Frankie Muniz joined The Bobby Bones Show to talk all about his NASCAR career, why he left acting, and the Malcolm in the Middle reboot.
When discussing his acting career, Muniz admitted that he didn't get into acting on purpose. His sister did a summer arts camp and he remembers her auditioning for something and she encouraged him to also audition. When he auditioned he got the role of Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol. While in rehearsals for the show, an agent approached his parents and asked to sign him. From that moment forward, acting took over his life. Muniz said he never wanted to be an actor even though he loved it, it just truly became the thing that took over. He doesn't really even recall the moment he got famous as a kid, he always thought that if he was remembered as Malcolm it would be really cool.
As for when the transition to NASCAR happened, Muniz recalled getting to do a celebrity race in 2004 that he won. That race brought him so much joy because he grew up watching the races every weekend and was hooked after winning, But even after that race, he didn't know he was going to become a professional driver. It wasn't until Malcolm in the Middle ended in 2006, and that's when Muniz decided to pursue being a professional driver. He recognizes that he left Hollywood at the height of his career, but he just wanted to explore another passion. Muniz even remembers calling his managers and agents in 2006 and telling them that he couldn't do racing "on the side," so it was becoming his sole focus. The first couple of races he did, he admitted that his heart rate was always through the roof around 200mph and would stay there the whole time, but he'd get so exhausting from draining his entire body battery. Now he's put in a lot of work to focus on his breathing and stay in a relaxed state whenever he's in the driver seat. He's also still trying to get in better shape so NASCAR doesn't make such a toll on his body. Muniz's parents don't really care that he's now a professional driver, because they haven't ever been fans of the sport.
With the reboot of Malcolm in the Middle about to start filming, he's trying to figure out a new balance. He's never been the person to say no, so he's trying to learn to do that with the mix of acting, NASCAR truck races, being a husband, and dad to a 3-year-old. When asked about the reboot, Muniz said he's excited to do it and as far as he knows the plot is about his character being 20-years-older and now having a daughter of his own.