Frankie Muniz hasn’t really been a fan of his titular character in the hit show Malcolm in the Middle.
The actor got candid about his iconic role as the beloved sitcom prepares for a revival.
The 39-year-old actor, who starred in the hit 2000s series for seven seasons, recently spoke with PEOPLE about the upcoming reboot and his thoughts on the character he portrayed.
While the show ended in 2006, Muniz admitted that he didn’t watch it in full until eight years ago—an experience that led to a surprising realization.
“She looked at me at the very end and she goes, ‘You weren’t acting at all. You are literally Malcolm,’” Muniz recalled about watching the series with his wife, Paige.
“And I’m like, ‘I don’t know how to take that because Malcolm sucked.’ He was the worst character on that show!”
Despite his criticism for Malcolm’s personality, Muniz is eager to reunite with his former castmates and bring the series back to life.
“We started talking about [a reboot] literally 10 years ago — me and [co-star] Bryan Cranston — and slowly been working at it and it’s finally a reality,” he revealed.
“So I’m really excited. I had to do some chemistry reads. I can’t tell you with what characters, but new characters that would be on the show. And it was so weird to go back and be with Linwood Boomer, the creator, and Ken Kwapis, the director, and be back in that mindset.”
As for stepping back into the world of Malcolm in the Middle, Muniz said, “Oddly, it was right at home.”
The revival comes ahead of the show’s 25th anniversary, marking a major milestone for the sitcom that became a pop culture staple.
