Frankie Muniz breaks down heartbreaking memory troubles after 'forgetting Malcolm in the Middle'
Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz made headlines when he revealed that he couldn’t remember being in the hit TV show, but in a new podcast appearance has cleared up some misconceptions about his memory troubles.
Muniz is returning to TV screens (for more than a one off episode) for the first time in 20 years in the upcoming Malcolm in the Middle reboot titled Life’s Still Unfair.
The actor’s life since has been a fascinating one, having become a professional NASCAR driver after his semi-retirement from full time acting.
Now, ahead of the release of the four-episode reboot which will be available to watch on Disney+, he has appeared on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast.
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Robsenbaum asked Muniz about his health troubles, to which the actor said: “Just to bring up the memory thing a little bit almost to clear the air a little bit. The story of that kind of was taken out of context. I have… not memory issues, I have a bad memory.”
He said that ‘crazy stories have come out’ about the extent of his memory issues, stating that it isn’t as bad as has often been made out.
When asked how he did Malcolm in the Middle he said: “I can learn lines and I have a ‘good memory’ … after years of trying to figure out why I maybe don’t absorb so many things.
“Since I was eight years old, I have been non-stop doing things… then I’ve also been an actor my whole life where every single day I’m pretending to be somebody else, having somebody else’s emotions, somebody’s happiness, somebody’s anger, or somebody’s love interest.
“In all these things they say cut in the scene and then you forget about it. You never think about it again.
“I almost feel like some of it is to do with the fact that I’m so used to kind of just going ‘oop I’m done with that’ and move on, that I don’t even take it in. Even my real life, my real emotions.”
He explained that during his 300 lap NASCAR races he cannot relate to other drivers who are able to recount exactly what happened on a specific lap, saying: “I remember like two laps of the race… I’m so focused on what I’m doing.”
Muniz recounts how, when watching episodes of Malcolm, he won’t remember what happens, adding: “When you were in high school, in February of sophomore year on the third week, what did you do?
“No clue, nobody would know, but you remember certain things that happened in high school. Certain good things, bad things, or highlights, that’s my memory of Malcolm.
“That’s my memory of movies and things I did.”
Rosenbaum, whilst interviewing Muniz, agreed, saying that he doesn’t remember many of the episodes of Smallville he appeared in as Lex Luthor.
The Malcolm actor stated that before the reboot the whole cast were sat down to recount stories from certain episodes and himself, Brian Cranston, and Jane Kaczmarek all could not remember even shooting the episodes they were shown.
He finally added: “I do think I have a bad memory though, it’s just not like I have amnesia… I have had nine concussions.”
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair airs on Disney+, 10 April.
Topics: Frankie Muniz, TV and Film, TV, Celebrity, Health
Michael Slavin