Frankie Muniz, a 40-year-old former child star, claims that leaving Hollywood at the height of his stardom was the choice that eventually saved his life.
“To be honest, I didn’t enjoy LA,” Muniz admitted to Us Weekly. I now reside in Arizona, which I adore. In the sense that I began to appreciate life’s small pleasures, like hiking and grocery shopping, I felt like it saved my life. I didn’t have to pay for valet or struggle to get a parking space.
Before choosing to leave Tinseltown in 2008, Muniz gained notoriety as the lead in Malcolm in the Middle (2000–2006). After winning the 29th annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, he turned his attention to racing cars.
“I was a huge racing fan, but never did it cross my mind that I’d be a race car driver,” he explained. “That feeling of crossing the finish line first was magical, and I knew in that moment, ‘I want to feel this more.’”
The Emmy-nominated actor stated that he wants to devote himself entirely to his new job. He also acted in the box office smashes Agent Cody Banks ($58.8M) and Big Fat Liar ($52.9M). “You must give it everything you have. I also had a moment when I thought, “I’m fine.” I could sort of step away if I wanted to, and I made a ton of money.
Muniz acknowledged that he only had “maybe 60 days off” between the ages of 8 and 21 as he paid the “high price” of being a child celebrity. ” My mother would get me up at five in the morning for radio interviews and autograph signings when I was thirteen or fourteen years old, during Malcolm’s debut, before I left for work.
for fan mail signings and radio interviews before to starting work for the day. You just have to do it, whether it’s good or horrible.
The My Dog Skip star, however, doesn’t think he was deprived of a typical upbringing. “Aren’t you sad that you didn’t get to go to prom?” people used to ask me. No, since I was spending time with Amanda Bynes and other celebrities at the Playboy Mansion. I was able to perform some very awesome stuff!
Muniz went on to say that he was “ecstatic” that he had not grown up in the social media era when he was a teenager.
Muniz hasn’t completely given up acting, even if his primary focus has been racing. He has made television guest appearances for the past 20 years, and he has confirmed that he will play Malcolm again in the four-episode Malcolm in the Middle relaunch for Disney+, which is scheduled for release in December.
In addition, Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield will reprise their roles as Francis and Reese, while Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek will reprise their roles as Hal and Lois.