Frankie Muniz’s chaotic on-screen family welcomes several new faces into the fold in the four-episode Hulu revival.

Here’s who was recast for Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair from original series

Frankie Muniz's chaotic on-screen family welcomes several new faces into the fold in the four-episode Hulu revival.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

EW's editorial guidelines

April 10, 2026 9:30 a.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Erik Per Sullivan in 'Malcolm in the Middle'; Caleb Ellsworth-Clark in 'Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair'. Credit:

20th Century Fox Film Corp/Courtesy Everett; Hulu

- Caleb Ellsworth-Clark stepped in after Erik Per Sullivan declined to play Dewey in *Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair*.

- Anthony Timpano replaced James and Lukas Rodriguez as the family's youngest son Jamie in the revival.

- Vaughan Murrae, Kiana Madeira, and Keeley Karsten portray new members of the family.

The *Malcolm in the Middle* revival *Life's Still Unfair* brings back tons of familiar faces — but a few of the stars of the original show declined to return.

Although Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Christopher Masterson, and Justin Berfield all returned to reprise their respective members of the surname-less central family, the latest iteration of the show swapped out two of the series' younger siblings.

Erik Per Sullivan, who played Dewey on the original *Malcolm in the Middle*, declined multiple offers to reunite with his on-screen family. The actor hasn't appeared on screen in over 15 years, so the production tried to make the role as attractive as possible to coax Sullivan out of retirement.

Erik Per Sullivan, Frankie Muniz, and Justin Berfield in 'Malcolm in the Middle'.

20th Century Fox Film Corp/Courtesy Everett

"I tried, I did everything," *Malcolm* creator Linwood Boomer tells **. "You know, that's why Dewey is on Zoom all the time. I said, 'Listen, I worked it out so that we can go to your house if you want, and we can shoot it with a green screen. We can do it in half a day, that's all it would be.'"

Despite the relatively low level of commitment required for the part, Sullivan still opted out, so *Wynonna Earp* alum Caleb Ellsworth-Clark is taking his place as Dewey. "He was like, 'I don't wanna be an actor anymore,'" Boomer says of Sullivan. The showrunner, who began his career as an actor on shows like *Little House on the Prairie* before pivoting to behind-the-camera work, recalls Sullivan flipping the line of questioning to underline his point.

"I kept pushing him, and then he said, 'Do *you* wanna be an actor anymore?'" Boomer remembers. "And I was like, 'No.' And he was like, 'Okay then, yeah... leave me alone [about it]."

Though he had steady success as a child actor in films like *The Cider House Rules* and *Christmas with the Kranks*, Sullivan stepped away from screen acting while he was still a teenager, with his final performance arriving in 2010's *Twelve*.

'Malcolm in the Middle' cast reunites to preview the most chaotic family reunion on the planet

Latest 'Malcolm in the Middle' revival trailer shows new Dewey actor watching Jane Kaczmarek shave Bryan Cranston's crotch

Cranston previously said that he chatted with Sullivan about a potential *Malcolm* return. "I talked to Erik and I said, 'Hey, we got the show! It's going to come back.' He goes, 'Oh, that's fantastic!'" the *Breaking Bad *actor told *Fly on the Wall* last year. "And I go, 'Yeah, so we're looking forward to having you back.' He goes, 'Oh, no, no, I don't want to do it. But it's fantastic.'"

Cranston noted that Sullivan is exploring a new career trajectory. "He's actually going to Harvard," the *Trumbo* star explained. "He's really, really smart, and he's getting his master's at Harvard right now. He said, 'Oh God, no, I haven't acted since I was nine or something. So I'm not into it.'"

Bryan Cranston, Christopher Masterson, Frankie Muniz, Justin Berfield, Caleb Ellsworth-Clark, and Jane Kaczmarek in 'Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair'.

Kaczmarek shared similar sentiments with *The Guardian*. "He's studying Dickens and is an incredible student," the actress explained. "They offered him buckets of money to come back, and he just said: 'No thank you.'"

Dewey isn't the only member of the family played by a new actor. *Life's Still Unfair* also recast Jamie, the family's youngest brother who was played by twins James and Lukas Rodriguez in the last four seasons of the original show. Like Sullivan, the Rodriguezes have not appeared on screen in over 15 years, with their only credit outside of *Malcolm* coming in a 2009 episode of *Without a Trace*.

As a result, Anthony Timpano has stepped into the role of Jamie in *Life's Still Unfair*. He has previously appeared in episodes of *Riverdale*, *Nancy Drew*, *DC's Legends of Tomorrow*, and *Fire Country*.

Lukas Rodriguez in 'Malcolm in the Middle'; Anthony Timpano in 'Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair'.

20th Century Fox Film Corp/Courtesy Everett; Hulu

There are a couple of other new faces joining the family in *Life's Still Unfair*, too. Vaughan Murrae portrays Hal and Lois' youngest child, Kelly, on the revival. Kelly didn't appear in the original series, but Kaczmarek's character discovered she was pregnant again in the show's series finale in 2006.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.***

Additionally, Kiana Madeira boarded the series as Malcolm's girlfriend, Tristan, while Keeley Karsten portrays the couple's daughter, Leah. Boomer is particularly enthusiastic to introduce the world to the latter actress, who previously appeared in Steven Spielberg's *The Fabelmans* and Prime Video's *Hunters*.

"Keeley is an undiscovered star," Boomer says. "As a performer, she has this crazy potential that would be silly for show business not to use."

*Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair* is now streaming on Hulu.

*Reporting by Amy Wilkinson.*

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Comedy”