Erik Per Sullivan rejected huge payday for ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ return and here’s why

Erik Per Sullivan, best known for playing Dewey in Malcolm in the Middle, has turned down a major payday to return for the show’s revival.

The actor, who has largely stayed out of the spotlight since the original series ended, will not reprise his role when the miniseries premieres on April 10.

‘No thank you’ to big offer

Jane Kaczmarek, who played Lois, revealed that Sullivan declined a substantial financial offer to come back.

“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,’” she said, via The Guardian.

Sullivan is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Harvard University, choosing academia over a return to acting.

Bryan Cranston reveals his response

Bryan Cranston, who played Hal, also confirmed that Sullivan had no interest in returning.

“I talked to Erik and said, ‘We got the show back.’ He said, ‘That’s fantastic.’ I said, ‘We’re looking forward to having you back,’ and he said, ‘Oh, no, I don’t want to do it,’” Cranston shared on the Fly on the Wall podcast.

He added that Sullivan has stepped away from acting entirely.

“He said, ‘Oh God, no, I haven’t acted since I was nine or something. So I’m not into it,’” Cranston said.

Revival moves ahead without him

The revival, titled Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, will instead feature Caleb Ellsworth-Clark taking over the role of Dewey.

The four-episode miniseries follows Malcolm as he returns home for Hal and Lois’s 40th wedding anniversary.

Most of the original cast will return, including Frankie Muniz, Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield, while new characters will also be introduced.

Sullivan, now in his 30s, has largely stayed out of the public eye since the original series ended in 2006 after seven seasons. His decision to skip the revival makes him the only main cast member not to return.