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Malcolm in the Middle actor Justin Berfield feels bad that Erik Per Sullivan has been garnering public attention even after he chose not to partake in the series’ 2026 revival.

During a Tuesday appearance on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, Berfield was asked by Howie Mandel if he believes Dewey, Sullivan’s character from the original show, regrets not being a part of Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair.

“No. I know they asked him a whole bunch,'” he said. “They asked him like four or five times, and every time he was like, ‘No.’”

Mandel asked Berfield to text Sullivan while they were filming the podcast, and he said he didn’t know if he would respond, noting, “I think he’s just out of the business. We all love him, no hard feelings.” Even though Sullivan did not reprise his Malcolm character for the revival, Berfield said that hasn’t stopped the public’s interest in what he’s been up to since leaving the entertainment industry.

“He’s a good guy. I love Erik. And I actually feel bad because he wants to stay out of the business and I’ve been seeing paparazzi shots of him,” he said. “And I’m like, leave Erik alone. He didn’t want to come back to the show. No hard feelings.”

Bryan Cranston, who played the father on Malcolm in the Middle, previously shed light on his conversations with Sullivan after he learned the reboot was officially in the works.

“I talked to Erik and I said, ‘Hey, we got the show! It’s gonna come back.’ He goes, ‘Oh, that’s fantastic!’ 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 that you are,’” Cranston said. “He’s actually going to Harvard. He’s really, really smart, and I think 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.’”

Caleb Ellsworth-Clark took over the role of Dewey in Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair. Cranston and Berfield reprised their roles from the original show, while Jane Kaczmarek, Christopher Masterson and Frankie Muniz also returned.