The Malcolm In The Middle star amassed a huge fortune by the age of 19
Frankie Muniz opened up about his financial security thanks to his early career in acting, during a candid conversation with his campmates on Australia’s I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!
Set to air on Wednesday night, the 38-year-old US actor and former teen sensation shared that by the age of 19, he had amassed a fortune of $40 million.
The discussion veered into the territory of dealing with online criticism, where Frankie recounted a memorable interaction on Twitter.
"I once had a kid criticize my acting, and I responded, 'Yeah, my acting might be awful, but what's fantastic is being retired at 19 with $40 million. Best of luck moving out of your mom's house before you're 35,'" he recalled, reflecting on the absurdity of the critic's username, 'I heart Mountain Dew.'
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Despite not typically engaging with negative comments, Frankie admitted that occasionally, "you have to punch back. You can only take so many punches before you get knocked out."
The conversation shifted as fellow celebrity Brittany Hockley inquired whether Frankie had earned enough to retire completely.
"Oh, 100 percent," he affirmed, yet he described himself as "neurotically motivated," having been continuously working since he was eight years old. "I don’t know how to just be in the moment and not be focused on what I’m doing next," he confessed.
Since largely stepping back from Hollywood in 2008, Frankie suggested that a significant portion of his income likely comes from residual checks from the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, which earned him an Emmy Award and ran for seven seasons starting in 2000.
At the peak of the show's success, he was earning approximately $150,000 per episode.
Frankie, once dubbed “Hollywood’s most bankable teen,” starred in successful films like Agent Cody Banks, Big Fat Liar, and Racing Stripes.
His decision to step away from the limelight was rooted in mental health considerations and overcoming "impostor syndrome."
Speaking to news.com.au before his adventure in the South African jungle, he shared his sense of alienation within the Hollywood scene despite his accolades and appearances at major award ceremonies.
"I never felt like I fully fit in the Hollywood world," he expressed, highlighting his disconnection and dissatisfaction with life in LA. A spontaneous move to Arizona changed his perspective, where he found joy in simple pleasures like observing nature and grocery shopping—experiences that felt burdensome in LA.
“I hated LA, so I kind of stayed in my own little world, my own little bubble. And moving to Arizona, I did it on a whim, and I realised immediately that I started looking up. I started enjoying looking at trees and birds in the sky. Going to the grocery store was a fun thing. You don’t get that in LA. It’s a miserable experience.”
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