Former child star Frankie Muniz may have transitioned to a full-time NASCAR driver, but the acting bug has bitten him for a TV comeback. He's leading the Malcolm in the Middle revival miniseries with the majority of the original cast alongside him. Muniz has already been promoting the show and, while doing so, he's been reflecting on his formative years. He recently recalled former co-star Amanda Bynes, whom his younger self apparently had the “biggest crush” on.
During Frankie Muniz's younger years, he got to work with talented leading ladies like Hilary Duff and Amanda Bynes. Muniz and Bynes co-starred in one of the funniest family flicks, Big Fat Liar (which is streamable with a Prime Video subscription). While the two played friends in the 2002 movie, Muniz revealed to Us Weekly that he apparently felt something more for The Amanda Show actress:
As a kid actor in New York City, going on auditions, my dream was to be on All That. I had the biggest crush on Amanda. I was supposed to cohost Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards in 2000, and I knew Amanda was [a presenter]. My mom got a call from Gail Berman, who was the president of Fox, and my mom’s screaming, and she’s like, 'You got asked to host Saturday Night Live.' [But it was the same date as the Kids’ Choice Awards], so I turned it down. So I met Amanda and we became friends; we talked to each other on AOL. There was never any secret dating. After the premiere of Big Fat Liar, I saw her a few times, but we lost touch.
Declare me totally shocked. I mean, the two do have great chemistry in Big Fat Liar, but I never would have guessed that Frankie Muniz had a crush on Amanda Bynes. I do think it’s really cute that the Racing Stripes actor turned down the chance to host SNL all to meet the beloved Nickelodeon actress at the Kids’ Choice Awards.
I’m glad to know the BFL co-stars became good friends during their child star years. I personally would have loved to see more of the two acting together. As Muniz revealed the pair had lost touch since their youth, he got real about his feelings on how Bynes' life has turned out:
I never would’ve seen it coming. That’s all I’ll say. [She was] the most professional, happy, easygoing person I ever met. I never saw a sign of anything negative. I wish her nothing but happiness.
For most of her adult life, Bynes has made headlines for various reasons, with not all of them being positive. She's also essentially retired from acting at this point. Her final role as an actress was in Easy A and, after that, she stepped away from the craft to study fashion.
It was in 2012, though, that Amanda Bynes was charged with DUI, and the years that followed saw her embroiled in other legal situations. Bynes has also dealt with mental health challenges, and the She’s the Man star's parents eventually earned conservatorship rights in 2013. That conservatorship ultimately ended nine years later.
The latest news on Amanda Bynes comes by way of her Instagram story from September 5th, which revealed she’s writing a screenplay with a friend about a young woman who decides to become a clown. Whether this creative endeavor indicates that Bynes is truly eyeing an entertainment industry comeback is unclear.
While Frankie Muniz never could have predicted Amanda Bynes’ struggles, it's sweet that he still wishes her the best and has fond memories of their time as kids. The experience of being a child star seems to be unique, and it's something that links people like Bynes and Muniz together.
Be sure to see Frankie Muniz’s TV comeback when the four-episode Malcolm in the Middle revival premieres in December. Fans will need a Disney+ subscription if they want to tune in.
