Erik Per Sullivan played Malcolm In The Middle’s Dewey throughout the sitcom’s seven-season run, but what happened to him after the show ended?
What became of the actor who played the Dewey Malcolm In The Middle character after the show came to an end? It’s been over 15 years since the last episode with the Malcolm In The Middle cast aired, but it’s still hailed as one of the best sitcoms of all time. The series owes a big part of its success to the talented actors that play its delightfully dysfunctional family: long-suffering matriarch Lois (Jane Kaczmarek), lovably inept dad Hal (Bryan Cranston), genius middle son Malcolm (Frankie Muniz), wayward eldest son Francis (Christopher Kennedy Masterson), dim-witted second child Reese (Justin Berfield) and youngest kid Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan). Malcolm In The Middle made stars out of several of its cast members. Bryan Cranston (Walter White) is, of course, better known for his multi-award-winning turn in Breaking Bad and his onscreen wife Jane Kaczmarek has enjoyed a steady stream of work since the sitcom ended in 2006. Likewise, Frankie Muniz has had no shortage of acting credits since playing the show’s titular protagonist and enjoyed a stint as a contestant on Dancing With The Stars.
However, another cast member dipped out of the limelight a few years after the sitcom aired its finale: Erik Per Sullivan who played the Dewey Malcolm In The Middle character. Sullivan earned considerable acclaim for his role as Lois and Hal’s eccentric youngest son and was nominated for two Young Artist Awards for his work. He took on quite a few other roles during the sitcom’s seven-season run, including voicing seahorse Sheldon in Finding Nemo and nabbing parts in the horror movie Wendigo and festive film Christmas With The Kranks. Here’s what happened after he left the Malcolm in the Middle cast.
Erik Per Sullivan Didn’t Do Much Acting After Malcolm In The Middle
According to his IMDb page, Erik Per Sullivan has only taken on a handful of acting gigs since he was in the Malcolm In The Middle cast. He had a role in a short film titled Once Not Far From Home and voiced a couple of characters in Luc Besson’s animated fantasy film Arthur And The Invisibles. Sullivan also played the title role in a 2007 movie called Mo about a boy with Marfan Syndrome, and his last credit was a supporting role as Timmy in Joel Schumacher’s 2010 teen crime movie Twelve. Since playing the Dewey Malcolm in the Middle character, though, it seems Erik Per Sullivan has quit acting and is living a low-key lifestyle out of the spotlight.
Erik Per Sullivan isn’t the only cast member who stopped acting shortly after Malcolm In The Middle either. His co-star Justin Berfield also took on a few more acting gigs after the sitcom came to an end but – as per his IMDb page – he’s since switched to more behind-the-scenes roles and is currently working as an executive producer on a couple of reality TV shows. However, while Berfield and most of the main cast recently appeared in a virtual Malcolm In The Middle reunion for charity, Sullivan chose not to take part which suggests he’s well and truly left his acting days behind him.
A Malcolm In The Middle Return Wouldn’t Be Right WIthout Dewey
Since the virtual reunion, which didn’t include Erik Per Sullivan, a Malcolm in the Middle reboot has been in high demand. The series could pick up with the gang as adults, as it’s the only natural place for the show to go. However, without the Dewey Malcolm in the Middle contribution, a new show would fall flat. The youngest brother is an integral part of the family dynamic, and a show return without the actor being a part of the Malcolm in the Middle cast would be one of a few reasons why it couldn’t work. Dewey would’ve arguably led the most interesting of lives after the show ended given his idiosyncracies and wide array of interests. Some even argue that he was one of the funniest characters on the show, and not to include him in another Malcolm in the Middle special would wound any reboot.
