Frankie Muniz has set the record straight about lingering rumors about his health, clarifying that while he doesn’t have amnesia, a series of high-impact injuries have likely taken a toll on his memory.
The Malcolm in the middle star addressed the speculation during an appearance on Inside you podcast on Tuesday, April 7, where he explains that his previous comments have often been taken out of context.
While the 40-year-old actor admitted to having a “bad memory” rather than a clinical condition, he noted that his career as a professional racer hasn’t helped.
“It’s not like I have amnesia. I’ve had nine concussions. It doesn’t help,” he shared.
The actor, who played the titular genius on the hit sitcom for seven seasons, suggested his struggle to preserve memories stems more from the hectic pace of his life than a specific illness.
Having worked non-stop since the age of eight, Muniz believes that the nature of acting, where he constantly adopts and then discards different emotions and characters, has trained his brain to simply move on.
He explained that when a scene is finished, he often forgets it immediately to make room for the next day’s work, leading to a habit of not really “taking in” his experiences.
Muniz also pointed out that his forgetfulness is actually not that unique among his former teammates.
While filming the upcoming revival, Malcolm in the middle: Life is still unfairthe actor noted that even his co-stars, including Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek, struggled to remember specific moments from the original series when shown old clips.
He compared his experience to anyone trying to remember a random week from their school days; while the highlights remain, the day-to-day details often disappear.
“I’ll watch episodes and I’ll be like, ‘Whoa, I don’t remember that episode,'” he admitted, noting the strangeness of not remembering such a large part of his life.
Despite the gaps in his memory, Muniz remains remarkably positive about his situation and insists he’s not letting it dampen his spirit.
He has previously shared that while it can be jarring when people remind him of trips or events he can’t remember, he doesn’t feel upset.
To him, it’s simply the way his brain works.
He told the podcast that he focuses on living the most fulfilling life and making the most of his time instead of worrying about the parts he can’t quite bring back to the surface.
