In a recent appearance on the "Howie Mandel Does Stuff" podcast, Justin Berfield, the actor who played Malcolm in the Middle, expressed his sadness that Erik Per Sullivan, who portrayed Dewey in the original show, has continued to receive public attention despite his decision not to participate in the 2026 revival of the series.
When asked by Mandel if he believed Sullivan's character, Dewey, regretted not being a part of "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair," Berfield replied, "No. I know they asked him a whole bunch." He continued, "They asked him like four or five times, and every time he was like, ‘No.’"
Mandel then asked Berfield to text Sullivan while they were filming the podcast, to which he replied that he wasn't sure if Sullivan would respond, noting, "I think he's just out of the business. We all love him, no hard feelings."
Despite Sullivan not reprising his role for the revival, Berfield said that hasn't stopped the public's interest in what he's been up to since leaving the entertainment industry. "He's a good guy. I love Erik. And I actually feel bad because he wants to stay out of the business and I've been seeing paparazzi shots of him," he said. "And I'm like, leave Erik alone. He didn't want to come back to the show. No hard feelings."
Bryan Cranston, who played Malcolm's father on the original show, previously shared his conversations with Sullivan after learning of the reboot. "I talked to Erik and I said, ‘Hey, we got the show! It’s gonna come back.’ 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 that you are,’" Cranston said. "He’s actually going to Harvard. He’s really, really smart, and I think he’s getting his master’s at Harvard right now. He said, ‘Oh God, no, I haven’t acted since I was nine or something. So I’m not into it.'"
Caleb Ellsworth-Clark took over the role of Dewey in "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair." Cranston and Berfield reprised their roles from the original show, while Jane Kaczmarek, Christopher Masterson, and Frankie Muniz also returned.
