
Frankie Muniz shared on the latest episode of “I’m a Celebrity Australia” (via News.com.au) that he once “walked off” the set of his beloved Fox sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle” when everyone else was refusing to stand up to certain people who were “controlling or rude or disrespectful.” Muniz starred on the comedy as the eponymous child genius for seven seasons, but he missed two episodes because of his decision.
“There were two episodes I’m not in. I walked off the set,” Muniz said, explaining that his actions were due to set tensions. “Everyone was so afraid to stand up when certain people were controlling or rude or disrespectful. Like they walked on pins and needles. I was so mortified by seeing people afraid to stand up for themselves, I was like: ‘Say something.’”
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“I didn’t care if they told me I was never going back, because it was worth it to me,” Muniz added. “It helped that the show was based around me.”
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Muniz starred in “Malcolm in the Middle” opposite Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Masterson, Justin Berfield and more. The show’s success earned him a Golden Globe nomination and made him one of the more famous child stars of the early 2000s. He’d go on to headline studio films such as “Big Fat Liar” and “Agent Cody Banks.” He told News.com.au before competing on “I’m a Celebrity Australia” that he had “imposter syndrome” as a young star.
“I never felt like I fully fit in the Hollywood world, even though I was in the world,” Muniz said. “I was nominated for Emmys and Golden Globes, and I was going to all this stuff, and I was there, and I was like, how am I here?”
“I hated L.A., so I kind of stayed in my own little world, my own little bubble,” he added. “And moving to Arizona, I did it on a whim, and I realized immediately that I started looking up. I started enjoying looking at trees and birds in the sky. Going to the grocery store was a fun thing. You don’t get that in L.A. It’s a miserable experience.”
Muniz’s recent acting credits include an episode of the Comedy Central sitcom “Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens” and an appearance on the medical drama “New Amsterdam.” He hasn’t starred in a movie since 2018’s “The Black String.”
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