Fans of the beloved 2000s sitcom are in for a shock: Erik Per Sullivan, the former child star who played Dewey on Malcolm in the Middle, has turned down a huge payday to come back for the highly anticipated Disney+ reboot. Sources close to the production say that Sullivan turned down what insiders call “buckets of money.” This offer could have brought him back with Frankie Muniz, who is returning to his famous role as Malcolm.
As excitement grows for the Disney+ revival of “Malcolm in the Middle,” the news comes that original creator Linwood Boomer and stars like Muniz, Bryan Cranston, and Jane Kaczmarek are already on board. Sullivan, who is now 35 and lives a quiet life away from Hollywood, quietly left the spotlight after the show ended in 2006. He went to college and got a philosophy degree from the University of Southern California. Since then, he has focused on privacy rather than fame.
A source told, “Erik Per Sullivan turned down buckets of money because he’s really happy with his life off-screen.”No matter how much money he could make, he doesn’t want to go back to the world of child stars. This decision to reboot Malcolm in the Middle shows that more and more former child stars are choosing personal happiness over big money revivals.
Fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts, and hashtags like #DeweyReturns and #MalcolmInTheMiddleReboot are trending. Muniz, who is always hopeful, said in recent interviews that he hopes for a full family reunion, but he understands Sullivan’s choice. Muniz said, “We’d love to have him, but life is about what makes you happy.”
The new Disney+ show Malcolm in the Middle will stream later this year. It will have new stories and the same crazy things that happen to the Wilkerson family. Will Sullivan ever change his mind? For now, it looks like one of TV’s most famous little brothers is out of luck.
