Malcolm in the Middle Recasts Major Character for Disney+ Revival

Life is unfair. Disney+‘s upcoming Malcolm in the Middle revival has recast the role of Dewey, originally played by Erik Per Sullivan on the Fox sitcom that aired 151 episodes between 2000 and 2006. Dewey — the youngest brother of Malcolm (Frankie Muniz), Reese (Justin Berfield), and Francis (Christopher Masterson) until baby brother Jamie came along in the show’s fourth season — will instead by portrayed by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark.

Ellsworth-Clark, whose roles include episodes of The Expanse and Fargo, boards the series alongside the returning Berfield and Masterson. They join previously announced cast members Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek as the boys’ parents, Hal and Lois, who were confirmed to return alongside Muniz in the title role in December.

The four-episode Malcolm in the Middle revival has also set Anthony Timpano (Riverdale) as the grown-up Jamie and Vaughan Murrae (The Solutioneers) as Malcolm’s youngest sibling, Kelly. (The 2006 series finale revealed that Lois was pregnant with her sixth child as Malcolm was accepted into Harvard.) Murrae, who uses they/them pronouns, is non-binary, as is Kelly, described as “self-sufficient, gets good grades and already wiser than most of the family.”

Additionally, the revival has cast Keeley Karsten (The Fabelmans) as new character Leah, Malcolm’s daughter who “has the same sarcastic humor, same impulsiveness and the same frighteningly high intelligence as him, but she’s far more sensitive and emotional.” Kiana Madeira (the Fear Street trilogy) was previously announced as Malcolm’s girlfriend, Tristan.

Here’s the logline: “Malcolm and his daughter are drawn into the family’s chaos when Hal and Lois demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party.”

Former child actor Sullivan hasn’t appeared on screen since the Joel Schumacher-directed Twelve in 2010. Kaczmarek revealed in a 2024 interview that Sullivan retired from acting to pursue academics.

“He’s well, he’s very, very well…He did Malcolm for seven years, he started at seven, he ended at 14. He wasn’t interested in acting, at all,” Kaczmarek told the fan site Malcolm France. “He goes to school at a very prestigious American university that he’s asked us all to be quiet about and he loves Charles Dickens. He’s doing graduate work in Victorian literature. I admire it because so many people think being in show business is the greatest thing in the world, it’s not for everyone.”

Malcolm series creater Linwood Boomer returns as writer and executive producer on the revival from Disney Branded Television, 20th Television and New Regency, also behind the original Fox sitcom. Ken Kwapis, a TV veteran who has directed episodes of The Office, Freaks and Geeks, Parks and Recreation, Space Force, and the original Malcolm, is also serving as executive producer and will direct all four episodes.

Cranston is executive producing the limited series alongside Tracy Katsky (Santa Clarita Diet) of KatCo, Arnon Milchan (Daredevil), Yariv Milchan (the Fraggle Rock revival), and Natalie Lehmann (The Creator) for New Regency. Original Malcolm in the Middle series producer Jimmy Simons and Laura Delahaye (The Punisher) also serve as co-executive producers.

All seven seasons of Malcolm in the Middle are now streaming on Disney+.