Frankie Muniz says one of television’s most recognizable roles nearly slipped away because he was more focused on landing a Pizza Hut commercial. Ahead of the debut of Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, Muniz revealed that he almost skipped his audition for the original Fox comedy because it conflicted with what he believed would be his big break.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Muniz recalled being around 12 or 13 years old when he was scheduled to audition for Malcolm in the Middle on the same morning he was supposed to shoot the commercial.
According to Muniz, the audition was scheduled for 9:30 a.m., with filming for the ad expected to begin shortly afterward.
“I was like, ‘Mom, there’s no way we’re gonna make it. We can’t do it,’” Muniz said. “The pizza commercial, that’s my big break.”
He remembered being convinced that the commercial was an opportunity he could not afford to miss, especially since nearly 20 other children were competing for the role.
Despite his doubts, Muniz ultimately went through with the audition. He said he rushed through the scene and delivered the lines with as much frustration as possible because he wanted to leave quickly. “The casting director comes in. I said it as quickly and as angrily as I could, because I just wanted to get it over with,” he explained.
That rushed performance helped him land the role. Looking back, Muniz said the impatient, irritated energy he brought into the room was exactly what made him believable as Malcolm.
“If you think about it, that’s exactly who Malcolm was,” he said.
Years later, after rewatching the series with his wife, Paige, Muniz realized how closely his own personality mirrored the character.
He said Paige told him, “You weren’t acting at all,” adding that while he initially did not know how to react, he later understood she was right.
The new series brings back much of the original cast, including Bryan Cranston as Hal, Jane Kaczmarek as Lois, Christopher Kennedy Masterson as Francis, Justin Berfield as Reese, and Emy Coligado as Piama.
New cast members include Keeley Karsten as Malcolm’s daughter, Leah, Kiana Madeira as his girlfriend, Tristan, Vaughan Murrae as Kelly, and Caleb Ellsworth-Clark taking over the role of Dewey from Eric Per Sullivan, who retired from acting and is currently getting his master’s degree at Harvard.
Originally airing from 2000 to 2006, Malcolm in the Middle ran for seven seasons and became one of the most influential sitcoms of its era. Its single-camera style, fourth-wall-breaking humor, and chaotic family dynamic helped distinguish it from other television comedies at the time.
