The reboot of Malcolm in the Middle is officially moving forward, with nearly the entire original cast set to return—except for one familiar face: Dewey. Erik Per Sullivan, who originally portrayed the character, has decided not to reprise his role, and will be replaced by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark in the revival series.
Series patriarch Bryan Cranston recently broke the news during an appearance on Dana Carvey and David Spade’s Fly on the Wall podcast. “I reached out to Erik and told him, ‘Hey, we’re bringing the show back!’” he recalled. “He said, ‘That’s amazing!’ And I told him, ‘We’d love to have you back.’ He replied, ‘Oh, no, no, I’m not interested—but it’s still fantastic.'”
Sullivan, who is now 33, has a solid reason for stepping away. “He’s actually studying at Harvard,” Cranston shared during the podcast. “He’s incredibly bright and is currently pursuing a master’s degree there. He told me, ‘Oh wow, I haven’t acted since I was around nine years old, so I’m just not passionate about acting anymore.'”
Sullivan stepped away from acting soon after the original series ended its run in 2006, officially leaving the industry by age 19 to explore different interests—and those choices have clearly led him to an impressive path outside of entertainment. As for the rest of the returning lineup, Cranston will be reunited with Frankie Muinz (Malcolm), Jane Kaczmarek, Justin Berfield, and Christopher Masterson.
Filming for the revival wrapped up last month, though an official release date has not yet been revealed. The series is expected to include four half-hour episodes and will likely stream on Disney+ in the near future.
