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Bryan Cranston has revealed that he spoke to Malcolm in the Middle star Erik Per Sullivan before filming the upcoming reunion, only to discover that he wasn’t interested in returning.
Sullivan played youngest son Dewey in the beloved sitcom, which Disney+ recently commissioned for four special reunion episodes featuring many of the original cast, including Cranston as the family’s father, Hal; Jane Kaczmarek as the mother, Lois; and Frankie Muniz as the elder son Malcolm.
However, Sullivan will not be reprising his role, having not acted since he was a child and instead been pursuing a career as an academic. This, though, was a surprise to Cranston, who has opened up about his experience working on the new episodes during an appearance on the Fly on the Wall podcast with Dana Carvey and David Spade.
The 69-year-old Breaking Bad star said: “It's amazing how these boys who were my boys on that show are now around the same age I was when we first started, and they've got children of their own.”
Cranston did express his disappointment about Sullivan opting not to return, explaining: “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.’”
Revealing more about Sullivan’s radical career change, Cranston said: “He's actually going to Harvard. He’s really, really smart, and he's getting his master’s at Harvard right now. Erik said, ‘Oh God, no, I haven't acted since I was nine or something. So I'm not into it.’”
The role of Dewey is now set to be filled by Fargo actor Caleb Ellsworth-Clark in the reboot.
Elsewhere, Cranston said that he had been pushing series creator Linwood Boomer to create a revival for the past 10 years as he knew that there were still fans of the show clamouring for more. “I just started wearing him down until he said, ‘I’ve got an idea.’ I said, ‘Good,’” joked Cranston.
Malcolm in the Middle aired on Fox for seven seasons from 2000 to 2006. The single-camera comedy series focused on Malcolm, a child prodigy, and his dysfunctional working-class family. Over the course of its seven-season run, Malcolm in the Middle earned seven Emmy Awards out of its 33 nominations.
In December, Disney announced that it would be rebooting the show for four episodes. A release date has yet to be announced.
“Malcolm in the Middle is a landmark sitcom that captured the essence of family life with humour, heart and relatability,” Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, said at the time.
“Its hilarious and heartfelt portrayal of a lovably chaotic family resonated with audiences of all ages, and we’re so excited to welcome the original cast back to bring that magic to life again,” Davis added.
“With Linwood Boomer and the creative team at the helm, these new episodes will have all the laughs, pranks, and mayhem fans loved — along with a few surprises that remind us why this show is so timeless.”
The reboot will follow Malcolm and his daughter as they “are drawn into the family’s chaos when Hal and Lois demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party”, according to an official synopsis.
English (US) ·