The reboot of Malcolm in the Middle has confirmed the future of Erik Per Sullivan, the actor who played Dewey in the classic series.
While it has previously been confirmed that Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek will return as Malcolm and his parents Hal and Lois, the future of the Dewey actor was uncertain.
The four-episode reunion reboot will focus on Malcolm and his daughter attending Hal and Lois’ 40-year wedding anniversary and being drawn into ‘family chaos’.
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The presence of Per Sullivan has been a hot topic of discussion due to his retreat from the spotlight.
Dewey’s actor has no acting credits since 2010 when he starred in Twelve, and has been absent from the public eye ever since, including cast reunions.
It was announced yesterday, (25 March) that Per Sullivan would not be returning for the reboot episodes.
It was confirmed however that Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield, who played Francis and Reese, would be reprising their role.
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Rather than removing Dewey from the show however, they have instead elected to recast the role.
The role of Dewey will instead be played by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, an actor who has previously appeared with small roles in shows such as Fargo, The Expanse and The Handmaid’s Tale.
In addition to this, Anthony Timpano, Vaughan Murrae, and Keeley Karsten have all been cast respectively as Malcolm’s youngest brother Jamie, his youngest sibling Kelly, and his daughter Leah.
The absence of Per Sullivan will not come as a surprise to fans of the series.
Jane Kaczmarek spoke about Per Sullivan previously, saying ‘he wasn't interested in acting, at all.’
She went on to say: “He goes to school at a very prestigious American university that he's asked us all to be quiet about, and he loves Charles Dickens.
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"He's doing graduate work in Victorian literature. I admire it because so many people think being in show business is the greatest thing in the world, it's not for everyone.”
Frankie Muniz has also spoken out about it, saying: “To be honest, I don't know what he's up to. I hate to say that because I've talked to him a few times since the show ended.
"I've talked to his parents a lot. When I was in the band, we went and played in the city where he lives and his parents came to the show, but unfortunately he couldn't make it.
"So I got to talk to them, and he's been all over doing a lot of different things.
"But one thing I know, some actors or some people just got to do it when they were a kid and then they wanted to experience other things and kind of live a more normal life out of the spotlight.”
Topics: TV and Film, Entertainment, Celebrity, Frankie Muniz
Michael Slavin