NASCAR Driver Returns to Hollywood Days After Loud Outcry for Seeking Help With Mental Health

Earlier, it was only possible for NASCAR drivers to step up their game in any of the big three series — Cup Series, Xfinity Series, or the Craftsman Truck Series. However, as the popularity of the sport grew, so did the fashionability of its drivers. While some moved into aviation and podcasting, others tried their luck in Hollywood. In films, most of these drivers have blended their voice in the famous “Cars” sequels including Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Richard Petty, Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace, making their debuts correspond to the sport they belong to, some others like Brad Keselowski and Franki Muniz have tried to do it differently.

Their debut in “Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!” created a surge of emotions amongst NASCAR fans, and they continue to amaze us in their enthusiastic acting careers. At a time when racing did not fare well for them, these drivers-turned-actors showed that they still have huge potential to achieve fame in a whole different field, just like Frankie Muniz did with his brand new endeavor on the Disney+ revival of his Fox sitcom: Malcolm in the Middle Reboot, which has recently concluded its filming while Muniz is seen competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races.

The actor had been just 14 years old when the sitcom began its seven-season run, and the reunion with his co-stars has been a very fruitful one for him, as he gushed about working with the old and new members of the gang.

Supports Surge as Frankie Muniz Opens Up About Mental Health

Recently, Muniz posted a picture on Instagram mentioning his return to the set of Malcolm in the Middle reboot on Disney+, alongside Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek, which will consist of 4 new episodes, celebrating 25 years of its original release. Under the post, Frankie wrote, “I’m so happy to have gotten the chance to relive being on this show with a greater appreciation of what we were making knowing how many people around the world truly love Malcolm and his family. Another big thing I am taking away from this experience is how much I truly love being an actor. I never officially felt like that label fit me, but now I wear that label proudly and hope to do so much more of it in the future. I am so sad to have to say goodbye to my MITM crew, I love each and everyone of you.”

Setting aside his NASCAR career, which Muniz tried to focus on for a very long time, the driver also expressed gratitude to the cast and for the franchise for making it a fulfilling experience working with them. “Reuniting with the cast, getting to know some new characters, laughing till it hurt, and making new memories on set felt like a dream I didn’t want to wake up from. It went by so fast, like a blur of perfect moments. I wish it could go on forever,” said Muniz, thinking of it as a fresh start to his career and a new opportunity to shine in the field.

Muniz has also had a diverse acting career both in movies and TV series, including “Agent Cody Banks”, “My Dog Skip”, “Big Fat Liar”, and “Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!” He has worked with Nickelodeon on shows like “The Fairly Odd Parents” and has also hosted the Kids’ Choice Awards. This shows the diversity that the racer-cum-actor has had in his lifetime. While it may seem glamorous, it might have also contributed to Muniz’s internal battles, which he continuously tries to fight against.

All of this came to light following Muniz’s recent struggles with mental health and his decision to speak openly about it. After a disappointing 23rd finish at the NCTS Race of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Rockingham Speedway, Frankie Muniz may have found it harder to cope with many other things going on in life. Despite trying his best, the NASCAR driver felt that something was wrong, something was missing, something that he was not doing right, while still giving his all. It’s not just about the sport or his acting career, but Frankie was unable to explain what was going on in his head. Shortly after, Muniz posted a tweet on X stating, “If I’m being 100% honest… Mentally/emotionally I may be at a new low. Just wanted to say it out loud.”

A few days later, in an interview with Kyle Dalton, Frankie opened up about the Monday morning tweet and how many narratives and theories people have come up with since then. “I never expect for me to do a tweet at 3 in the morning, and it becomes, you know, the front page of People Magazine and USA Today and everyone who has written stories about it. Even that, like they write it and nobody contacted me, right? Nobody knows what’s going on in my head, nobody knows why I wrote it, and they make it about my racing, or they make it about my team or they make it about the Malcolm reunion, and it’s not any of those things,” said Muniz. After facing burnout and imposter syndrome, Muniz left Hollywood for a brief period in 2008 to follow his individual pursuits in Arizona, including race car driving and running an olive oil business. But the situation did not get better upon his return.

Frankie opened up about his feelings of low self-esteem and letting people down in every aspect of his life, which many would believe to not be true at all. “I feel like I’m failing in all of the aspects of my life right now and and a lot of that comes from me being like a hard worker, and hard on myself and I have high expectations for myself, but also like, I’ve been fortunate in my life that whatever I’ve tried to do, I had success in it,” Frankie said, “And I know it doesn’t come easy and all that but like, I feel like personally I’m letting people down. As a race car driver, I feel like I’m letting people down, as an actor, I feel like maybe I’m letting people down, and it’s like an internal battle that I’m just trying to figure out.” In 2023, Muniz expressed interest in starting therapy and discussed his efforts with meditation and healing on Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown podcast, highlighting his commitment to achieving full personal and mental growth.

This is not the first time the 39-year-old actor opened up about his problems or illnesses. In 2012 and 2013, Muniz experienced transient ischemic attacks or mini-strokes. However, in a 2021 appearance on Steve-O’s Wild Ride! podcast, he clarified that these episodes were actually migraine auras, not strokes. Muniz has also spoken about his struggles with memory loss, particularly regarding his time on Malcolm in the Middle, which may have been because of a combination of several factors, including multiple concussions and a hectic lifestyle. Despite these challenges, he maintains a positive outlook, focusing on living in the present.

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Frankie Muniz Takes on NASCAR’s Toughest Trucks

Coming back to Muniz’s NASCAR career, it has been dwindling for some time now. In the NCTS Race at Rockingham Speedway, Muniz was seen battling with a power steering line, leading him to manhandle the truck tire, almost “ripping a hole in his hand”. Still, he managed to get the 23rd position on board with 14 more points to add to his team.

“We got a 23rd finish out of it. These are one of the ones where you go like ‘man what if, if we didn’t have that [steering problem] probably, we could’ve been maybe a top 15, but either way, I’m still learning, I’m getting more comfortable even letting the leaders by right?” said Frankie, revisiting the faults and the nook and crannies which could’ve made the run a better one.

Originally, Muniz started strong with a 10th-place finish at Daytona, making it his first Top 10 finish of the season. However, subsequent races did not end up being very fruitful for the driver. In the rookie standings, Muniz is currently 3rd with 51 points to his name, behind Giovanni Ruggiero — 86 points — and Andres Perez De Lara — 51 points. Major technical issues like the tire blowout at Texas Motor Speedway and multiple DNFs have made it difficult for him to get a better score on board.

Nonetheless, Muniz remains calm and composed, appreciating the efforts of his team and everyone around, especially after facing mental health issues and the emotional toll of not being ‘good enough’. Muniz continues to work towards improving his performance both on track and in the reel world.