Dewey actor not returning for Malcolm in the Middle as he's going to Harvard instead

The Malcolm in the Middle revival is bringing back all of the show's original stars. Well, all but one, it seems. Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Frankie Muniz, and more are set to return when the show airs, but Erik Per Sullivan - the actor who played Dewey - will not be returning.

Speaking on the Fly on the Wall podcast with David Spade and Dana Carvey, Bryan Cranston revealed that he'd spoken to Sullivan, but it was quite clear that the former actor wasn't up for a return. "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,'" Cranston said. "He goes, 'Oh, no, no, I don't want to do it. But it's fantastic.'"

"He's actually going to Harvard," Cranston continued. "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.'"

Sullivan removed himself from the limelight following the end of Malcolm in the Middle back in 2006. By 2010, he'd retired from acting, and has since been pursuing academia. The role of Dewey will instead be played by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark in the show.