As Dewey was re-cast for the Malcolm in the Middle revival, Erik Per Sullivan‘s successor had some big ears to fill.
While discussing Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, all episodes of which are now available to stream on Hulu, Caleb Ellsworth-Clark said he “didn’t want to fuck that up” for the original 2000-’06 sitcom’s devoted fans.
“I grew up watching the show. I know that Dewey was a fan favorite, but he was also a personal favorite,” he told People. “And I think I was aware that maybe people might be disappointed Erik wasn’t gonna come back and do the show. I guess I didn’t want to f*ck that up.”
Last March, Ellsworth-Clark joined the cast of the revival along returning stars Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield as his onscreen family, with Anthony Timpano, Vaughan Murrae and Keeley Karsten also joining the ensemble.
“They were so warm and welcoming,” Ellsworth-Clark said of his co-stars. “I was really scared to show up but they all took such great care of me and made me feel like I belong. So I am really grateful to all of them.”
Justin Berfield, Erik Per Sullivan, Christopher Masterson and Frankie Muniz in ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ (20th Century Fox Film Corp.)
Although Per Sullivan was offered “buckets of money” to reprise his role, Cranston recently explained that the former child actor is now “studying Dickens and is an incredible student … and he just said, ‘No thank you.’”
In Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, Muniz reprises his once-angsty teenage character, who is now a father of his own. When his parents Hal (Cranston) and Lois (Kaczmarek) demand his presence at their anniversary party, Malcolm is forced to stop avoiding his dysfunctional family while attempting to protect his daughter Leah (Karsten) from their chaotic dynamic.
