Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz has opened up about his decision to walk away from Hollywood at the height of his on-screen career.
Muniz, 39, starred as the main character on the popular family sitcom from 2000 to 2006, having been cast as the child prodigy while he was 13 years old. After garnering Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for his work on the show, he had a string of successes with films including Big Fat Liar and Agent Cody Banks, before pressing pause on his acting career at age 21.
Now, in a new interview with US Weekly, Muniz attested that leaving Hollywood for Phoenix saved his life. His step back from acting allowed him to pursue his passion for racing, leading him to his current career as a NASCAR driver.
“I’m so lucky taking that step back happened, because it made me appreciate everything more,” he admitted. “It allowed me to do other things and realize a lot more about myself.
“I feel like it saved my life in the sense that I started enjoying the little aspects of life more, like hiking [and] going to the grocery store, because it was easy,” he continued. “I didn’t have to fight [to] find a parking spot or pay for valet.”
Muniz may have hit pause on his acting career, but he’s set to return to the small screen in the Disney+ reboot of Malcom in the Middle.
He recalled tweeting in 2015 about getting Malcolm and his family back together and being shocked by the response. Fans “went crazy for that,” he told US Weekly.
But the show’s creator, Linwood Boomer, told Muniz he was happy with how the series ended.
After chatting with Bryan Cranston, who played Malcolm’s dad, Muniz said the wheels began turning. It took 10 years, but the reboot is slated to premiere on Disney’s streaming service in December as a four-part mini series. Joining Muniz and Cranston is fellow original cast member Jane Kaczmarek, who played Malcolm’s mom.
“Having stepped away from Hollywood a bit to focus on other things and get the opportunity to jump back into it in a big way was awesome,” Muniz said of returning to his character years later. At times, you take things for granted… now I try to put more effort into everything.
“I hope Malcolm comes out and people want to see me as an actor again, because I would love to go back in that world.”
