Frankie Muniz briefly quit ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ due to ‘controlling, rude, disrespectful’ people
Former “Malcolm in the Middle” star Frankie Muniz has finally revealed why he was missing for two entire episodes of the dysfunctional-family Fox sitcom.
Muniz, 38 — who’s currently a contestant on the reality show “I’m A Celebrity Australia” — told his fellow campers why he left “Malcolm in the Middle” for several weeks during its long run, according to News.com.au.
“There were two episodes I’m not in. I walked off that set,” he said of his time on the show, which aired from 2000 to 2006.
Muniz explained he couldn’t take the tensions caused by “certain people” on the set — although he did not name names.
“Everyone was so afraid to stand up when certain people were controlling or rude or disrespectful,” he said. “Like they walked on pins and needles.”
The fan-favorite Fox sitcom, created by Linwood Boomer, starred Muniz as genius middle brother Malcolm, along with Christopher Masterson as his eldest brother — the delinquent Francis who’s away at military boarding school — and Justin Berfield as annoying second-oldest brother Reese.
Erik Per Sullivan played precocious younger brother Dewey, with future “Breaking Bad” star Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek as parents Hal and Lois Wilkerson.
“I was so mortified by seeing people afraid to stand up for themselves, I was like: ‘Say something,'” Muniz told his “I’m a Celebrity Australia” castmates. “I didn’t care if they told me I was never going back, because it was worth it to me.
“It helped that the show was based around me.”
Muniz revealed that life in Hollywood was not for him, even when he was starring in a hit network sitcom. He was nominated for an Emmy in 2001 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
“I never felt like I fully fit in the Hollywood world, even though I was in the world,” he told News.com.au before entering the South African jungle to compete on “I’m A Celebrity Australia.”
“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 LA, so I kind of stayed in my own little world, my own little bubble,” he said. “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 LA.
“It’s a miserable experience.”
During his time on “Malcolm in the Middle,” Muniz starred on the big screen in the movies “Big Fat Liar” (2002), “Agent Cody Banks” (2003) and “Racing Stripes” (2005).
He was earning $150,000 per episode by the end of the series’ run, according to the report.
Muniz retired from Hollywood to become a professional race car driver.
He is married to Paige Price and they have a 3-year-old son.
