‘Malcolm in the Middle’ Star Erik Per Sullivan Turned Down ‘Buckets of Money’ To Reprise Role In Revival

The Malcolm in the Middle revival is almost here and that means it’s just days until Malcolm and his family are back on your screens. But there’s one family member who will not be reprising his character after choosing to step back from the spotlight.

Erik Per Sullivan, who starred as the second-youngest son, Dewey, in the original series from 2000 to 2006, left Hollywood just a few years after the end of Malcolm. Although he became an extremely popular child actor, known for his roles in projects like Christmas with the Kranks (2004), Per Sullivan had another interest he wanted to pursue.

“He’s very, very well,” said Jane Kaczmarek, who played his mother, Lois, on the series. “He did Malcolm for seven years…started at 7, ended at 14. He wasn’t interested in acting at all. He goes to school at a very, very, very prestigious American university… and he loves Charles Dickens. He’s doing work in Victorian literature.”

Learn more about Per Sullivan’s decision not to return for the Malcolm in the Middle revival and what his co-stars had to say about the former actor.

Per Sullivan was offered ‘buckets of money’

Kaczmarek is nothing if not proud of her on-screen son. The actress has spoken highly of Per Sullivan following his decision not to return for the revival. She even confirmed that while there was a tidy sum of money on the line, Per Sullivan just wanted to live his own life.

“He’s studying Dickens and is an incredible student–they offered him buckets of money to come back, and he just said: ‘No thank you,'” Kaczmarek shared.

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Bryan Cranston on Per Sullivan’s absence

Bryan Cranston, who starred as the father of the family, Hal, also opened up about why Per Sullivan has chosen not to return to the show. While he didn’t share much more information than Kaczmarek, he did confirm that the former actor is “the only one who didn’t come back to act in the show.”

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“I talked to Erik and I said, ‘Hey, we got the show! It’s going to come back.'” Cranston recalled. “He [Per Sullivan] 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.'”

Per Sullivan left acting behind in 2010 and has stayed out of the limelight, but his former co-stars still only have good things to say about him.

“He’s actually going to Harvard,” Cranston explained. “He’s really, really smart, and he’s getting his master’s at Harvard right now. He said, ‘Oh God, no, I haven’t acted since I was 9 or something. So I’m not into it.'”