Frankie Muniz (born December 5 1985, in Ridgewood, New Jersey) is an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award nominated American actor. He was the star of the Fox Network television situation comedy, Malcolm in the Middle, as well as several films aimed at preteen and teen audiences, including Big Fat Liar, Agent Cody Banks and Stay Alive. By 2003, Muniz was considered "one of Hollywood's most bankable teens".[1] He was also the original voice of Chester McBadbat on the Nickelodeon animated television series The Fairly OddParents from 2001 until 2003 (when Jason Marsden took over).
Frankie Muniz | |
|---|---|
| Born | Francisco James Muniz IV |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) |
Biography
Early life
Muniz was born Francisco Muniz IV[2] in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey, USA, to Francisco Muñiz III (a restaurant manager of Puerto Rican descent) and Denise (a former nurse of Italian and Irish descent); he has an older sister, Cristina. Muniz was raised in the small town of Knightdale, North Carolina, where he found his interest in acting by watching his older sister in a play. He was soon cast as Tiny Tim in a local production of A Christmas Carol, a role he reprised the next two seasons. Productions of The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, and Our Town fleshed out his regional theater résumé; he sometimes appeared alongside now well-known actress Evan Rachel Wood, whose father ran a local theater.
After his parents' divorce, Muniz moved to California with his mother. He appeared in commercials and made his film debut in the made-for-television movie, To Dance With Olivia (1997), starring Lou Gossett Jr. The same year, he appeared in the CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of What the Deaf Man Heard. A small role in the film Lost & Found (1999) led up to the breakthrough role, which would make him a familiar face in millions of households.
Film and television career
FOX premiered Malcolm in the Middle on January 9, 2000, as a mid-season replacement, and the show was quickly swamped with accolades. The premiere episode was watched by 23 million people; and the second episode by 26 million. Muniz anchored the show with his narration and central role in many of the series' plots, although he has said that he does not consider himself a comic actor and does not find himself funny.[3] He was nominated for Golden Globes in 2000 and 2001, the Emmy Awards in 2001,[4] and was honored with the Hollywood Reporter 'Young Star Award' for his work in the series.
Throughout his television career, Muniz made guest appearances on the shows Lizzie McGuire, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and MADtv. His first starring role in a feature film was as 'Willie Morris' in the family period piece My Dog Skip (2000), released around the same time as the pilot for Malcolm In The Middle. Muniz then contributed a voice to the animal cast of Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001). He had a moderate hit with the 2002 release Big Fat Liar, which teamed him with teen actress Amanda Bynes as a pair of students seeking revenge on a sleazy movie producer (Academy Award nominated Paul Giamatti). He was also part of the ensemble for the gang film, Deuces Wild, released that same year. In 2003 he made a cameo appearance as Cher's under age boyfriend in Stuck on You.
Muniz subsequently played the title role in the film Agent Cody Banks, as well its sequel, Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London. The first film opened in March 2003 and grossed $47 million; the sequel, which opened a year later, grossed $23 million.[5] Muniz trained in martial arts for the films, and performed most of his own stunts; he also commented that it was the point in his career where he should 'make the transition from child actor to an adult actor or a respectable actor'.[3]
Muniz had a cameo in the comedy Stuck on You and voiced a racing zebra, 'Stripes', in the 2005 film Racing Stripes. His latest film, the horror movie Stay Alive, opened on March 24, 2006. Malcolm in the Middle finished its run May 14, 2006. Muniz has expressed a desire to leave traditional Hollywood film roles behind, saying: 'Growing up has never scared me until last year. I started thinking about getting older, being an adult, and it scared me. Hopefully things will work out in my career. If they don't, then it was never meant to be'.[6]
In April 2006, Muniz began filming My Sexiest Year, an independent film which will be shot in New York City and Miami, and which will star Oscar nominee Harvey Keitel as Muniz' father. Muniz' character will have a love scene in the film.[7] The same month, Muniz announced he was taking a break from acting to pursue a career in race car driving, with a full-time two year racing deal with Jensen Motorsport in the Formula BMW competition,[8] saying: 'Truthfully, I think it will be easier for me to leave for a while and come back to acting when I'm 23, 24 and be an adult and start fresh'.[9] In May 2006, despite his announcement to temporarily leave acting, Muniz signed on to star in the raunchy teen sex comedy Parental Guidance Suggested, which will be rated R, by the MPAA.[10] The film will be released in 2007 by Dimension Films.[11]
Racing career
Muniz's career in racing traces back to 2005, when he won the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. In 2006, Muniz entered the Formula BMW USA series with Jensen Motorsport. The American entered fourteen races during the season and failed to finish in a points scoring position. Despite this, Muniz was selected as one of the thirty–six drivers to compete in the annual Formula BMW World Final. The event, dominated by German Christian Vietoris, saw Muniz make a small impact, as he finished twenty–ninth.[12] Despite, in comparison to Vietoris, a sub-standard performance at the World Final, Muniz was signed by Jensen Motorsports to race in the Champ Car Atlantic Series.[13]
Personal life
Muniz is a close friend of actress Hilary Duff, as well as musician Zac Hanson. Muniz, who has been home schooled since the sixth grade, has pushed back his plans to attend college, choosing to concentrate on his acting career.[14] Recently he placed 2nd at the Sebring Winter National SCCA race.
He is engaged to a woman named Jamie Gandy whom he met in New Orleans while filming the movie 'Stay Alive', but this past January, Frankie was spotted around Miami, Florida with a "mystery woman" while in town for a celebrity appearance, leading to speculation that his engagement to Jamie is off.
Muniz is a fan of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Frankie Muniz gets Punk'd
In 2003, Muniz appeared on the hit MTV series Punk'd, hosted by Ashton Kutcher. He was the first person to ever be punk'd. The cast drove Muniz's car across the street, and he could not locate it. Muniz used a variety of swear words as a result of being scared.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Legend of Secret Pass | Manu | voice only |
| Parental Guidance Suggested | |||
| My Sexiest Year | Jake | ||
| 2006 | Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman | Benjamin North | voice only |
| Stay Alive | Swink Sylvania | ||
| 2005 | Racing Stripes | Stripes | voice only |
| 2004 | Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London | Cody Banks | |
| 2003 | Agent Cody Banks | Cody Banks | |
| 2002 | Big Fat Liar | Jason Shepherd | |
| Deuces Wild | Scooch | ||
| 2000 | Miracle in Lane 2 | Justin Yoder | Disney Channel Original Movie |
| My Dog Skip | Willie Morris |
References
- ^ "CBS News". Frankie Muniz: Hollywood Star. Retrieved March 23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Bio at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ a b "About.com". Transitioning to adult roles. Retrieved March 23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "about" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ "Academy of Television Arts & Sciences". 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Retrieved March 23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "The Numbers". Frankie Muniz - Box Office Data Movie Star. Retrieved March 23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "The Decatur Daily". Malcolm grows up. Retrieved March 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "National Ledger". 19NBC's 'ER' To Bring Awareness to Genocide in Darfur. Retrieved March 23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "ABC News". Malcolm's Muniz Shifts Into Pro Racing. Retrieved April 13.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "BBC News". TV's Malcolm takes career break. Retrieved April 9.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Reuters". Muniz heads cast seeking sex "Guidance". Retrieved June 15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Newstrack". Dimension gains sexual 'Guidance'. Retrieved July 3.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ [1]
- ^ Frankie Muniz at Jensenmotorsport.com
- ^ "New York Daily News". Frankie can relax. Retrieved March 23.
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External links
