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| I WOULD LIKE TO THANK http://munizmania.tripod.com/ FOR THIS INFORMATION!
Please welcome Frankie Muniz. [cheering, Frankie enters] Sit down. You look absolutely fantastic!
Thanks.
You look really good. Did you tie that tie yourself?
No I didn't. I had wardrobe tie it, cause I didn't know how to, my mom didn't know how to.
You know, this is true. You know, I didn't learn how to tie a tie until I was 43. [laughing] It's true. I had big brothers and then, you know, staff, and there was nothing really in between, and I would learn once in a while. And so eventually . . . is that a clip-on?
No it's not.
Oh right, they tied it for you. You look great. How old are you Frankie?
I'm 14.
14. 14 years old, and you're in this hit show. Did you read the reviews over the weekend?
I did a little. Pretty cool. [cheering]
How does your family feel about the success? They must be going crazy.
Oh yeah, everyone is really supportive - my mom, my grandpa and my grandma. We have these little "Malcolm in the Middle" postcard, and they sent out like 500 and they were, like, "We need more! We need more!" so, we kept giving them. They sent them to everyone.
And are people at your school excited?
Oh yeah, I'm homeschooled, but everyone in the town is really excited.
You're homeschooled. How long have you been homeschooled?
For two years. I started in the sixth grade.
Is it lonely to be homeschooled?
Uhm . . .
It's just you, and who, your mom?
My mom, yeah. Uhm, I don't think it is, cause I feel like I'm not missing out on anything, cause I'm acting and I love it, and everything.
But I mean it's hard to cut class. [Laughter]
Yeah, my mom really is . . . make sure I do all my work and everything.
And the, uhm, teacher-parent conference - she just talks to herself. [Laughter] I mean how else would it work?
Yeah.
Well, I think it's just amazing the success, and I also heard today that you are like this amazing golfer.
Uh, I guess so.
You're pretty good huh?
Yeah, my grandpa taught me when I was five.
You've been playing since you were five?
I guess so.
Well we set up a little thing just so you could show off.
Uh oh.
Yeah, just to see if you were making it up. Come on over here. Let's come on over here. [Cheering] Cause I am truthfully a terrible golfer.
Now Marty I haven't played in over two months so I'm really nervous.
Well, no no, don't be nervous at all. Let's come on. Let's assume that we're driving, and . . .
Okay. Uh oh.
Now, just relax. [drum roll] Okay. We don't need drums Will. The man's under enough pressure for God's sake! [laughter]
Really.
Come on Frankie. Have fun with it. AND DON'T BLOW IT! [Laughter] Okay go ahead. [Frankie takes deep breath, drives the ball and the machine registers some number that I can't make out. Must've been far, cuz Marty says:] Wow! Okay, not bad. Not bad. Let me try. Now . . . OH! Falling! Now, the whole idea is to shake hands with the ball my father used to say. You know, and address the ball. "Hello ball." [laughter] Okay. [Marty swings and pretty much demolishes the machine and send bits and pieces of it flying into the audience. More laughter, including Frankie who sends out a look of disbelief.] Well, okay. You know, we don't really worry about that. Now we go to putting. Now we go to putting. We move right on to putting. [Frankie is still laughing.] Now this is the thing, where you gotta . . . oh look what happened [regarding the simulated green set up that Marty has disorganized due to his last little "accident"] Now that's a bad . . .
Really bad green.
Okay hold on. Hold on. Oh no, pull it that way. [trying to reorganize the green]. This is a tough green! Frankie did you do this? Okay there we go. Look at that. Beautiful.
Want help?
No no we're fine.
Okay.
Okay. Look at that. I just destroyed [something I can't make out].
[Frankie puts] In the sand. [Cheering]
Oh. Okay. Let's try one more. One more. [Marty puts] You . . .ah!! [Cheering, even though he missed by a long shot] Well you can watch "Malcolm in the Middle", Sundays on FOX. Frankie Muniz ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here.
Thank you. Thanks so much.
You're a very nice young man. I'm glad you're here. We'll be right back after this.
Welcome back. Our first guest is only 14 years old and not only is he credited with single-handedly saving FOX, also the sitcom genre. [Laughter]. He plays the smart-ass, quick-thinking, title character on the FOX hit, Malcolm in the Middle, Sundays at 8:30.
[Clip]
This is Frankie Muniz! [Cheering]
Here he is. Hey buddy. How ya doin'?
Good, good.
They love you. There he is. You look sporty. You got a little Hawaiian shirt on.
You know, I've been going Hawaiian lately. [Laughter]. Everything I've been going to do, I've been wearing a Hawaiian shirt.
Really. You've been going Hawaiian!
Going Hawaiian!
A little stage you're going through. You've been eating ice cream all day haven't you?
Yes, I have. I think I've eaten three pints already. And that was at 6:00 in the morning.
Now, this is not a normal day, he doesn't always eat ice cream. Tell them why you're eating ice cream?
Well, Baskin Robin's had their first ever Free Scoop Night. [Cheering] where people can go in and get a free scoop of ice cream, and for every free scoop of ice cream, money was donated to First Book National Children's Literacy Program.
Helping people read.
Read good books. [Cheering]
Reading, you see . . . I didn't that notice reading and ice cream go together.
I think so. I mean, two fun things to do.
Yeah, my mom wouldn't let me read . . . well, she let me read [Laughter]. . . I couldn't eat ice cream because it would drip on the book, but you know, I don't talk to mom anymore. [Laughter] It's been a big year for you, hasn't it.
I guess.
You know, you reached five feet.
Oh yeah! Finally! [Cheering]
I mean, you had a growth spurt, right?
Yeah, I grew like 7 inches since we did the pilot.
7 inches, in how much? In a year?
In a year.
That's amazing!
It's about time! That's all I have to say. [Laughter]
And you're 14?
Uh huh.
Boy, I wasn't five feet till I was like . . . 6! [Laughter]
Exactly!
But I'm a freak! I'm a giant! Whoo. Uh, what's it like . . .you gotta be careful though. You don't wanna get any taller, cause they might . . . will they bring in somebody else if you get 5' 5"? [Laughter].
I dunno. Kids grow, so.
That's what you gotta tell the producers. I hear they might tape a bunch of shows now, because they want you to stay right as you are.
Yeah, uhm, we're going back in June and just gonna keep going and going and going till we like, die. [Laughter]
You don't want that to happen.
No.
How much fun is it for ya?
Oh, it's awesome! Everyone's really cool on the set. You know Bryan.
Yeah, he was on the other night. Your dad.
He's really cool. Jane's really funny. All the boys.
But do they know you're the star, right? Uh? [Laughter]
I'm just Frankie.
You're Frankie. You're . . . okay. I think your Malcolm in the Middle. I think you're huge. Uh, tell me - you do home-schooling?
Yeah, I'm home-schooled. My mom teaches me when we're at home. I have a tutor on the set, so . . .
You don't wanna go to a real school?
No. I like home-schooling, `cause I can work around my schedule. You know, or if I wanted to in a day, get like, three weeks of work done, I could, so it's really cool.
Do you eat ice cream while you're doing this.
Yeah!
Mom let's ya do whatever, right?
Yeah! Watch TV. Jerry Springer. [Laughter]
You like Jerry Springer?
No. [Laughter] Just thought I'd say that.
Uhm, does mom ever give you bad grades?
No. Not really.
You probably get straight A's.
Well, I have to send my work into a real teacher, and he checks it, and I get the report card and all that, so I can't really slack off, you know.
Okay, that's good. Well you seem like a bright kid. I think, right?
[Frankie just giggles] [Laughter]
Do you like sports?
I love sports?
What's your favourite sport?
Golf . . . basketball, hockey, baseball.
That's your favourite sport? [Laughter]
Golf, yeah. All mixed together, you know.
Who's your favourite basketball team?
L.A. Clippers. [Some cheering, but mostly people laughing their butts off]
You like L.A. Clippers? You're proud of that?
Well I wanna get it across, so when they do in a hundred years win the championship [Laughter] they know that I was a fan, always.
I used to be fan of the Clippers. They were underdogs in the late 80s.
Uh huh.
They're still underdogs. [Laughter] I gave up on them. [Cheering] I gotta ask you about . . . you don't know . . . you haven't discovered girls yet at your age, have you? You don't have a girlfriend, do you?
I don't have a girlfriend . . . yet, but maybe.
What do you mean, maybe? One day?
One day.
Do you have a special someone you talk to?
All the time, uhm, I talk to this girl. [Cheering, oohs, ahs, whistling, etc.]
You do? Yeah? Is she . . . where do you talk to her? On the phone?
On the phone. On e-mail. Everything.
Who is she?
Huh. [moving his shoulders upwards] [Laughter]
What does she do? What does she do?
She's an actress.
Oh, she's an actress?
Yeah. [Cheering, oohs, ahs, whistling, etc. again]
Is she on Melrose Place or Beverly Hills 90210? [Laughter]
Uhm, eventually.
You won't tell us who it is? We can't guess? It's not Sally Jessy or anyone like that, is it? [Laughter]
Oh, got me!
Now what do you guys do on your show? Apparently you and your dad, plays your dad - you guys do a special dance?
I guess so. It's sort of like a touchdown dance. When we were rehearsing for the "Rollerskates" episode, which you just saw the clip, we did like, this little dance `cause we had to do the dancing and everything, and it's really simple and all, and we always do it whenever we see each other. [Does little motion on chair]
Was that it?
No. [Laughter]
That wasn't it?
No.
You guys wanna see the special dance? [Cheering]
[Frankie gets up]. So Bryan would be right here, and we'd just go . . . [starts dancing] [Laughter & cheering] and we'd just do it forever, you know.
I like that [imitating the movement]. Very stylish. All right. Stay with us. Five questions with Frankie Muniz when we come back.
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All right. Malcolm in the Middle's Frankie Muniz. Time for five questions! [Cheering]. Uh, Geography, what mountain is in the middle of Disneyland? What mountain? You ever been to Disneyland?
Yeah.
What's in the middle there. A couple things. We'll accept two.
Uhm . . .
What mountain? Take your time. Make sure your breathe. [Laughter]
[Frankie gives look as if to say "I have no idea"]
Okay we can't . . . Space Mountain.
Space Mountain! [Buzzer - NOT IN TIME!!]
Yeah that's too late. You gotta say it, but that's all right. True or False: Justin Timberlake is a member of the Backstreet Boys?
False!
That's correct! He's with who?
N'Sync!
Yes, baby! [Ding] [Cheering] There ya go!. Who is cuter: you or Jonathan Lipnicki? [Laughter]
Uhm, well, I really don't think guys are cute, so . . . [Laughter & cheering]
That is correct! [Ding] Other than . . . make sure you always say that [Laughter] . . . no. Other than Morley Safer, who is your favourite 60 Minutes correspondent? [Laughter]
[Same "I dunno" look]
And if you say "I don't know", that is the correct answer, if you ever . . .
I dunno!
That is correct! [Ding] [Laughter & cheering] You can't name anybody, right?
I don't know their names.
Uh, and finally, when your mom gets on you about cleaning your room, have you ever said: "I could buy and sell you ten times over"? [Laughter]
[Nods "yes" ever so slightly] [Laughter & cheering]
That is correct! [Ding] Very good. Congratulations on the show.
Thank you. Thanks a lot.
Make sure you come back.
All right.
A big hand for Frankie Muniz. We're back with the Go-Go's.
Q & A with Frankie!
16 Magazine
STUDIO CITY - California
Who are some of your favorite actors?
I've always liked Val Kilmer, I don't know why. But ever since I saw him in "Batman" he's been one of my favorites. And I've tried to see everything he's done since then. I also like Leonardo DiCaprio, because it seems like all of a sudden he just popped into the world. He's been acting for a while, but all of a sudden he became this big cool superstar.
Have you watched him on the reruns of the sitcom "Growing Pains" when he was just an actor about your age?
Oh yeah, and I think he was even so cool way back then.
What advice do you have for kids who want to be a performer like you?
If you want to get into show business you have to be ready to work hard and never give up. You might not get every job you try out for, but there's something out there for you. I went through over 30 auditions before I got my first job.
How old were you, and what was your first job?
I was eight, and I played "Tiny Tim" in "A Christmas Carol".
Are school plays a good place for kids who want to act to start?
Oh, yes! I did that, and I'd encourage all the kids who want to see if acting is for them to participate in school plays. I didn't even know I wanted to act until I did a few school plays. And I guess you could say that eventually lead to this, "Malcolm in the Middle".
You've got your own TV show, you've done movies and appeared on the Broadway stage, which do you enjoy the most?
I think I like television a lot better than the others. I mean, sure I love theater and performing in front of an audience like that and stuff. But it's really fun doing TV performing in front of the camera because you can try different things to make stuff funnier.
When you're not performing, what do you like to do to relax?
I play basketball. With baseball, I used to be the catcher, but now I play centerfield. I'm an okay hitter. I used to play football, but I'm too small for my team now. I skateboard, play tennis. And I'm pretty good at golf. I have a special set of golf clubs made for my size.
What kind of music do you put on when you kick back?
I like rock-ish alternative mostly. I like a lot of non-known groups like one called "Simon Says". I get their singles and I listen to them and I really like them, but I don't think they're too popular anywhere but with me.
What did you do last summer before you started work on "Malcolm in the Middle"?
Well, I did the play from May until the end of June. And then I had a month off before we started filming, so we didn't go anywhere, I just hung out with my friends because I knew it would be a long time until I would see them again. We played all kinds of sports and stuff, just about everything.
Do you have a favorite vacation spot?
I haven't really been too many places. So I guess I'd have to say I enjoy it here in L.A.
What do you like to do in L.A.?
When it's basketball season I like to go to Clipper games, because the Clippers are my team.
What is the one thing in your closet that you can't live without?
There's this one hat that I got when my dad took me to a hockey game, right before I got my first job. And I got it and I wear it almost everyday. It says "Raleigh Ice Caps", it was a minor league hockey team in North Carolina. I wear it all the time, even though it looks awful. It's terrible, the brim is broken and cracked. But it is my favorite! I love it and I'll never give it up.
AOL Live chat with Frankie
courtesy of Animefoo16@aol.com
How has the cast reacted to the amazing ratings the pilot episode received?
We were all really happy. I guess it's like a dream come true. You never know what to expect. Me and my mom were jumping on the bed.
Tonight we are chatting with Frankie Muniz from the new hit series "Malcolm in the Middle" and the upcoming film "My Dog Skip." Welcome, Frankie! Thanks for coming tonight!
Thanks for having me. Hi, everyone.
I read the recent article in Entertainment Weekly and thought it was interesting that you didn't think you got the role. Any thoughts on that?
Well, the reason I didn't think I got it was I was the oldest one there. The other kids were 9 and 13, and I didn't think I got it. We were back at the hotel, and two minutes later I got the call. It was so cool. We were jumping on the bed.
Hi, Frankie -- I think you have a real gift for comic timing. Where did you develop such a talent at such a young age?
I'm not really sure. This is going to sound braggy, but I guess it's just natural. I've never taken an acting class and no one in my family has acted. I guess it's just good writing, I guess.
Question: Hi there. I saw the premiere episode and I thought it was great! What town is the show set in?
There is no set town yet, but Linwood Boomer, the creator, doesn't want to give a set town. If we put it in the South, there is no snow; in the North can't be 110 degrees. It isn't set yet, but will be soon.
Frankie -- hey there! How are you similar to the character of Malcolm?
This is going to sound really weird again. Before I auditioned, I hadn't read the script. I didn't know he was a genius or that the family was weird. I was just myself. I think me and Malcolm are pretty close, but I'm not a genius.
Frankie, what is it like working with the other cast members on "Malcolm in the Middle"?
Everyone is great. Bryan and Jane are the nicest people I've ever worked with. They're funny. And the boys are always hanging out and everyone is cool.
Have you ever had to put up with a bully?
I guess so. I'm very small for my age. When I was little, I'd always get picked on. I never let it bother me. If I did try to get back, it would just keep them going. I just ignored them and eventually they just stopped. I haven't been beat up yet.
Hi, Frankie, has life changed for you since you've been on the show?
I really don't believe me reaching the "fame" yet. It's so hard to believe. People have come up to me and are saying they love the show. I can tell who my real friends are because they are just coming up to me now and saying lets hang out. I know who my true friends are because they don't care about me acting.
Are you in the middle in real life?
No. I'm the end child. I have one sister. She's older.
Were your parents supportive in your decision to become an actor?
My mom and dad were really supportive. I saw my sister in a play in North Carolina. She auditioned for a part in Raleigh for "A Christmas Carol." I tried out too, and got the part of Tiny Tim. They left it up to me, if I want to stop or keep going. They're really supportive of me. I'm going to keep going as long as I want to.
I know you have been in a couple movies and shows, but what was your favorite and what will be your next show?
I guess it's a tie between "Spin City," "Malcolm in the Middle" and "My Dog Skip." On "Spin City," I got to meet one of my favorite actors, Michael J. Fox. On "My Dog Skip," I got to meet Kevin Bacon; and "Malcolm," because it's different. Coming up next is "The Miracle in Lane 2" for Disney Channel. I'm going to play a kid with spina bifida. It's going to be really fun. I get to race soapbox derby.
Frankie, what do you like to do in your spare time?
Well, I'm a big golfer. I just love to be a normal kid. I do everything a normal kid would do. I play sports, hang out with my friends, and go to the movies.
Frankie, I love the show! Can you tell me what upcoming episodes will be about?
There is one episode, one of my favorites, called "Francis Escapes." He escapes out of military school to see his girlfriend. It's really hilarious. Most of the stories are true to the writers. Linwood Boomer is actually Malcolm. There is one episode called "Shane." Its about a bully that keeps ridiculing Malcolm, and he beats him up.
Frankie, can you tell us if you have an e-mail address so that fans can write you, or a way we can receive a signed picture? Thanks!
Visit fox.com.
Hi, do you hang out with the other cast members off the set?
Yeah, actually, me and Chris go play paintball. And the little boy who plays Dewey, we live next door to each other, he would sleep over and we would watch movies. It was a lot of fun.
Which actors and actresses do you like?
Kevin Bacon and Michael J. Fox. Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek.
Hey, Frankie! Say, do you have a girlfriend by any chance?
I don't right now. The reason is because I don't think it would be fair for the girl because I'm traveling so much. Maybe eventually, when I get moved into my place in California.
How has the cast reacted to the amazing ratings the pilot episode received?
We were all really happy. I guess it's like a dream come true. You never know what to expect. Me and my mom were jumping on the bed. We had a party the night before. Everyone was cracking up. It's really awesome.
Is it really hard to deal with the pressures of the media and all of the attention?
In the middle. It's a lot of fun. It's cool.
Question: What was your favorite part of the first show?
I guess the way it ends when I'm sitting on the trash can and wrapping the episode, and when Dewey goes, " A bug went up my nose," and I say, "What do you want me to do about it?" I wanted them to do a sum-it-up in each episode, but we won't.
How much time do you spend on the set?
I'm only allowed to be on the set for 9 1/2 hours due to California labor laws. I love being on set. I hate having a day off when I'm filming a movie. I only had one day off then. I loved it. It's just so much fun working on the set. I know some people don't really like that. Actually, it's only 6 1/2 hours and 3 hours of school.
Hey, Frankie, which do you prefer doing, making TV shows or motion pictures?
I really like both. I don't really see a difference. I do see that the process of filming is faster. We film like ten scenes in a day in TV, while we do two scenes in a day for a movie. With TV, we do it a few times and we got it. They are both really fun. I love acting. They are both really cool.
What do you like most about acting?
I guess just meeting new people on the set and playing different characters. It's really cool to play the different parts. It's just really fun.
Thanks, Frankie, for talking with us! We had a great time and hope you can do this again soon!
I'd love to. Goodbye, everyone. Hope you keep watching the show, and go see the movie when it comes out in your area. Keep watching.
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