Frankie Muniz reveals how he felt auditioning for the first time in 20 years: "The worst thing..."
Frankie Muniz, one of the biggest child stars of the early 2000s, grabbed major headlines for 'Malcolm in the Middle' and 'Big Fat Liar'. However, the rising star took a break from acting to pursue other professions like race car driving, playing drums for a band, and running an olive oil business, as per The List. Thankfully, the talented actor didn't bid farewell to the showbiz business entirely. Muniz appeared in the 2018 thriller flick 'The Black String,' as well as in reality shows 'Dancing With the Stars' and 'The Surreal Life.'

In the horror flick 'The Black String,' Muniz takes on a dark role, portraying a lonely convenience store clerk Jonathan, whose life takes a dramatic turn when he has a one-night stand with a woman. The seemingly normal encounter turns into a nightmare that begins to threaten his life. While the film did well, stepping back into the acting galore wasn't easy for Muniz. In a chat with People magazine, the actor revealed how scared he was while auditioning for the part.
Muniz admitted that he was immediately drawn to the script and 'loved it' enough to audition for the role, which marked one of his first auditions in over two decades. Despite his long history in the entertainment industry, Muniz shared that the audition process still made him nervous, something he found surprising given his vast experience. "It’s funny; as an actor, I don’t get nervous on set," Muniz stated. "It is honestly the worst thing in the world. It’s nerve-wracking because you want to do a good job." The audition left Muniz second-guessing himself. He confessed, “I thought I blew it. I don’t know how people do it all the time."
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While it's heartwarming that Muniz overcame his fear and made a smashing comeback with 'The Black String,' other aspects of the Emmy-nominated actor's life are heartbreaking. Muniz revealed the extent of his memory loss in a 2022 appearance on Steve-O’s 'Wild Ride!' podcast. As per The Things, the actor shared, "If you search my name, all it talks about is how I have no memory, or I’m dying of strokes." He attributed his condition to the nine concussions he has had, which brought about amnesia.
Muniz also shared that while filming 'Dancing with the Stars' in 2017, he was often told to recall specific years from his career, but he couldn't remember key moments. "I don't remember what I felt then," he said. "It almost feels like it wasn't me." Muniz further clarified that he had been misdiagnosed with strokes, sharing that his symptoms were actually due to migraine auras, a condition that causes dizziness and visual disturbances.
Hard hit for @frankiemuniz. He limps from his truck to the ambulance. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/7rngEwzMzE
— Noah Lewis (@Noah_Lewis1) November 9, 2024
Muniz was also involved in a crash during the Craftsman Truck Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway in Arizona, in November last year, as per Page Six. Fortunately, the actor-turned-racer walked away without major injuries. In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), he was seen limping into an ambulance after the 'hard hit,' but assured reporters that he was fine. Explaining the crash, he said, "There was nowhere for me to go. I got hit from behind" and was pushed into another car.