Frankie Muniz Felt “Really Sad” About the “Sacrifice” His Family Made for His Acting Career

Frankie Muniz is opening up about the affect his child-star fame had on him and his family.

The Malcolm in the Middle star recalled, on Tuesday’s edition of the Inside of You podcast, how when his career started to take off, it took a toll on his family because they had to move across the country.

Before Muniz’s role on the hit TV show, his parents got divorced and he decided to live with his mom in New Jersey. Muniz’s sister first lived with their dad before eventually moving in with their mom, too. However, shortly before he landed the role of Malcolm, they had to move again which caused a “weird dynamic.”

“It was the first time I thought about the past enough to think about the sacrifice that people made, and it made me really sad,” Muniz said.

However, his time on Malcolm earned him an Emmy nomination and two Golden Globe nods. It also led the teen star to book film roles in Big Fat Liar, Agent Cody Banks, Deuces Wild and Racing Stripes.

Now, at 38, Muniz has a different level of appreciation for his family’s support and added that his grandparents stepped in to raise his sister.

“They were so willing to help out and do whatever they could do for us to be available to go where I needed to go to do what I needed to do,” Muniz said. “It’s a crazy thought, but, it’s a realization I actually had this year.”

Muniz also acknowledged that his life could have looked very different without their support, “I’m happy that I have people in my life like that, but it’s just a crazy thought that without that support, probably none of that happens. You know what I mean? And, it’s a wild, wild thought.”