What is Erik Per Sullivan’s net worth? ‘Malcolm In The Middle’ actor reportedly turned down “Buckets Of Money” for revival return

Former child actor Erik Per Sullivan reportedly declined a lot of money to appear in the upcoming reboot of his Fox sitcom, Malcolm in the Middle, where he famously played Dewey for its entire seven seasons.

His onscreen mother, actress Jane Kaczmarek (who played Lois Wilkerson), recently told The Guardian that Erik, 34, was the only original member to be recast (with Caleb Ellsworth Clark):

“He’s studying Dickens and is an incredible student – they offered him buckets of money to come back, and he just said: ‘No thank you.’”

Turns out, Erik Per Sullivan has an estimated net worth of $5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

He is also pursuing a master’s degree from Harvard University as of 2025. Erik’s onscreen father, Bryan Cranston (who played Hal Wilkerson), appeared on the Fly on the Wall podcast last year and stated:

“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.’ He’s actually going to Harvard. 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.’”

Everything to know about Erik Per Sullivan’s fortune

Erik Per Sullivan was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, into a working-class family. His Irish-American father, Fred, ran a local Mexican restaurant called The Alamo, while his Swedish mother, Ann, managed the home.

As a young boy, Erik began training in piano and saxophone, and also earned a Taekwondo black belt. At seven, he appeared in a few uncredited film and television roles before being cast as Dewey on Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006), the fourth among five Wilkerson siblings, including the titular character Malcolm (played by Frankie Muniz).

It was during his time on the show that Erik Per Sullivan earned the majority of his current fortune, alongside several Young Artist Award and Teen Choice Award nominations.

At the peak of his career, Erik also appeared in the 2001 movies Joe Dirt and Wendigo. He played Richard Gere and Diane Lane’s son in the 2002 thriller Unfaithful. That same year, Per Sullivan guest-starred as the young Arthur Spooner (played by Jerry Stiller) in an episode of the CBS sitcom, The King of Queens.

Besides a few more onscreen roles, Erik Per Sullivan also lent his voice to the seahorse Sheldon on Pixar’s 2003 blockbuster, Finding Nemo. His other notable voice role was as Mino in the 2007 animated fantasy movie, Arthur and the Invisibles. That year, he also played the titular role in the indie film Mo.

His final appearance was as Timmy in the teen crime drama, Twelve, in 2010, alongside Chace Crawford, Emma Roberts, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and Rory Culkin.

Since then, Erik Per Sullivan has chosen to stay away from the spotlight. Instead, he finished his schooling at the Mount Saint Charles Academy in Rhode Island and the Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.

Subsequently, he attended the University of Southern California and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Victorian Literature. Erik also missed several Malcolm in the Middle cast reunions. In fact, last April, he was spotted running errands in Boston.

However, Erik Per Sullivan continues to express his fondness and gratitude for his role as Dewey. In a January 2023 post on Instagram, he recalled his “unforgettable moments” on the show. The following March, he shared a throwback picture with the caption:

“How lucky I am.”

A month after that, Jane Kaczmarek appeared in the Paris Manga Sci-fi Show and said of Erik:

“He’s very, very well. He did Malcolm for seven years. He started at 7, he ended at 14. He wasn’t interested in acting at all. So many people think being in show business is the greatest thing in the world, [but] it’s not for everyone.”

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The four-part miniseries, Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, was announced last year to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary. The Disney+ and Hulu revival, which will release on April 10, will revolve around Malcolm’s return to home for his parents’ 40th anniversary.

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