Actor Frankie Muniz finds himself in the ‘middle’ of a new adventure as a race-car driver

Celebrity connection: Life in the fast lane

Story by Leslie T. Snadowsky

TV star Frankie Muniz is shifting gears, racing to excel in a new chapter of his life. Muniz, known for his Emmy and Golden Globe Award-nominated role in the popular Fox sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle” (2000-06), has successfully navigated the entertainment industry. After steering his way to success on TV, he took a detour into race-car driving. Although a major injury sidelined his racing dreams in 2009, this year he’s back behind the wheel, making his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway and his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Nashville Superspeedway.

The world-famous child actor has never stayed in the same lane. Not yet 40, Muniz has launched multiple careers in TV, film (“Deuces Wild,” “Big Fat Liar,” “Agent Cody Banks,” “Racing Stripes”), music and real estate. Now Muniz is striving for pole position as a NASCAR driver for Ford.

LOCAL Life connected with Muniz to discuss his upcoming participation in the 2024 Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival (Oct. 31-Nov. 3), how he navigates work-life balance and his journey toward the racing finish line.

Save the dates: Child actor turned race-car driver Frankie Muniz is coming to the Lowcountry for the 2024 Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival (Oct. 31-Nov. 1). Purchase tickets at hhiconcours.com. 

[LOCAL Life] You’re a global television and film star, a drummer, a high-end real estate entrepreneur and a professional motorsports athlete. That’s quite the resume, and you’re still on the sunny side of 40. Why did you step away from a successful acting career and start racing cars? [Frankie Muniz] I was 8 years old when I started acting, and “Malcolm in the Middle” ended in 2006 when I was 21. I left Hollywood during the height of my career and decided to pursue racing. I did that from 2005 to 2009. I got pretty badly hurt in 2009 and didn’t race until last season, when I decided to go stock-car racing and jumped back into it. And I love it. I love the way my life has gone, and I feel very fortunate and lucky to have gotten to do all the things I’ve gotten to do. But it is a weird thought now, at almost 40, to think I left something that I was doing really well in to pursue something that’s very hard, that’s not easy. It’s not subjective either. As an actor, in the beginning, a lot of it is luck, and it is really like winning the lottery. Whereas in racing, it’s not subjective. If you’re fast, you’re fast. If you’re slow, you’re slow. It’s black and white. It’s pretty crazy to think of what I did when I was 20, half my life ago, but it got me to where I am now, and I’m pretty happy about that.

[LL] Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Gene Hackman and Patrick Dempsey are all actors who became race-car drivers. Is there something about race-car driving that provides the same kind of rush you feel when you’re acting? [FM] I’ve been a huge fan of cars, anything with wheels, since I was 3 years old. I remember getting my license on my 16th birthday. I was filming “Malcolm” at the time, and I told them, ‘Hey, I don’t demand days off, but I’m not working on my birthday because I’m going to the DMV and getting my driver’s license.’ Cars were my life.

There have been a fair amount of actors who’ve gone into racing and had some success. And as much as I love being a part of that list with those incredible actors and incredible racers, not that I’m shying away from my past, but I would love to be looked at as just a great race-car driver. Not like, ‘Oh, he was on that show. Oh, he also races.’ I feel like that switch is starting to happen to where people are becoming fans of my racing career. Maybe they started watching me because I was on TV and they liked my show, but now they’re fans of what I’m doing in the race car, and that’s pretty cool.

[LL] What kind of race-car driver are you, whom do you drive for, and are you looking forward to attending the 2024 Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival & Concours d’Elegance? [FM] I’m a NASCAR driver, and I’m racing in the Xfinity Championship and the Craftsman Truck Series. And I drive for Ford. I’m super lucky to have a manufacturer behind me. They don’t just pay for my racing like a sponsor would. They also give me tons of manufacturer support, which is huge. I get tons of sim (simulator) time, and all of the engineers at Ford Performance are working to make their trucks or cars better to send to my team.

Now that I am a race-car driver, and it really is truly part of my career and my life, I love being involved in events that have to do with automobiles. The Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival is an amazing, prestigious event, and they have a lot of really fun things planned for me. I’m excited. My whole family is coming down. We’re going to get there a few days early, celebrate Halloween on Hilton Head and enjoy the event, for sure. It’s going to be great. I’ve spent time in South Carolina, but this will be my first time on Hilton Head. Although I’ve never been there, I’ve always checked out the real estate.

 [LL] Yes, you’re a super successful real estate entrepreneur. Are you planning to go property hunting on Hilton Head? [FM] I live in Scottsdale, Arizona, now, and I love it. I’ve been there for 16 years, but I’m always constantly looking at other places. My son is 3, and I’m always asking myself, is this where I want to raise my son, or do I want a different kind of lifestyle? Hilton Head is one of those places I’ve always wanted to explore, so I’m excited to see it and to check it out.

 [LL] In February 2001 you drove the pace car for the Daytona 500 and met famed race-car driver Dale Earnhardt just before he was killed in a car crash during the final lap. Do you think about the dangers when you’re roaring around a racetrack? [FM] In 2001 I was at the Daytona 500. I wasn’t racing at that time. “Malcolm” had just premiered on Fox and was successful, so I was asked to be the grand marshal of the Daytona 500. I got to meet a bunch of the drivers, they were signing my jacket, and Dale Earnhardt actually stopped me as he was about to climb into his car. And he goes, ‘Hey, I just have to tell you something. I’m such a huge fan. Your show has brought my daughter and me a lot closer, so thank you for that.’ I was like, ‘Oh man, it’s Dale Earnhardt. So cool.’ He climbed in his car and on the last lap of that race, he unfortunately passed away. It’s a pretty insane experience meeting a hero and then two hours later they die.

When I started racing, you know there’s a huge danger in it. You’re going 200-plus miles an hour, and when you hit a wall, it hurts, but you can’t necessarily think about it. You kind of feel invincible when you get in a car. That’s how you have to feel as a race-car driver. You’re putting yourself at high risk, but I feel like I’m in control of what I’m doing. I’ve known and raced with maybe nine or 10 others who have been killed in racing, but it doesn’t slow down my passion or my drive to become a race-car driver.

 [LL] You’ve aligned yourself with Ford, and they’re really taking a big interest in you and your equipment. You must have access to many safety measures and precautionary equipment. Do you think race-car driving is safer nowadays? [FM] It definitely is. They’ve done a lot in the last 20 years. Knock on wood, Dale Earnhardt in 2001 was the last death to occur at a NASCAR event, which is amazing because there’s been some really bad crashes that have happened. But, that’s a testament to NASCAR and its focus on safety and safety equipment. After Dale Earnhardt died, they implemented the Hans (head and neck support) Device. It’s a neck brace that we wear, it attaches to your helmet, and the seat belts hold it down. That device only lets your head move like four inches, so your neck will be okay. That has been a game-changer. They’ve also added safer barriers everywhere, so those types of things that they’ve added at the racetracks are huge. It is definitely getting a lot safer, but there’s still the risk of going 200 miles an hour in a car with gallons and gallons of gasoline.

 [LL] So, you wouldn’t describe yourself as a daredevil? [FM] In my normal, day-to-day life, no, I’m not a daredevil at all. I used to ride motorcycles. I sold them. I don’t have the desire for the risk anymore. I’ve never been skydiving. I’ve never bungee jumped. I just like racing cars. I feel like of all the things I’ve done in my life, and I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of different kinds of things, I feel like when I put my helmet on and close that visor and leave the pit lane, I feel like that’s exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.

As an actor, I had tons of success, and I was nominated for awards, but I always felt like an outsider. I always felt like I didn’t fully belong in that world. It was just like I somehow got lucky to be there.

Racing is my passion, and my wife and son see the joy that it brings me and how hard I’m working. And that’s one thing I want my son to grow up seeing. I didn’t want my son to grow up thinking, what did my dad do, and why do we have this nice house? And everything that I did was in my past. I wanted him to see me with the ups and downs of trying to make it in the racing world. And the racing world really is the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. And a lot of it is about the preparation. I like him seeing me working hard to reach my goal.

 [LL] How can Lowcountry fans learn more about your racing career? [FM] I will be racing full-time next year, and everyone can find information on my website, www.munizracing.com, my social media and nascar.com. They can come and watch me race and check it out. I would love that. I’ve had people come up to me my whole life since I was maybe 11 or 12 years old when “Malcolm” started, and, now it brings me so much joy when I show up to a racetrack and see fans wearing Frankie Muniz racing gear. I don’t know why, but it just makes me so excited.

 [LL] How about some rapid-fire questions? What was your favorite TV role, favorite movie role, and favorite actor you ever worked with? [FM] I actually did a movie a few years ago called “The Black String.” It’s a very dark psychological thriller. I had so much fun playing this dark character. And, I just filmed a movie last year called “Renner” that should be coming out soon. As far as roles that I’ve played on set, those were the most rewarding experiences.

Favorite actor? I would say Bryan Cranston. He played Hal in “Malcolm in the Middle.” He’s the nicest guy in the world and the most professional person I’ve ever worked with, and I want to be like him. I work really hard with whatever I do because of him.

[LL] You’re also a drummer, so who’s your favorite rock star drummer? [FM] I grew up a huge fan of Carter Beauford. He plays drums for the Dave Matthews Band. Now, as a drummer myself, I can emulate what he does on a whole different level. I just remember always saying as a kid that he was my favorite drummer, and he still inspires me today.

[LL] You’ve had a separate successful career in real estate. Can you share any tips? [FM] To be honest, I’ve been very successful in real estate, but a lot of times I guess wrong. I thought that the market was going to crash now for a year plus. I can’t believe what the housing market has done in this country. It is crazy, especially with interest rates, but I keep thinking it’s going to correct. But then if interest rates go back down even a little bit, what’s going to happen is the market is going to go up even higher because people are waiting to buy right now.

I keep saying our house in Scottsdale is our last house, and we’ve been building this house for the last three years. We’re almost done, but we’re finally getting settled in it. And I’m like, I’m never moving again. Well, I’ve said that for the last 33 houses that I’ve owned.

 [LL] Did you just say you’ve moved into 33 houses? [FM] Yeah, 33 houses in 12 years, but I’ll say this, I’m never moving again. I’m double over the budget for what I wanted to spend building this house, but I keep doing it the way I want because I don’t want to move again. We’re staying here. Granted, the market has gone up way more than it should have. If I did want to sell it, I think I’d still do pretty well. But the biggest question is, where do you go? So I’m planning on staying here for a while. I do want to buy other pieces of property, but I don’t know where. I want to have some other places that I can go and get away for a little bit. Maybe Hilton Head will be the place?

[LL] Back to racing, which race-car driver do you look up to, what is your favorite car to race, and if you could own any race car in the world, which would it be? [FM] As a kid, I was a big Jeff Gordon fan and I actually got to do an episode of “Spin City” with him, and this was way before I was racing. And now I see him almost weekly at the racetrack. He’s super supportive of what I’m doing. It is kind of cool. I’ve always looked up to him because he’s just been a nice guy and he always remembered me. When I met him, it was way before “Malcolm,” way before I was famous. He was always someone I looked up to as a driver.

Favorite race car to drive? I just made my debut in the NASCAR truck series in the Ford NASCAR truck, and I loved it. I loved the racing. I loved how the cars moved around in traffic. The racing’s just so close. And unlike when I first started racing, I raced open-wheel cars like Indy cars, and those are really fast and fun to drive, but they’re not as fun to race. You’re not side by side. In NASCAR, if you’re first or 35th, you’re in a battle. And that’s really fun as a driver.

[LL] But if you could own any race car in the world, which one would you love to show off in your driveway? [FM] I think Formula One cars are just insanely beautiful, so it would be really cool to have one of the Ferrari F1 cars just on display. I actually have friends who own some. They have one that they hang on their wall. Literally hung the car up on their wall. It’s so cool. I don’t have that kind of money.