The prodigal son returns.
Frankie Muniz made an unexpected return to Hollywood to film the “Malcolm in the Middle” revival series, and the former child star exclusively told Page Six that the experience has been “surreal.”
“I left the acting world just because I wanted to pursue [car] racing back in 2006,” Muniz, now 40, said.
After rising to fame on the Fox sitcom and movies like 2003’s “Agent Cody Banks,” the professional NASCAR driver moved to Arizona, where he now lives with his wife, Paige, and their 4-year-old son, Mauz.
There, he enjoys “small things” and goes “mountain biking.” Muniz also told us that moving away from Hollywood gave him “more appreciation for life in general.”
Though, he told Page Six that he “loved” returning to Hollywood to film Hulu’s new miniseries “Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair” and felt “really proud to be an actor” during his time on set.
The original sitcom aired from 2000 to 2006, and it followed the dysfunctional antics of Malcolm (Muniz) and his family, including dad Hal (Bryan Cranston), mom Lois (Jane Kaczmarek), and brothers Francis (Christopher Masterson), Reese (Justin Berfield), Dewey (played by Erik Per Sullivan in the original show, and Caleb Ellsworth-Clark in the revival) and Jamie (played by twins James and Lukas Rodriguez in the original show, and Anthony Timpano in “Unfair”).
The revival follows an adult Malcolm and his daughter (Keeley Karsten) as he reconnects with his parents for their 40th wedding anniversary.
In the years since the original show ended, Muniz kept in touch with Cranston the most, he told Page Six.
“Mostly because he’s just an incredible person who reaches out [even] in all his crazy success and fame that he’s had post ‘Malcolm.’ He’s always just been kind of like a father figure to me.”
Muniz said that the “Breaking Bad” star, “checks in every once in a while, and we have dinners and stuff like that.”
He wasn’t in contact with other cast members as much over the years, “but it was really amazing to get to reconnect with everybody,” he said.
The “Big Fat Liar” actor compared the cast relationships to “summer camp,” where “you meet amazing friends and think, ‘We’re going to be best friends,” but after going home, you just slowly lose touch. Not that that friendship has gone away. It’s just that life takes over. And then you realize, ‘Holy crap, it’s been 20 years!’”
One person the cast didn’t get to reconnect with was Per Sullivan, who stepped away from acting to attend Harvard. While discussing his absence from the revival, Muniz said, “To be honest, I have not talked to Erik. I think maybe the last time [we spoke] was ten years ago. He’s just really focused on his schooling. He likes the fact that he got away from the limelight.”
Cranston reached out to Per Sullivan, who “gave his blessing” to recast his role, Muniz explained.
Revisiting the “Malcolm” world two decades later was “incredible,” he said.
As for whether returning to acting is a one-off event, Muniz told Page Six, “I’m not saying ‘no’ to acting, I’d love to continue to be an actor. But, I am pursuing [car] racing full time, it’s my focus right now. At forty years old, I’m one of the oldest drivers, I’ve got limited time.”
“Malcolm In the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair” is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
