Frankie Muniz was one of the most recognizable faces on television in the early and mid-2000s.
At just 13, he starred as Malcolm in Fox’s hit sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle.”
The role earned him Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, and by 15, he was riding high.
But the child star, who found a large following after the 2000 film “My Dog Skip,” had no interest in rubbing elbows on the red carpet after “Malcolm” ended in 2006.
“I felt like I’d lived 80 years already because I just did so much,” he told Us Weekly in an interview that was published on Wednesday.
Muniz, 39, told the outlet why he walked away from Hollywood.
“Between ages 8 and 21, I maybe had 60 days off,” Muniz said.
He added that stepping away from Hollywood allowed him to discover what he really wanted to do.
“I’m so lucky taking that step back happened, because it made me appreciate everything more,” he said.
Did you ever watch “Malcolm in the Middle?”
He pursued racing and even became a touring musician.
“It allowed me to do other things and realize a lot more about myself,” Muniz said.
The professional race car driver made a move to Arizona in 2008, where he started his life over.
“Honestly, I did not like L.A. So I moved to Arizona, and I love it,” he told US Weekly.
“I feel like it saved my life in the sense that I started enjoying the little aspects of life more, like hiking [and] going to the grocery store,” he explained.
Instead of fighting traffic and paparazzi, Muniz said he found peace in ordinary life.
That kind of clarity is rare in Hollywood, where child stars often lose their way and end up in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Muniz is now married to a model-turned-photographer and is also the father to a four-year-old son.
While he takes occasional film and TV roles, his true passion is competing as a full-time NASCAR driver.
“I’m racing and I’m focused on it,” he said.
Muniz will reprise his role as Malcolm in Disney+’s long-awaited “Malcolm in the Middle” reboot.
He said he is excited to embrace the spotlight, this time as an adult.
“I hope Malcolm comes out and people want to see me as an actor again, because I would love to go back in that world,” he said.
The “Malcolm in the Middle” reboot is slated to begin airing in December.
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