‘Malcolm in the Middle’ Star Erik Per Sullivan Turned Down ‘Buckets of Money’ to Return to Revival

Erik Per Sullivan got a hefty offer to return for the Malcolm in the Middle revival, but he ultimately said no.

Per Sullivan's onscreen mom, Jane Kaczmarek, was asked about his absence from the upcoming four-part special, telling The Guardian on Saturday, April 4, that the retired actor, 34, is “studying Dickens and is an incredible student.

" "They offered him buckets of money to come back, and he just said, ‘No, thank you,'" she added. Kaczmarek, 70, previously defended Per Sullivan's decision to stay out of the spotlight.

“I admire it because so many people think being in show business is the greatest thing in the world. It’s not for everyone," she said in a 2024 interview about how Per Sullivan is a student at “a very prestigious American university.

” Per Sullivan rose to stardom playing Dewey on Malcolm in the Middle, which ran from 2000 to 2006.

He also appeared in Come on Over, Arthur and the Invisibles and Twelve before he officially retired in 2010, and he hasn't participated in any of the show's reunions over the years.

After Hulu picked up a revival series for Malcolm in the Middle, it was confirmed that Per Sullivan would be recast, with Caleb Ellsworth-Clark taking over the role of Dewey.

The rest of the cast — including Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Kaczmarek, Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield — will reprise their respective characters.