Former teen star Frankie Muniz has divulged on his multimillion-dollar net worth. Photo / AP
Former teen star Frankie Muniz has divulged on his multimillion-dollar net worth. Photo / AP
Malcolm in the Middlestar Frankie Muniz has revealed the staggering net worth he has today thanks to his career as a teen actor in the 2000s.
While chatting to his Aussie campmates on Channel 10′s I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!, the 38-year-old celebrity revealed that he had made US$40 million ($66.65m) before he turned 19, reports news.com.au.
The contestants on the show were discussing trolling on Twitter when Muniz shared that he “used to” hit back at offensive comments written about him on the platform.
“This kid wrote, ‘I’m sorry, but your acting is just awful’. And I was in a movie, and I went, ‘Yeah it is, but you know what’s not awful? Being retired at 19 with $40m. Good luck moving out of your mum’s house before you’re 35′.
“His Twitter name was ‘I heart Mountain Dew’. Like, okay.”
The former child star confessed in the toktokkie – in which the series’ campmates chat to producers – that he “never usually responds” to mean remarks.
Now, Muniz has left his acting days behind him and instead drives racecars and lives in Arizona with his wife and 2-year-old son.
The Bachelor’s Brittany Hockley asked Muniz if he had cashed in enough money to retire from work completely, to which he replied: “Oh, 100 per cent.”
He added: “But I’m neurotically motivated. I’ve just always worked since I was 8 years old. I don’t know how to just be in the moment and not be focused on what I’m doing next.”
The cast of Malcolm in the Middle poses for a photo on November 26, 2000 at the Hollywood Christmas Parade in Hollywood, CA. Photo / Getty Images
Despite leaving the Hollywood scene back in 2008, a majority of the former child star’s cash flow is estimated to be from residual cheques from the hit sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. The show ran for seven seasons, starting in 2000, and even saw the young actor nab an Emmy award for his performance.
By the time the series had finished, Muniz was cashing in approximately US$150,000 ($250,000) per episode (not adjusted for inflation).
During his time as “Hollywood’s most bankable teen”, Muniz also featured in movies such as Agent Cody Banks, Big Fat Liar andRacing Stripes.
Before flying to South Africa for the Channel 10 show, Muniz revealed to news.com.auhe decided to turn his back on Hollywood to prioritise his mental health, further confessing that he’d struggled with “impostor syndrome” for years.
“I never felt like I fully fit in the Hollywood world, even though I was in the world. I was nominated for Emmys and Golden Globes, and I was going to all this stuff, and I was there, and I was like, ‘How am I here?’” he added.
“I hated LA, so I kind of stayed in my own little world, my own little bubble. And moving to Arizona, I did it on a whim, and I realised immediately that I started looking up. I started enjoying looking at trees and birds in the sky. Going to the grocery store was a fun thing. You don’t get that in LA. It’s a miserable experience.”
