Frankie Muniz has recently revealed the fortune he made by the time he was 19.
Now, Muniz started his career as a child actor appearing in commercials and minor roles in television shows before earning his breakthrough role as the titular character in the television series Malcolm in the Middle, which ran from 2000 to 2006.
In the show, Muniz portrayed Malcolm, a highly intelligent and gifted child who navigates the challenges of growing up in a dysfunctional family alongside other notable cast members like Bryan Cranston, Erik Per Sullivan, and Jane Kaczmarek.
During his TV career, he also ventured into the world of film, appearing in My Dog Skip (2000), Big Fat Liar (2002), and Agent Cody Banks (2003).
Beyond acting, he has dabbled in writing, producing, music, and more recently, race car driving.
Having such an extensive career in the entertainment industry, you would expect the now 38-year-old to be raking it in, but fans were shocked after learning just how much the star had bagged himself when he was just a teenager.
Speaking to his Australian campmates about trolls on social media on the Aussie version of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Muniz confirmed that he'd cashed in $40 million by the time he was 19.
"This kid wrote, 'I’m sorry but your acting is just awful,'" he said, recalling a past incident on X (formerly Twitter). "And I was in a movie, and I went: 'Yeah it is, but you know what’s not awful? Being retired at 19 with $40 million. Good luck moving out of your mom's house before you’re 35.'"
"His Twitter name was 'I heart Mountain Dew.' Like, OK," he added.
In a confessional, he elaborated on the issue, stating that while he tries to avoid interactions with haters, sometimes he feels compelled to "take a swing back."
"...Every once in a while you have to punch back you can only take so many punches before you get knocked out," he said. "Take a swing back, I’m a human too. If you can dish it, you need to be able to take it."
When asked whether he now has enough money to retire completely, he responded: "Oh, 100 percent. But I'm neurotically motivated. I’ve just always worked since I was eight years old. I don’t know how to just be in the moment and not be focused on what I’m doing next."
Despite making a huge fortune while being an actor, Muniz chose to step away from the limelight in order to protect his mental health. He's now a race car driver who lives in Arizona with his wife and child.
In an interview with News.com.au, the star opened up about why he chose to leave it all behind.
"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 told the outlet before going into the jungle.
"I hated LA, so I kind of stayed in my own little world, my own little bubble," he continued. "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," he added.
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