Frankie Munizreveals his television father,Bryan Cranston,still keeps in touch with him to this very day. The duo starred as father and son for seven seasons on the beloved television series,Malcolm in the Middle(2000-2006). And Muniz, who was recently signed as a racer for NASCAR’s 2025 Craftsman Truck Series season, fondly spoke about his “incredible"Malcolmcostar on theInside of Youwith Michael Rosenbaum podcast. Muniz said:
“He still reaches out to me every couple of weeks [and] checks in on me. He really cares about what I’m doing. [He] comes to the races. When my band was playing, [he] came to shows. I mean, he’s such an inspiration. And like I said, that’s what I strive to be that for someone else in the future.”
While Muniz still acts from time to time, racing is theMalcolm in the Middlestar’s passion today. Meanwhile, Cranston has soared to A-list status in Hollywood thanks to his indelible roles following on the heels of his and Muniz’s dark TV comedy, includingBreaking Bad, Godzilla(2014), andYour Honor.Muniz said of his friend and costar in the same interview:
“I started working with him when I was 11, 12 years old. He really became like a father figure to me. And then even still to this day, you know, he’s essentially like a Hollywood god at this point. You know what I mean? Like he’s done incredible films, incredible shows, won tons of awards.”
Bryan Cranston Reminisces About ‘Malcolm in the Middle’
Many fans will always regard Bryan Cranston asBreaking Bad’sWalter White,while others will also appreciate his hilarious recurring role as dentist Tim Whatley onSeinfeld. However, between those hit shows, Cranston portrayed Hal Wilkerson onMalcolm in the Middlefor seven seasons. And when it came to developing the character of Malcolm’s (Muniz) father, the Oscar-nominated and Emmy award-winning actor said (perGQ):
“The distinction here for Hal playing off this bombastic, aggressive woman, Lois: Don’t compete with her, do NOT try to match her. So, I started to think, what would be complimentary characteristic[s] for Hal? [It] would be, perhaps, the opposite of her. What is she lacking? Oh, she’s lacking subtlety, softness, sweetness, quiet. She’s… so, I went, ‘Oh, she’s fearless.’
So, I’m fearful of everything. And I just started putting these out, and I went, ‘Oh, that’s a character.’ I’m developing a character here. So, I just let it all sit within him. And the last bit was: No one wants to see a person who is indifferent to their family […] So, I made a distinction that Hal was not disinterested in his family. He was distracted by things.”
Malcolm in the Middle Revival Now the ‘Closest It’s Ever Been,’ Frankie Muniz Reveals
The long-awaited return of Malcolm in the Middle gets a promising update from its lead star, who says conversations are now happening.
The thespian’s acting approach clearly paid off, because Hal went down as one ofBryan Cranston’s most memorable performancesof all time. Much like Ed O’Neill is the only person who could have portrayed Al Bundy onMarried… with Children,or the same way only John Larroquette could have playedNight Court’sDan Fielding, the same rings true of how Cranston perfectly embodiesMalcolm in the Middle’sfamily patriarch.
