“He really cares about what I’m doing”: NASCAR driver Frankie Muniz opens up about ‘Walter White’s’ support in a candid interview

Actor-turned-NASCAR driver Frankie Muniz has opened up about Bryan Cranston's constant support in a candid interview. Muniz said Cranston still checks up on him despite shifting his focus from acting to racing.

Muniz is a 38-year-old NASCAR driver who started his career as an actor. He played Malcolm in the TV show Malcolm in the Middle (2000 to 2006) along with Cranston, who played Hal, the father of Malcolm. Cranston is also known for his role as Walter White in Breaking Bad.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Frankie Muniz said Bryan Cranston still reaches out to him from time to time. Cranston would also attend NASCAR races to watch him compete.

Muniz stated:

“He still reaches out to me every couple of weeks [to] check in on me."

“He really cares about what I’m doing, comes to the races, if my band was playing, came to shows. I mean, he’s such an inspiration, and like I said, that’s what I strive to be for someone else in the future," Muniz added.

The NASCAR driver also said that Cranston is like a father figure to him. The co-actors started working with each other even before Muniz's teenage years.

“He really became like a father figure to me. And then even still to this day, you know, he’s essentially like a Hollywood god at this point. You know what I mean? Like he’s done incredible films, incredible shows, won tons of awards. Like he’s literally it.”

Frankie Muniz driving the No. 27 Ford in the 2024 season finale at Phoenix Raceway - Source: Imagn

While Bryan Cranston plans to start a break from acting in 2026, Frank Muniz's NASCAR career is only getting started. He will run a full-time schedule with Reaume Brothers Racing in the No. 33 Ford F-150 for the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

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Frankie Muniz shares challenge of being a full-time NASCAR driver at his age

Last month, Frankie Muniz shared the challenge of competing in NASCAR at his age. With a full-time schedule set for 2025, Muniz said he would compete against kids whose moms are most likely younger than him.

Speaking with Carla Gebhart on the DJD Reloaded podcast, Muniz stated:

"I never fully felt like, and I don't mean this in a negative way, I always felt like a little bit of an outsider when I was in Hollywood, you know what I mean?"

He added:

"I just never felt like I was part of that Hollywood world. As a race car driver, even though I'm still new in it, when I'm at the racetrack, I feel like it's where I'm supposed to be, if that makes sense. I'll be 39 next year, so I'm older than most of the moms of the kids who I'm racing against. But it's all right, I'm ready for the challenge."

This season, Frankie Muniz made four starts with Reaume Brothers Racing. However, the driver only managed to score a best finish of P29. He also entered two races in the Xfinity Series with a best finish of P30.

The New Jersey native will return to the NASCAR scene as a full-time Truck Series driver at the Daytona International Speedway in February 2025.