Erik Per Sullivan<\/strong> got a hefty offer to return for the Malcolm in the Middle<\/em> revival<\/a>, but he ultimately said no.<\/p>\n Per Sullivan\u2019s onscreen mom, Jane Kaczmarek<\/strong>, was asked about his absence<\/a> from the upcoming four-part special, telling The Guardian<\/em><\/a> on Saturday, April 4, that the retired actor, 34, is \u201cstudying Dickens and is an incredible student.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey offered him buckets of money to come back, and he just said, \u2018No, thank you,’\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Kaczmarek, 70, previously defended Per Sullivan\u2019s decision to stay out of the spotlight.<\/p>\n \u201cI admire it because so many people think being in show business is the greatest thing in the world. It\u2019s not for everyone,\u201d she said in a 2024 interview about how Per Sullivan is a student at \u201ca very prestigious American university.\u201d<\/p>\n Per Sullivan rose to stardom playing Dewey on Malcolm in the Middle<\/em>, which ran from 2000 to 2006. He also appeared in Come on Over, Arthur<\/em> and the Invisibles and Twelve<\/em> before he officially retired in 2010, and he hasn\u2019t participated in any of the show\u2019s reunions over the years.<\/p>\n After Hulu picked up a revival series for Malcolm in the Middle<\/em><\/a>, it was confirmed that Per Sullivan would be recast, with Caleb Ellsworth-Clark<\/strong> taking over the role of Dewey.<\/p>\n The rest of the cast \u2014 including Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, <\/strong>Kaczmarek, Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfiel<\/strong>d \u2014 will reprise their respective characters. In addition to the main cast, Kiana Madeira, Anthony Timpano, Vaughan Murrae<\/strong> and Keeley Karsten<\/strong> have been cast in key roles as well.<\/p>\n \u201c25 years since we premiered Malcolm in the Middle. I\u2019m so excited\u2026 that I may have peed just a little bit,\u201d Cranston, 70, and Kaczmarek said in a December 2024 announcement post. \u201cWhat a delight that I get to yell at that kid again! We\u2019re very, very excited about coming back together and seeing what this family has been up to.\u201d<\/p>\n The revival was written by Linwood Boomer, who created the original series. It will chronicle Malcolm (Muniz) and his daughter as they are \u201cdrawn into the family\u2019s chaos when Hal (Cranston) and Lois (Kaczmarek) demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party,\u201d according to a press release.<\/p>\n Before the series premiere on Friday, April 10, Muniz, 40, recalled past efforts to bring<\/a> the show back.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I had put a tweet out in 2015, [saying], \u2018It would be so cool to see where Malcolm and his family are.\u2019 I couldn\u2019t believe the response and how [many people] went crazy for that,\u201d Muniz exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2025. \u201cI called Linwood Boomer, and he was like, \u2018No, I like how it ended.\u2019 Bryan and I talked about it, and he took the lead in making it happen. It took 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/themes\/us-weekly\/assets\/img\/newsletter-bg-narrow.jpg\")
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