The Hulu reboot, “Life’s Still Unfair,” recast Sullivan’s character, Dewey, with Caleb Ellsworth-Clark.

Justin Berfield regrets Malcolm in the Middle revival forced costar Erik Per Sullivan back into spotlight: ‘Leave Erik alone!’

The Hulu reboot, "Life’s Still Unfair," recast Sullivan's character, Dewey, with Caleb Ellsworth-Clark.

By Kathleen Perricone

April 28, 2026 11:42 p.m. ET

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Erik Per Sullivan (left) with Frankie Muniz and Justin Berfield on 'Malcolm in the Middle'. Credit:

20th Century Fox Film Corp/Courtesy Everett

- *Malcolm in the Middle* star Justin Berfield talks about the absence of Erik Per Sullivan on the Hulu revival.

- Sullivan, now 34, left Hollywood years ago and is currently studying for his master's degree at Harvard.

- Sullivan reportedly rejected "buckets of money" to reprise his role of Dewey, Malcolm's younger brother.

All but one of the core *Malcolm in the Middle* cast members returned for the Hulu revival.

Erik Per Sullivan, who played Malcolm’s younger brother Dewey for six seasons, refused to take part in the *Life’s Still Unfair *reboot, despite being offered "buckets of money." Instead, the 34-year-old opted to focus on studying for his master’s degree at Harvard.

The role of Dewey was recast with Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, but it seems the public’s interest in the very private Sullivan cannot be replaced.

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Justin Berfield, who plays second-eldest brother Reese, stopped by *Howie Mandel Does Stuff* to promote the new show, and one of the comedian’s first questions was if “Dewey” regretted his decision.

“No,” insisted Berfield. “I know they asked him a whole bunch. They asked him like four or five times and every time he was like, ‘No.’”

Mandel then instructed a reluctant Berfield to text Sullivan and ask if he wanted to call in to the podcast. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t respond.

“I actually feel bad,” Berfield said, “because he wants to stay out of the business, and I’ve been seeing, like, paparazzi shots of him. I’m like, just leave Erik alone. He didn’t want to come back to the show. No hard feelings. Everyone loves him.”

Caleb Ellsworth-Clark plays Dewey in the 'Life's Still Unfair' revival.

Bryan Cranston, who plays Malcolm’s father Hal, even tried to convince Sullivan to reunite with his TV family.

“I talked to Erik and I said, ‘Hey, we got the show! It’s going to come back,’” Cranston recalled on the *Fly on the Wall* podcast in 2025. “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.’”

'Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair' cast.

Berfield, now a married father of two, also separated himself from acting after *Malcolm in the Middle*; however, he continued working in Hollywood.

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“I was behind the scenes for a few years,” he told Mandel. “I wanted to get into producing. I had some project ideas… but yeah, you know the business: It moves fast once you’re out for a few years. It’s hard to get back.”

*Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair* is now streaming on Hulu.

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Comedy”