Frankie Muniz Reveals: Bryan Cranston Checks In On Me Post-‘Malcolm in the Middle’!

Frankie Muniz can always count on Bryan Cranston as a father figure, regardless of where his career or life may lead.

The twice-nominated Golden Globe actor shared that his former on-screen dad from Malcolm in the Middle continues to keep in touch with him every few weeks. Cranston portrayed his father, Hal, in the popular Fox show which aired for seven seasons from 2000 until 2006.

“Working with him from the age of around 11 or 12, he truly became a dad to me,” Muniz mentioned during his appearance on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast. “To this day, he’s reached this epic status in Hollywood. He’s been in amazing movies, landmark TV shows, and has amassed numerous awards. He’s really the top of the game.”

“He still makes it a point to check on me regularly, shows up at my races, and even attended my band’s concerts when we were playing. He’s a huge inspiration, and it’s something I aspire to emulate for others someday,” Muniz added.

Malcolm in the Middle featured Muniz as the young genius Malcolm, with his parents, Hal and Lois (played by Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek), trying to manage their blue-collar household and Malcolm’s three rambunctious brothers (Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield, and Erik Per Sullivan).

In early 2023, Cranston teased the idea of a series comeback. Speaking to E! News, he mentioned, “There’s been some buzz about potentially doing a reunion movie for Malcolm in the Middle.”

“We had this incredible bond as a TV family, and I would definitely be open to revisiting that if we came across a compelling idea—imagining where this family ended up 20 years on would be quite intriguing,” Cranston commented. “It’s hard to believe it’s been that long, but it would be exciting to revisit.”

Following his announcement of entering NASCAR racing in January last year, Muniz transitioned to a full-time position with the Reaume Brothers Racing team for the 2025 season, where he will be driving the No. 33 Ford F-150 starting in February. He also continues his acting career, with his most recent roles in the comedy Half Baked: Totally High and an episode of Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens.