Frankie Muniz sets the record straight on memory loss

Frankie Muniz ends years of speculation about his memory issues, sharing that past comments were taken out of context. The “Malcolm in the Middle” star recently addressed this long-standing narrative, explaining that even though he had a bad memory, public perception had become far more dramatic than reality.

Frankie Muniz has a bad memory

Frankie Muniz clears up misconceptions about his memory problems. On the “Inside of You” podcast with “Smallville” actor Michael Rosenbaum, released April 7, Muniz, 40, discussed past reports that were “taken out of context.”

In 2017, Muniz competed on “Dancing with the Stars” and one of the themes of the week-long competition was “Most Memorable Year.” As he shared at the time, he had no memory of many of his experiences, including filming “Maclom in the Middle,” which he starred in for six years. “It makes me a little sad. Things come to mind. [that] I should have remembered that,” he said. The media took over, claiming that the actor suffered from severe memory loss and even amnesia.

“This story has been taken out of context… All these stories have come out where people are like, ‘You don’t even know your [own] marry.’ I just have a bad memory,” Muniz told Rosenbaum.

Actor believes his bad memory came from ‘pretending’ to be an actor

Muniz shared his theory on why he has such a bad memory, telling the podcast host that he has no problem memorizing lines. However, the details of his “daily life” are another story, adding that he doesn’t remember much from his years as a child actor.

“I’ve also been an actor my whole life, where every day I’m pretending to be someone else and feeling someone else’s emotions and someone’s happiness or sadness,” he explained, adding that when the director yells “Cut!” he forgets the scene and moves on to the next one.

“I’m so used to saying, ‘Oh, I’m done with that.’ And I move forward without even thinking about it. Even my real life. Even my real emotions,” Muniz said.

Frankie Muniz had nine concussions

Muniz has also spoken about health issues in the past, admitting to having “episodes” where he suffered vision loss and couldn’t recognize people. He was told they were mini-strokes, but later discovered that was a misdiagnosis and that he was actually suffering from aura migraines, as reported HuffPost.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, this condition causes sensory issues that act as warning signs of a migraine. Symptoms may include spots or flashes in your vision, ringing in your ears, tingling in your limbs, and slurred speech.

Additionally, Muniz had nine concussions resulting from childhood carelessness, sports, and accidents during his racing career. “I think I have a bad memory, but it’s not like I have amnesia,” Muniz told Rosenbaum, adding that his nine concussions probably don’t help.

Frankie Muniz’s Transition from Acting to Running

Muniz became famous for his portrayal of the title character in the sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle,” which ran for six seasons from 2000 to 2006. He also appeared in films such as “My Dog Skip” and “Big Fat Liar.”

After the sitcom’s conclusion, Muniz took a break from Hollywood to pursue racing car driving. He became a professional racing driver in 2006 and has remained active in the sport ever since, receiving accolades for his achievements behind the wheel.

In 2023, Muniz said he is grateful for his success in the entertainment industry, which has allowed him to try other things in his life, such as running. He emphasized that it was not just a hobby, but a sport he wanted to excel at. “If I wanted to race cars, I could do it at a much lower level and have the same fun. I want to get to the top, and I’m going there,” he told CNBC Make It.

Frankie Muniz is back in ‘Malcolm In The Middle’

It’s been 20 years since “Malcolm in the Middle” ended, and now the cast is back for a four-part revival series. Muniz and his former castmates, Bryan Cranston (Hal), Jane Kaczmarek (Lois), Christopher Masterson (Francis), and Justin Berfield (Reese), all reprise their roles, with Erik Per Sullivan (Dewey) replaced by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark.

The miniseries follows Malcolm as he is drawn back into his family’s chaotic orbit when Hal and Lois insist that he attend their 40th wedding anniversary celebration. “It’s Malcolm discovering that those things that drove him crazy made him the person he is now,” Muniz said in an interview with Slate.

“Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair” will premiere on Hulu and Disney+ on April 10.