Malcolm in the Middle star turned down 'buckets of money' to come back for reboot
Jane Kaczmarek has opened up about Erik Per Sullivan's decision to decline returning for the Malcolm in the Middle Disney+ revival.
Malcolm in the Middle star Jane Kaczmarek has shed light on why one of her former cast members will not be appearing in the upcoming Disney+ revival.
The 70 year old actress reprises her role as matriarch Lois alongside Bryan Cranston's Hal, Christopher Masterson as Francis and, naturally, Frankie Muniz in the four-part reboot, Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair.
However, ahead of the limited series' launch this Friday, 10th April, it has been confirmed that one pivotal cast member from the beloved sitcom will be absent from the new production.
Erik Per Sullivan, who played Hal and Lois' youngest son Dewey, will not be reprising his role having stepped away from acting shortly after the original show concluded its final season.
He will be replaced by actor Caleb Ellsworth-Clark in the new sequel series.
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Kaczmarek has now disclosed that Sullivan was initially given the opportunity to return but declined the offer.
Speaking to The Guardian, she said: "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'."
Fortunately, the remainder of the much-loved cast is back for further chaos as the fan-favourite dysfunctional family, with Muniz crediting Breaking Bad star Cranston as the driving force behind the new project.
"I had dinner with Bryan and I remember him saying something like: 'There's no role I'd want to revisit more than Hal,' so he took the lead," Muniz shared. "It's thanks to Bryan that it really did happen." Cranston added: "It was seven great years of my life – in which I met the most wonderful people. There's no better job than going to work and thinking of how to be funny."
The cast's most recent interview comes shortly after their co-star Justin Berfield spoke candidly about his choice to step away from the entertainment industry before returning as Malcolm's elder brother Reese.
Appearing on the Joe Vulpis Podcast, he revealed: "I fully just stopped acting.
"I just never reached that level where I was that in demand, I guess. I had no intention of ever becoming like Leonardo DiCaprio.
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"Like, that guy, he's huge. He starred in TV, did comedy, and then he exploded but that was never my intention as an actor."
Berfield has spent the past several years as a stay-at-home father with his wife Liza Almeida, while also working behind the scenes on various projects as a writer and producer.
An official synopsis for the forthcoming revival states: "After shielding himself and his daughter from his family for over a decade, Malcolm is dragged back into their orbit when Hal and Lois demand his presence at their 40th anniversary party."
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair premieres Friday, 10th April on Disney+.
