Frankie Muniz thinks his ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ character ‘sucked’

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — Frankie Muniz may be returning to his “Malcolm in the Middle” character, but that doesn’t mean he likes him.

In a recent interview with People, the actor recalled going back to watch the sitcom, which ran for seven seasons from 2000 – 2006, with his wife, Paige.

“She looked at me at the very end and she goes, ‘You weren’t acting at all. You are literally Malcolm,’” Muniz told the publication. “And I’m like, ‘I don’t know how to take that because Malcolm sucked.’ He was the worst character on that show!”

Now a quarter century after “Malcolm in the Middle” debuted, Muniz will rejoin some of his fellow cast members to revive the show for a four-episode miniseries. While he doesn’t love the character that made him a young star, Muniz said he is “thrilled” for the reboot and eager “to get back on set with everybody.”

“We started talking about [a reboot] literally 10 years ago — me and [costar] Bryan Cranston — and slowly been working at it and it’s finally a reality,” Muniz said. “So I’m really excited. I had to do some chemistry reads. I can’t tell you with what characters, but new characters that would be on the show. And it was so weird to go back and be with Linwood Boomer, the creator, and Ken Kwapis, the director, and be back in that mindset.”

Muniz, Cranston and their costar Jane Kaczmarek made a video together to celebrate the project, which they shared on social media in December.

In it, Kaczmarek and Cranston, who play the parents on “Malcolm in the Middle,” yell out, “Malcolm!”

Muniz then said, “I have been waiting for this moment for 18 years. Let’s find out where Malcolm and his family are now.”

Cranston joked, “25 years since we premiered ‘Malcolm in the Middle.’ I’m so excited that I may have peed just a little bit.”

“What a delight that I get to yell at that kid again,” Kaczmarek said. “We’re very, very excited about coming back together and seeing what this family has been up to.”

The miniseries will stream on Disney+. A premiere date has not yet been announced.

The-CNN-Wire
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