Why Malcolm in the Middle star Erik Per Sullivan turned down ‘buckets of money’ to return for reunion series

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The actors from Malcolm in the Middle are getting back together for a new, short series, but one important member of the original cast won’t be joining them.

As a lifestyle expert, I was surprised to learn that Erik Per Sullivan, best known as little Dewey from the sitcom, actually passed on a really fantastic opportunity! He was offered a role in a four-episode series that would have been incredibly profitable, but he decided to decline. It just goes to show you never know what’s behind someone’s choices, even when it seems like a great deal on the surface.

Okay, so, like, everyone’s wondering what happened to Sullivan! He’s only 34, and honestly, it’s amazing – he’s at Harvard now, completely immersed in studying literature. I guess Hollywood just isn’t doing it for him anymore, and he’s really prioritizing his education. It’s a little sad for us fans, but I’m so proud he’s following his passion!

Jane Kaczmarek, who played Lois on the show, told The Guardian that Jeremy Sullivan, who played her son, is currently studying Dickens and is a very talented student. Despite receiving a substantial offer to return to the series, he declined.

Caleb Ellsworth-Clark now plays Dewey in the Disney+ series, a continuation of Malcolm in the Middle called Life’s Still Unfair.

Sullivan doesn’t use social media and hasn’t been in a movie or TV show since a minor role in the 2010 film Twelve.

This news follows Justin Berfield, known for his role in Malcolm in the Middle, reappearing publicly after a long period away from the entertainment industry.

Frankie Muniz played Malcolm’s brother Reese on the popular TV show Malcolm in the Middle, but he stopped acting after the show finished in 2006.

The actor, now 40, recently explained in his first interview in two decades why he left his famous life in Hollywood.

He explained on The Joe Vulpis Podcast that he completely stopped performing and instead began working as a writer and producer behind the camera.

‘I just never reached that level where I was that in demand, I guess,’ he continued.

I never planned to follow a career path like Leonardo DiCaprio’s. He started in television, tried comedy, and then became a massive star, but that kind of success wasn’t something I was aiming for as an actor.

Berfield characterized himself as a private person and shared that he’s been a full-time father to his two children with his wife, Liza Almeida, for the past few years.

Berfield explained his long silence from interviews by saying he simply hadn’t had any work to talk about for nearly twenty years.

He explained he’d always declined requests because he wasn’t involved in any projects. As a stay-at-home dad, he didn’t see a reason to start a podcast.

‘I’m just chilling at home with my kid,’ he added.

Even though he stepped away from acting for a while, Berfield is returning to television in a four-episode revival of Malcolm in the Middle.

The new limited series, Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, brings back the show’s original actors for a celebration of Lois and Hal’s wedding anniversary.

Malcolm had been avoiding his family with his daughter for more than ten years, but his parents, Hal and Lois, insist he come to their 40th anniversary party, pulling him back into their lives.

The new series features the return of Bryan Cranston, Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, and Christopher Kennedy Masterson.

The hit comedy series aired from 2000 to 2006 and followed Malcolm, a gifted child played by Frankie Muniz, as he grew up in a chaotic family.

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2026-04-07 00:34