Few television shows fully capture the wild and unhinged side of large families like Malcolm in the Middle. The early-aughts comedy encapsulated the ‘90s by lampooning classic tropes, and leaning into the grungy sights and sounds of the decade. Combined with a perfectly dysfunctional family from lower-middle-class America, it produced one of the most iconic family comedies of the decade.
While cast members like Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek are still active members of the Hollywood scene, many of the child actors involved in the 7 seasons-long series have faded from the public eye. Without a doubt, Dewey’s actor, Erik Per Sullivan, has achieved anonymity best of all.
What is Erik Per Sullivan doing now?
Erik Per Sullivan got his acting start in 1998’s Armageddon when he was just 7 years old. While he was uncredited for the part, it opened the door, and by the following year, he was given access to speaking roles. He was cast as Dewey at 9 years old in 2000, and appeared in more than 150 episodes throughout the series. He remained active throughout the 6 years of filming, landing roles in Joe Dirt, Finding Nemo, and Christmas with the Kranks. After Malcom in the Middle’s final season wrapped in 2007, Per Sullivan only took three more roles. His final performance was in Twelve when he was 18 years old.
Since 2010, Per Sullivan has stayed out of the public eye. The former child actor has never participated in any of the Malcolm in the Middle reunions, has no Social Media accounts to speak of, and is (hopefully) living his best life out of the spotlight. When he retired in 2010, his estimated net worth was $3 million, so at least all of his hard work paid off.
Frankie Muniz has spoken openly about his struggles with substance abuse during the show’s tenure, and how long it took him to find any joy from the series. After more than a decade, Muniz has shown enthusiasm about a possible reboot of the beloved comedy. We’d like to hope that, if Cranston manages to pull it together, Per Sullivan can find it in his heart to step back into the role one last time.
