Bryan Cranston tells why Erik Per Sullivan said no to ‘Malcolm in the Middle Revival’

Bryan Cranston is feeling nostalgic as he prepares to reunite with his Malcolm in the Middle castmates, though one familiar face won’t be joining the return.

"It's amazing how these boys who were my boys on that show are now around the same age I was when we first started, and they've got children of their own," said Cranston, 69, who played the family’s quirky and lovable dad, on the Wednesday, June 12 episode of Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade.

When asked about Erik Per Sullivan, who played Dewey Wilkerson, Cranston shared that the actor won't be part of the upcoming revival.

“I talked to Erik and I said, ‘Hey, we got the show! It's going to 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,’” Cranston recalled.

Cranston also opened up about where Per Sullivan is now, years after stepping away from Hollywood.

“He's actually going to Harvard,” he said. “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 9 or something. So I'm not into it.’”

Malcolm in the Middle originally aired from 2000 to 2006 and picked up seven Emmy wins during its successful run. Since the show ended nearly two decades ago, fans have continued to hope for a revival.

Cranston admitted he’s been working on making it happen for years.

"It's something I was pushing for for the last 10 years, because I thought that the audience is there," he shared.

He revealed that it took a long time—and a lot of persistence—to convince series creator Linwood Boomer. “I just started wearing him down until he said, ‘I've got an idea.’ I said, ‘good,’” Cranston added.

The beloved sitcom is officially coming back for a limited four-episode run on Disney+. While a premiere date hasn't been revealed yet, fans can look forward to seeing most of the original cast return for what’s shaping up to be a heartfelt reunion, just without Dewey.