Frankie Muniz.Photo:James Gilbert/Getty
James Gilbert/Getty
Frankie Munizsays his parents are still coming to terms with his need for speed.
The 39-year-old actor tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that his mother and father “still don’t like” that he is a professional race car driver. But for Muniz, racing has been an enduring passion since he was a young child.
“As a kid, I just loved cars. I remember waking up when I was 5 or 6 years old and turning on Formula One races and NASCAR races and IndyCar races,” he says, noting, “I didn’t grow up in a family that was involved in racing at all.”
Muniz recalls the moment when he got to experience the thrill of getting behind the wheel — and winning — for the first time and how it led to an opportunity to take his interest in racing to the next level.
Frankie Muniz at the Daytona International Speedway in February 2024.Chris Graythen/Getty
Chris Graythen/Getty
“Because I was an actor, I got to become a race car driver in the sense that I did the pro celebrity race in Long Beach [in 2004] and I won that and that feeling of crossing the finish line first, I cannot compare it to anything I’ve ever experienced,” he says. “Just a phenomenal feeling. And it kind of all started from there. A pro team approached me, they gave me a test.”
That test led to atwo-year deal with Jensen Motorsportas a driver. Muniz remembers that it all happened so “fast.”
“They signed me. Next thing I knew I was a professional race car driver. That was 20 years ago,” he says.
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“So I never thought I would get to where I am now, especially since I got badly hurt in 2009 and didn’t race anything until 2023,” he continues, referring to the crash he experienced while competing that resulted in serious injuries includinga broken back. “So it’s not like I’ve been racing for 20 years. I raced for five years, took a 13-year break, and now I’m on year two and a half.”
Reflecting on what he loves about racing compared with acting, Muniz notes that racing is “not subjective.”
Frankie Muniz.James Gilbert/Getty
“Unlike me going, ‘Man, I gave what I thought was my best performance in this movie.’ And you go, ‘Eh, it was okay’ as a race car driver, it’s in black and white. If I got work to do, I can see it,” he explains. “I know where I finish, I know where I qualify, and you can put in that effort and continue to try to get better. And I just love that about it.”
While he says he has “goals” when it comes to racing, ultimately he just wants to go in and “do my best” and “try my hardest.”
“I want to get out of the car whether I win or I finish 30th and go, ‘That’s what I had,’ " theRennerstar tells PEOPLE. “I don’t want to look back at it and go, ‘I could have prepped more. I could have tried harder.’ "
While Muniz announced last year that he was becoming a full-time driver of the No. 33 F-150 in the 2025 season of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, he hasn’t left acting behind altogether. In December, Disney+ revealed that Muniz and hisMalcolm in the MiddleparentsBryan Cranstonand Jane Kaczmarek would be reuniting for a limited, four-episode revival of the popular sitcom, which aired from 2000 to 2006.
From left: Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek and Bryan Cranston in a ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ scene.Saeed Adyani/20th Century Fox Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
He added in the caption: “OH MY GOSH! I’m so excited to announce that after 18 years, Malcolm in the Middle is returning with new episodes on@disneyplus! Get ready, we can’t wait for everyone to see what Malcolm and his family have been up to!”
A premiere date for the revival series has not yet been announced.
source: people.com