Linwood Boomer’s revival of his acclaimed family sitcom will arrive on Hulu without Erik Per Sullivan, who played Dewey in the original show. As one of the sons of Malcolm in the Middle’s dysfunctional family, Sullivan contributed to the series’ critical acclaim. His performance received at least three Teen Choice Award nominations for Choice TV Sidekick, among other coveted recognitions.
So, when the revival was announced in December 2024, fans anticipated catching up with Dewey, the weird brother who became a musical prodigy and evil genius. While Dewey will return in the revival, the character will be portrayed by another actor. Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair engaged Caleb Ellsworth-Clark to play Dewey after Sullivan declined to reprise the role that earned him mainstream recognition.
Revisiting Erik Per Sullivan’s Dewey In Malcolm in the Middle
Known for his quirky but dignified disposition, Erik Per Sullivan’s Dewey elevated Malcolm in the Middle’s humor in ways that resonated with the fandom. Sullivan was only seven years old when he began portraying Dewey, the youngest child of the family, until Jamie (James and Lukas Rodriguez) was introduced in Season 4. He was part of the show from its pilot episode in January 2000 and appeared in all 151 episodes across the sitcom’s seven-season run.
Audience met Dewey as the show’s weird kid. But over the course of the sitcom’s six-year run, Erik Per Sullivan embodied a transformation that distinguished Dewey as Malcolm in the Middle’s most complex and fascinating character. He went from being the eccentric child often overlooked and mistreated to a creative genius, resolved to get revenge for whatever mistreatment he received from his parents and siblings.
Sullivan’s performance won the YoungStar Award in 2000 for Best Young Ensemble Cast – Television. In 2003, he won the Young Artist Award in a similar category after receiving four nominations in the preceding years. These include two Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actor Age Ten or Under. The Teen Choice Award also acknowledged his comedic brilliance with three nominations for Choice TV Sidekick, consecutively from 2001 to 2003.
Erik Per Sullivan Retired From Acting In 2010
I talked to Erik Per Sullivan (Dewey) today for the first time since Malcolm finished filming 4 years ago. He’s going to USC… crazy!
— Frankie Muniz (@frankiemuniz) December 2, 2009
The original Dewey actor turned down the offer to reprise the character in Life’s Still Unfair, despite receiving a generous financial package. Jane Kaczmarek, who played Sullivan’s onscreen mother, disclosed this during an interview with The Guardian in April 2026. “They offered him buckets of money to come back, and he just said, ‘No, thank you,'” Kaczmarek told the publication. Two years earlier, the actress told Malcolm France that Erik Per Sullivan had lost interest in acting when the series concluded.
“He wasn’t interested in acting at all. He goes to school at a very prestigious American university that he’s asked us all to be quiet about. He loves Charles Dickens [and] he’s doing graduate work in Victorian literature.” Similarly, Sullivan’s onscreen father, Bryan Cranston, divulged that the Dewey actor is pursuing a master’s degree at Harvard while confirming he wouldn’t reprise his role in the revival. “He’s getting his master’s at Harvard right now,” Cranston revealed. “He said, ‘Oh, God no. I haven’t acted since I was 9 or something, so I’m not into it.'”
In all, Erik Per Sullivan has kept a low profile since he gave up acting to pursue his education. He was last seen as Timmy in Joel Schumacher’s 2010 conspiracy thriller, Twelve. He’s yet to comment on the revival, but according to Cranston, he thinks the revival is a “fantastic” development. “I talked to Erik, and I said, ‘Hey, we got the show! It’s going to come back,'” the actor narrated during an appearance on Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade. “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.'”
Who Is The New Dewey?
@mickmicknyc Everyone’s been asking who’s playing Dewey in the Malcolm in the Middle revival 👀 Here’s the moment Caleb Ellsworth-Clark walked onto the carpet in NYC, stepping into the role originally played by Erik Per Sullivan 🎬🥰 Spotted alongside Justin Berfield and the cast at the “Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair” premiere 👀 Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair premieres April 10 on @hulu and with Hulu on Disney+ Thanks Disney for inviting me to the Malcolm in the Middle premiere event 🥰🙏 #MalcolmInTheMiddle #Hulu #dewey #nyc #premiere
With Erik Per Sullivan’s refusal to reprise the role, Boomer had to shop for another actor to play the character. Canadian actor Caleb Ellsworth-Clark was cast to play the character in February 2025. He’s known for his roles in psychological thrillers like Robin Pront’s The Silencing (2020) and Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley (2021).
The Canadian anticipates the role would have a huge impact on his career, but he’s also concerned about delivering a performance that lives up to Sullivan’s flair with the character. “I don’t want to disappoint anyone just by not being that guy,” he told the Calgary Herald. “But at the same time, I want to be here, and I’m grateful for the opportunity, and maybe it’s okay that Dewey is a little different.” Check out what happened to Matt Prokop, High School Musical 3 alum.
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