Frankie Muniz's Son Confused by Actor's Intense 'Malcolm in the Middle' Reboot Role

Muniz's 5-year-old son Mauz was upset after seeing his dad's convincing performance as the angry teenage Malcolm.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 1:13pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of shattered glass and glittering sequins, capturing the high-stakes drama and emotional intensity of a TV character's return.The emotional toll of reviving a beloved character is reflected in the dramatic textures and lighting of this conceptual illustration.Vancouver Today

Frankie Muniz's son Mauz, 5, was confused and upset after seeing his dad's intense performance as Malcolm in the new "Malcolm in the Middle" reboot. Mauz, who primarily knows Muniz as a race car driver, didn't understand that his dad was just acting and asked his mom, "Why doesn't Daddy like us?" after witnessing Muniz's character lashing out at his family on set.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the challenges actors can face when bringing back beloved characters, especially when their own families are present on set. Muniz's convincing portrayal of the angry, estranged Malcolm caused his young son to momentarily question his dad's real feelings, demonstrating the power of acting and the need to help children understand the difference between a character and their parent.

The details

In the Hulu revival "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair," Malcolm must confront years of lies that kept his family at a distance. As Malcolm reverts back to an angry teenage boy exasperated with his family, Muniz's outbursts in certain scenes accidentally upset his son Mauz, who was on set with Muniz's wife Paige. "There's a scene where I'm talking about Malcolm's relationship with his family, and I talked about how crazy my family is and how I've got to stay away from them," Muniz said. "Paige had to take him off set because he was like, 'Why doesn't Daddy like us?'"

  • Muniz was filming the "Malcolm in the Middle" reboot in Vancouver in 2026.

The players

Frankie Muniz

The 40-year-old actor who reprised his role as Malcolm in the "Malcolm in the Middle" reboot.

Mauz Muniz

Frankie Muniz's 5-year-old son, who was confused and upset after seeing his dad's intense performance as the angry teenage Malcolm.

Paige Muniz

Frankie Muniz's wife, who had to take their son Mauz off the set after he became upset by Frankie's portrayal of Malcolm.

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What they’re saying

“There's a scene where I'm talking about Malcolm's relationship with his family, and I talked about how crazy my family is and how I've got to stay away from them. Paige had to take him off set because he was like, 'Why doesn't Daddy like us?'”

— Frankie Muniz, Actor

The takeaway

This incident highlights the challenges actors can face when reprising beloved characters, especially when their own families are present on set. Muniz's convincing portrayal of the angry, estranged Malcolm caused his young son to momentarily question his dad's real feelings, demonstrating the power of acting and the need to help children understand the difference between a character and their parent.