Who did Erik Per Sullivan play in Malcolm In the Middle? Actor seen in public for the first time in 18 years amid series reboot reports
Erik Per Sullivan, who portrayed Dewey in the popular family sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, was spotted for the first time on Wednesday, April 2, after leaving Hollywood 18 years ago to pursue further education. In the viral photos, the former actor seemed to be enjoying a cup of coffee and running errands while wearing a peacoat and a cap.
Erik Per Sullivan temporarily attended the University of Southern California after quitting the entertainment business. As reported by E! News on April 2, he is presently a graduate student specializing in Victorian literature.
As per reports, Sullivan is the only primary cast member who will not be returning for the show's impending Disney+ reboot.
Erik Per Sullivan played Dewey, the second youngest of the Wilkerson family's children. He is clever, funny, and musically inclined. The series ran for seven seasons and 151 episodes until it ended its original run in 2006.
Exploring Erik Per Sullivan’s role in Malcolm In the Middle as the actor reportedly lost interest in acting after the show
Dewey Wilkerson, played by Erik Per Sullivan, is one of Malcolm in the Middle's protagonists. He is Lois and Hal Wilkerson's fourth child. Before Jamie was born, he was the youngest child for the first four seasons. He is the younger brother of Francis, Reese, and Malcolm Wilkerson.
He is in the first grade and around six years old when he makes his first appearance in the series premiere. He is 12 and enrolled in middle school by the last season of the show. He is compelled to share a bed with Malcolm and sleep in the same bedroom as Reese and Malcolm throughout.
As a result, he is a prime target of his older brother's bullying. Dewey’s parents have been ignoring him for years since they are too preoccupied with their own lives and fed up with his brothers' shenanigans.
Malcolm In the Middle, since his birth, his parents had disregarded him. In addition to ignoring him on the one hand and bullying him physically and emotionally on the other, his older brothers only serve to worsen the problem.
Dewey is renowned for his peculiar behaviour, which may be eccentric and humorous at times. In other situations, he is the most responsible and compassionate member of his family, taking on more responsibility for his younger brother Jamie than his parents alone.
Erik Per Sullivan’s character is more artistically oriented than his brothers. In later episodes, he composes opera music and plays the piano. He is also very resourceful and innovative.
It also turns out that Dewey is nearly as smart as Malcolm, if not slightly smarter. In the series' last scene, Dewey and Jamie are hiding from their parents after they pull a terrible practical joke.
Dewey discovers that, as Dewey had with his other two brothers before they moved out, he and Jamie now share a secret that keeps them close as brothers.
However, according to reports, Erik Per Sullivan hasn't been recast in the show's relaunch. As per People Magazine’s April 2 report, it was revealed last week that Caleb Ellsworth-Clark would play Dewey in the reboot.
According to the NY Post, during an appearance at the Paris Manga Sci-fi Show in April 2024, Jane Kaczmarek, who portrayed Erik Per Sullivan's mother on Malcolm in the Middle, revealed that he is doing "very very well.”
She further said that he left acting since he no longer finds the work fulfilling. She added:
“He did ‘Malcolm’ for seven years. He started at 7, he ended at 14.. He wasn’t interested in acting at all. So many people think being in show business is the greatest thing in the world, [but] it’s not for everyone.”
Additionally, as per the same People report, the Malcolm revival for Disney+ was confirmed in December by original cast members Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, and Jane Kaczmarek.
Muniz, 39, posted a video via Instagram announcing the significant reunion, saying:
"I have been waiting for this moment for 18 years.. Let's find out where Malcolm and his family are now."
Meanwhile, Sullivan has not made any direct remarks regarding the reunion.
