside from Sullivan, the Malcolm in the Middle revival actually managed to bring back five original stars. Along with Cranston, Frankie Muniz is returning as the titular character, Jane Kaczmarek is reprising her role as Hal’s wife, Lois, Christopher Kennedy Masterson is once again their oldest son, Francis, while Justin Berfield is returning as the second-oldest son, Reese. Also starring in the revival are Anthony Timpano as youngest son Jamie, Vaughan Murrae, Kiana Madeira, and Keeley Karsten as Malcolm’s daughter Leah.

Filming on the Malcolm in the Middle revival, which comes from 20^th Television and New Regency, has already wrapped. It will center on Malcolm and his daughter as they are drawn back into the family’s chaos after Hal and Lois demand his presence for their 40^th wedding anniversary party. The revival is set to premiere later this year on Disney+.