NEED TO KNOW
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Justin Berfield is opening up about renewed interest in his former Malcolm in the Middle costar Erik Per Sullivan
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The sitcom star shared on Howie Mandel Does Stuff that he’s “been seeing paparazzi shots” of the former child actor, who wishes to remain out of the spotlight
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“He didn’t want to come back to the show, no hard feelings. Everyone loves him,” he said
Justin Berfield is looking out for his former costar.
During his Tuesday, April 28, appearance on Howie Mandel Does Stuff, the Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair actor reiterated that fellow original series star Erik Per Sullivan wasn’t interested in joining the revival. He also had a response to renewed paparazzi interest in his childhood friend.
“He’s a good guy. I love Erik. And I actually feel bad,” Berfield, 40, said. “He wants to stay out of the business, and I’ve been seeing paparazzi shots of him. Just leave Erik alone.”
He added, “He didn’t want to come back to the show, no hard feelings. Everyone loves him.”
Erik Per Sullivan as Dewey in 2001
Credit: Everett
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Host Howie Mandel, 70, also asked Berfield at the start of the podcast to reach out to the former TV star to see if he’d be interested in chatting.
In Life’s Still Unfair, the four-episode revival that arrived on April 10, Per Sullivan does not make an appearance. Instead, actor Caleb Ellsworth-Clark fills in as Dewey. He told PEOPLE at the April 7 premiere in New York City that he was “really, really nervous showing up” to set as the beloved character.
“I grew up watching the show,” Ellsworth-Clark said. “I know that Dewey was a fan favorite, but he was also a personal favorite. 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— that up.”
He added that the cast — which included returning actors Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek — was “very warm” to him when he joined the sitcom family. “They were so warm and welcoming,” Ellsworth-Clark said. “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.”
Cranston, 70, previously revealed that Per Sullivan was earning his master’s degree at Harvard and not interested in portraying Dewey again. Kaczmarek also confirmed Cranston’s account, telling The Guardian that the former child actor was “studying Dickens and is an incredible student.” He was offered “buckets of money” but ultimately declined, she said.
Per Sullivan, now 34, appeared in all seven seasons of the original show, which ran from 2000 to 2006 on Fox.
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
Read the original article on People
