The Surprising Reason Why Frankie Muniz Blew Off the Chance to Host ‘Saturday Night Live’
The quirky, chaotic, and hilariously off-kilter family that put the “fun” in dysfunctional is back as Malcolm in the Middle returns this December on Disney+ with a four-episode revival, fittingly titled Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair.
Star Frankie Muniz was recently on the Lightweights podcast with Joe Vulpis where he not only talked about the upcoming reboot, but he dug deep into his time as the sharp-tongued, brainy middle child, which earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nods and solidified his status as one of the defining young stars of the early 2000s.
On the podcast, Muniz reminisced about the show and his career as a child star who, at the height of his fame, was one of the most sought-after young actors in Hollywood in the early 2000s. A highlight of the show was when he talked about the time he threw away what many adults would consider a golden opportunity because of a crush on another massive star of the era: Amanda Bynes.
Universal Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.
“When I was acting, and I moved to New York, I remember going to my new agent in his New York office, and I was like, ‘I want to be on All That. I want to be on The Amanda Show,’” said Muniz. “Because I had a huge crush on Amanda Bynes as a kid. But I thought those are the funniest, most amazing shows.”
He was, of course, referring to Nickelodeon’s SNICK era of comedy, in which shows like Kenan & Kel, All That, and The Amanda Show ruled the school. This was a programming block that aired on Saturday nights from 1992 to 2004, aimed at slightly older kids and tweens.
Muniz continued: “When you are a kid, it feels like it takes a long time, but it really is one year from me saying that from…”
“…Your manifestation,” laughed Vulpis.
Universal Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection
“The first year Malcolm was released was January 2000, and I got asked to cohost the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in April of 2000. And Amanda Bynes was one of the other cohosts. And I was like, ‘I’m gonna meet Amanda Bynes!’ It’s a huge deal! So I’m so excited. This is my chance,” recalled Muiz.
“My mom gets a call one day, and she’s freaking out, she’s so excited. It’s Gail Berman, who at the time was the president of Fox. She goes, ‘You got asked to host Saturday Night Live.’ And I’m like, ‘What’s that?,'” said Muniz. “And she’s like, ‘It’s huge! You’ll be one of the youngest people ever! It’s this big deal!'”
“I said when and she said, ‘April 3rd.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, HELL NO!,'” screamed Muniz at the memory. “I am going to the Kids’ Choice Awards! I don’t care! I’m meeting Amanda Bynes! How old was I? 14? 13?”
“My mom was like, ‘You don’t understand, this is a really big deal.’ So for about a week and a half, I had every executive, every producer, everybody in the history of Fox TV, Regency TV, going, ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!'”
His manifestation powers were apparently stronger than he anticipated because soon after meeting, Muniz and Bynes starred together in Big Fat Liar, which was released on February 8, 2002. No word on what opportunities Muniz turned down to star in that film. Yet.
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