Frankie Muniz details his ‘surreal’ return to Hollywood for ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ revival

The prodigal boy returns. 

Frankie Muniz made an unexpected return to Hollywood to movie nan “Malcolm successful nan Middle” revival series, and nan erstwhile kid prima exclusively told Page Six that nan acquisition has been “surreal.”

“I near nan acting world conscionable because I wanted to prosecute [car] racing backmost successful 2006,” Muniz, now 40, said. 

After rising to fame connected nan Fox sitcom and movies for illustration 2003’s “Agent Cody Banks,” nan professional NASCAR driver moved to Arizona, wherever he now lives pinch his wife, Paige, and their 4-year-old son, Mauz. 

There, he enjoys “small things” and goes “mountain biking.” Muniz besides told america that moving distant from Hollywood gave him “more appreciation for life successful general.” 

Though, he told Page Six that he “loved” returning to Hollywood to movie Hulu’s caller miniseries “Malcolm successful nan Middle: Life’s Still Unfair” and felt “really proud to beryllium an actor” during his clip connected set. 

The original sitcom aired from 2000 to 2006, and it followed nan dysfunctional antics of Malcolm (Muniz) and his family, including dada Hal (Bryan Cranston), mom Lois (Jane Kaczmarek), and brothers Francis (Christopher Masterson), Reese (Justin Berfield), Dewey (played by Erik Per Sullivan in nan original show, and Caleb Ellsworth-Clark successful nan revival) and Jamie (played by twins James and Lukas Rodriguez in nan original show, and Anthony Timpano successful “Unfair”). 

The revival follows an big Malcolm and his girl (Keeley Karsten) arsenic he reconnects pinch his parents for their 40th wedding anniversary. 

In nan years since nan original show ended, Muniz kept successful touch pinch Cranston nan most, he told Page Six. 

“Mostly because he’s conscionable an unthinkable personification who reaches retired [even] successful each his crazy occurrence and fame that he’s had station ‘Malcolm.’ He’s ever conscionable been benignant of for illustration a begetter fig to me.”

Muniz said that nan “Breaking Bad” star, “checks successful each erstwhile successful a while, and we person dinners and worldly for illustration that.” 

He wasn’t successful interaction pinch different formed members arsenic overmuch complete nan years, “but it was really astonishing to get to reconnect with everybody,” he said. 

The “Big Fat Liar” character compared nan formed relationships to “summer camp,” wherever “you meet astonishing friends and think, ‘We’re going to beryllium champion friends,” but aft going home, you conscionable slow suffer touch. Not that that relationship has gone away. It’s conscionable that life takes over. And past you realize, ‘Holy crap, it’s been 20 years!’” 

One personification nan formed didn’t get to reconnect pinch was Per Sullivan, who stepped distant from acting to be Harvard. While discussing his absence from nan revival, Muniz said, “To beryllium honest, I person not talked to Erik. I deliberation possibly nan past clip [we spoke] was 10 years ago. He’s conscionable really focused connected his schooling. He likes nan truth that he sewage distant from nan limelight.”

Cranston reached retired to Per Sullivan, who “gave his blessing” to recast his role, Muniz explained. 

Revisiting nan “Malcolm” world 2 decades later was “incredible,” he said. 

As for whether returning to acting is simply a one-off event, Muniz told Page Six, “I’m not saying ‘no’ to acting, I’d emotion to proceed to beryllium an actor. But, I americium pursuing [car] racing afloat time, it’s my attraction correct now. At forty years old, I’m 1 of nan oldest drivers, I’ve sewage constricted time.”

“Malcolm In nan Middle: Life’s Still Unfair” is now streaming connected Hulu and Disney+.