Why Malcolm In The Middle's Revival Is Recasting Dewey After 19 Years

Former actor Erik Per Sullivan, who played the iconic Dewey character in Malcolm 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 Middle is getting a 4-episode reboot on Disney+. All the original main cast members of Malcolm in the Middle are set to return, except for Erik Per Sullivan.

The biggest stars of Malcolm in the Middle, Bryan Cranston and Frankie Muniz, are set to return for the Malcolm in the Middle revival, which Muniz 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 the Malcolm in the Middle Disney reboot has been officially recast and will be portrayed by actor Caleb Ellsworth-Clark. His past credits include the television adaptation of Fargo, the Guillermo del Toro movie Nightmare Alley, and the Amazon dystopian sci-fi series The Expanse. Ellsworth-Clark has also appeared in The Silencing, Spiral, The Handmaid’s Tale, Joe Pickett, and Hell on Wheels. Erik Per Sullivan’s last film or TV credit was in the 2010 conspiracy thriller movie Twelve. Before rising to prominence in Malcolm in the Middle, he made his film debut in Armageddon as the “Kid with Rocket Ship”.

Why Erik Per Sullivan Turned Down Returning For Malcolm In The Middle’s Revival

Bryan Cranston recently shed light on why Erik, who is currently 33 years old, won’t be returning for the Malcolm in the Middle reboot. “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.'”

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Cranston noted that Erik won’t be returning because he hasn’t acted since he was a kid, and he’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 the Malcolm in the Middle reboot. It is quite clear, however, that the former actor has gone on to other pursuits and 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 original Malcom in the Middle show, 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 the Malcom in the Middle reboot series, his replacement, Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, looks like a convincing older version of Dewey.

Even though Per Sullivan won’t be returning for the Malcom in the Middle reboot 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 the Malcom in the Middle reboot, which does not have an official release date yet, will be a gratifying success for longtime fans.