The Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair<\/a> star, who takes over as Malcolm’s younger brother after original star Erik Per Sullivan<\/a> passed on the revival, was “really, really nervous showing up” to set as the beloved character. But the Malcolm cast made it easy, he says.<\/p>\n Ellsworth-Clark caught up with PEOPLE at the Tuesday, April 7 premiere of Life’s Still Unfair at the DGA New York Theater, where he explained the feeling of filling Dewey’s once-tiny shoes.<\/p>\n “I grew up watching the show,” he says. “I know that Dewey was a fan favorite, but he was also a personal favorite. And I think I was aware that maybe people might be disappointed Erik wasn\u2019t gonna come back and do the show. I guess I didn\u2019t want to f— that up.”<\/p>\n Caleb Ellsworth-Clark at the ‘Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair’ premiere on April 7, 2026 Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n Ellsworth-Clark, whose all-time favorite Dewey episode involves a purse full of bricks<\/a>, rewatched a bit of the show to prepare for the role. The cast \u2014 which includes original stars Frankie Muniz<\/a>, Bryan Cranston<\/a> and Jane Kaczmarek<\/a> \u2014 was “very warm” to him when he joined the family, he says.<\/p>\n “They were so warm and welcoming,” Ellsworth-Clark says. “I was really scared to show up but they all took such great care of me and made me feel like I belong. So I am really grateful to all of them.”<\/p>\n The Malcolm revival features plenty of familiar faces, including Justin Berfield<\/a> (Reese), Christopher Masterson<\/a> (Francis) and Emy Coligado<\/a> (Piama).<\/p>\n Cranston, who also serves as EP on Malcolm in the Middle: Life\u2019s Still Unfair on top of playing Hal, previously revealed that Per Sullivan was\u00a0earning his master\u2019s degree<\/a>\u00a0at Harvard\u00a0and not interested in portraying Dewey again. Per Sullivan, now 34, appeared in all seven seasons of the original show, which ran from 2000 to 2006 on Fox.<\/p>\n “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 told the\u00a0Fly on the Wall\u00a0with Dana Carvey and David Spade<\/a>\u00a0podcast in June 2025.<\/p>\n![\"Caleb](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/95f3b3a3e7e8a51a5a061b1a9808064d.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Kristina Bumphrey\/Variety via Getty<\/p>\n