What happened to Erik Per Sullivan – the curly-haired kid who played Dewey on Malcolm in the Middle? No scandal, no meltdown, none of the usual child-star drama. He just walked away.
He quit acting in 2010, buried himself in books, and is now reportedly doing a master’s at Harvard. And when the show came back? He turned down a fat pay cheque.
- Erik played Dewey across all seven seasons of Malcolm in the Middle (2000–2006).
- He retired from acting in 2010 to study instead.
- He’s reportedly now at Harvard, deep into Victorian literature and Dickens.
- He said no to “buckets of money” to skip the reboot.
- Caleb Ellsworth-Clark plays Dewey in the new series.
Who is This Dewey Kid Anyway?
Erik Per Sullivan is an American former actor, born on 12 July 1991 in Worcester, Massachusetts. He’s an only child. His mum, Ann, came from Sweden and became a US citizen in 2007, while his dad, Fred — of Irish stock — once ran a Mexican joint called The Alamo.
Erik speaks a bit of Swedish, and the family heads back most years. As a nipper he picked up piano and saxophone, and get this: he’s got a first-dan black belt in taekwondo.
Wikipedia points out he went to Mount Saint Charles Academy in Rhode Island and the rather posh Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.
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The Malcolm Years
We all know him as Dewey – the brainy, musical, forever-picked-on second-youngest brother who often nicked the spotlight from Frankie Muniz’s Malcolm. He played him for all seven seasons, 151 episodes between 2000 and 2006.
The BBC sums the character up nicely: musically gifted Dewey copped his brothers’ pranks, built a daft tolerance for pain, got dumped in a class below his smarts (where he crowned himself teacher), and was the first to stop tormenting baby brother Jamie.
He’d been acting since he was tiny, mind. There’s an uncredited bit in Armageddon (1998), then his first proper role as Fuzzy in The Cider House Rules (1999).
Around Malcolm in the Middle he squeezed in Wendigo and Joe Dirt (2001), Unfaithful (2002), the voice of Sheldon the Seahorse in Finding Nemo (2003), Spike in Christmas with the Kranks (2004), the title role in the indie film Mo (2007), and the voice of Mino in Arthur and the Minimoys.
He even co-wrote the afterword to a 2005 kids’ book, Together, with on-screen mum Jane Kaczmarek.
What Happened to Erik Per Sullivan After the Show?
He hung up his acting boots in 2010 to hit the books. His final credit was Timmy in teen crime drama Twelve, when he was about 18. Since then? Radio silence and reunion after reunion were missed.
His old screen brother Justin Berfield (Reese), who has two kids with wife Liza Almeida, gave the warmest update on the Joe Vulpis Podcast. Fandom Wire reports he said:
“I know he’s doing really well right now. And he’s happy. I know they asked him to be a part of the show, and he was just like, ‘No, I’m done. I’m done with that part of my life.’ But he’s happy. He’s a good kid. He’s not even a kid anymore. He’s an adult. He’s a good guy. He’s really happy though.”
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From USC to Harvard
First stop was the University of Southern California, which he started in 2009. We only know because Frankie Muniz couldn’t keep it to himself, posting on X that December:
“I talked to Erik Per Sullivan (Dewey) today for the first time since Malcolm finished filming 4 years ago. He’s going to USC… crazy!”
Fast forward and by 2026 he’s at Harvard, reportedly buried in Victorian literature with a soft spot for Charles Dickens.
The brains were always there — back in 2007, he bagged the James Joyce Award from University College Dublin’s Literary and Historical Society, popped up at a few premieres and at his mum’s naturalisation ceremony, and then more or less vanished.
The ‘Buckets of Money’ He Said No To
When the reboot — Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair — was approved, the team rang Erik. He passed. Kaczmarek told The Guardian:
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.’
Bryan Cranston told it just as cheerfully on the Fly on the Wall podcast:
“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 ceremony, andic.” He reckons Erik is “getting his master’s at Harvard right now”, adding that the lad joked he hadn’t acted since he was nine.
Kaczmarek had teased all of this a year earlier on the fan site Malcolm France, saying:
“He wasn’t interested in acting at all.” Her verdict? “I admire it too because so many people think being in show business is the greatest thing in the world. It’s not for everyone.”
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Where’s Erik Per Sullivan Now?
Living his best quiet life, by the looks of it. NBC News notes he’s still cracking on with his Harvard studies rather than craving the limelight.
The last anyone saw him was in April 2025, mooching round Boston on a coffee run – peacoat, cap, and takeaway cup. It’s hardly TMZ gold, and that’s clearly the point.
The Reboot Without Him
The four-parter went ahead anyway, with Fargo’s Caleb Ellsworth-Clark taking over Dewey’s role. People confirm the gang’s mostly back:
Muniz, Cranston, Kaczmarek, Christopher Masterson (Francis), Emy Coligado (Piama) and Berfield, with Kiana Madeira and Keeley Karsten joining as Malcolm’s girlfriend and daughter.
Filming’s happened in Vancouver, and episode one kicks off at Hal and Lois’s 40th wedding anniversary do. Erik’s not in it, but everyone agrees he’s chuffed to bits regardless. Books over baubles, every time.
FAQs
- What happened to Erik Per Sullivan?
Ans: He quit acting in 2010 to focus on his education. He’s lived a private life since and is now reportedly studying at Harvard.
- Why did Erik Per Sullivan stop acting?
Ans: He wants to focus on his study and has also lost interest in acting. His last acting role was in the 2010 film Twelve.
- Is Erik Per Sullivan in the Malcolm in the Middle reboot?
Ans: No. He turned down “buckets of money” to skip it. Caleb Ellsworth-Clark plays Dewey in the new series.
- What is Erik Per Sullivan doing now?
Ans: He’s reportedly doing a master’s at Harvard, studying Victorian literature, and he’s a big Charles Dickens fan.
- Who plays Dewey in the new Malcolm in the Middle?
Ans: Fargo actor Caleb Ellsworth-Clark takes over as Dewey, replacing Erik Per Sullivan.
Sources & References:
- People – The 4-episode mini-series titled “Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair” is back.
- Fandom Wire – Erik’s old screen brother, Justin Berfield (Reese), gave the update on the Joe Vulpis Podcast.
- NBC News – He’s still cracking on with his Harvard studies.
- Wikipedia – Eric studied at Mount Saint Charles Academy in Rhode Island.
- BBC – In Malcolm, Eric plays the role of a musically gifted child.
