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Why Frankie Muniz Cherishes His Wife and Baby Boy Even More After The Surreal Life

In an exclusive interview with E! News, Frankie Muniz teased his experience on The Surreal Life and revealed the houseguests he quickly got along with.

By Mike Vulpo Oct 24, 2022 4:00 PMTags
Watch: Frankie Muniz on How His Wife Pushed Him to do The Surreal Life

Absence absolutely makes the heart grow fonder.

When Frankie Muniz agreed to film The Surreal Life in 2021, the actor knew it was going to be difficult to leave his wife Paige Muniz and their newborn son Mauz for nearly three weeks. But now as the VH1 series prepares for a big return on Oct. 24, the 36-year-old is sharing how the show affected his family.

"My son was six months old when I left and it was really hard to leave," Frankie told E! News in an exclusive interview. "Obviously you want to be there. I don't want to abandon my wife either." 

But according to Frankie, it was Paige who pushed him to do something outside of his comfort zone. Looking back, he's so glad he did.

"I cherish every single moment I get to spend with my family," Frankie said. "I don't know if they'll show it, but there were a lot of cool moments where they allowed my wife to zoom in. I got to see them a little bit and talk and there was a lot of drama that happened in my house when I was gone."

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Child Stars Then and Now

In fact, while the cast tried to avoid communication with the outside world, Frankie may have been an exception. 

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"Producers had to wake me up in the middle of the night because literally drama happens," he said. "I'm also not sure if that's going to be on the show, but there was a lot that I was dealing with with home life while I was away and that's just how it is."

Frankie was quick to add that the new season of The Surreal Life isn't all drama. While the cast is full of big personalities including former NBA player Dennis Rodman and Tamar Braxton, Frankie said he was able to connect with many co-stars. 

"Manny MUA and Kim Coles and I almost immediately, like literally five minutes into being in the house, we clicked and created our group," he teased. "I think throughout the time, you get to connect with everybody and perceptions of what you thought of someone when you first met them changes over time—good and bad."

And while fans may think they know Frankie as Malcom from the long-running series Malcom in the Middle, they should prepare to see a houseguest who isn't afraid to speak up.

"There were times where I had to defend myself, meaning I had to stick up for myself and I couldn't just be the easygoing one," he said. "There's only so much that you can potentially get kind of walked on or knocked down before you go, ‘Hey, listen, here's my situation. Here's why I'm the way I am' and you learn from each other." 

The Surreal Life kicks off Monday, Oct. 24 at 9 p.m. with back-to-back episodes on VH1.

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