Malcolm in the Middle star turned down 'buckets of money' to return for reboot

Malcom in the Middle's Erik Per Sullivan reportedly turned down 'buckets of money' to reprise his role as Dewey.

This Friday (10 April) will see Malcolm and his dysfunctional family back on our screens for the first time in two decades, for a four-part reboot titled Life's Still Unfair.

As Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) and Hal (Bryan Cranston) plan a 40th wedding anniversary to remember, the whole family is expected to gather for a party – although one familiar face will be absent.

Following six years in the role as Dewey and a handful of other roles, Sullivan stepped away from the world of Hollywood together and now lives a completely private life.

And it would appear that not even a major payday could tempt him back into the role one last time.

Dewey actor Erik Per Sullivan turned down 'buckets of money' to reprise the role (20th Century Fox)

Speaking about the 34-year-old's absence from the reboot in an interview with The Guardian, Kaczmarek said: "They offered him buckets of money to come back, and he just said: 'No thank you'."

Meanwhile, Breaking Bad star Cranston, who is thought to have been the driving force behind the reunion, revealed to Entertainment Weekly that he'd asked Sullivan directly about coming back, to which he politely declined.

"I talked to Erik, and I said, 'Hey, we got the show! It's going to 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'," Cranston recalled.

What is Erik Per Sullivan up to now?

While Dewey has since been recast, with Caleb Ellsworth-Clark taking over the role, Sullivan now spends his time in the world of academia and is currently studying for a Master's degree in Victorian Literature at Harvard University.

His path outside of the entertainment industry is one which is highly respected by his co-stars, with Kaczmarek telling The Guardian that he is currently studying Dickens and is an 'incredible student'.

The rest of the cast were fully supportive of his decision not to return (Disney/Hulu)

"I admire it too because so many people think being in show business is the greatest thing in the world. It's not for everyone," she previously told PEOPLE.

Meanwhile, Frankie Muniz, who plays the titular character, Malcolm, told The New York Post that Sullivan is 'very happy' with his life outside of the entertainment industry.

"He’s very happy in the life that he’s created outside of the entertainment world," he said, adding: "And he made the decision that he didn’t want to get back into it — which we completely respect."

The 40-year-old went on to add that Sullivan had given the cast permission to recast his character, adding: "We had his blessing from day one."