Cranston, who reprises his role as the well-meaning father Hal, described revisiting the character as “rewarding.” When asked about Sullivan, now 33, Cranston shared that he had reached out personally. “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.’”
Despite the enthusiasm, Sullivan, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Harvard, made it clear he has moved on from acting. “He said, ‘Oh God, no, I haven’t acted since I was 9 or something. So I’m not into it,’” Cranston added.
As a result of his decision, the role of Dewey has been recast, with actor Caleb Ellsworth-Clark (Wynonna Earp) stepping in. It remains to be seen whether the series will address this casting change in a meta or humorous way. The four-episode revival is set to premiere on Disney+ in December.
Cranston also noted that he had been advocating for a reunion for over a decade. Show creator Linwood Boomer was initially hesitant but eventually agreed after years of persuasion.