Francisco Muniz IV (/ˈmjuːnɪz/;[1] born December 5, 1985) is an American actor and professional stock car racing driver.

Muniz came to prominence in the 2000s playing the title character of the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle (2000–2006), for which he was nominated for an Emmy and two Golden Globe Awards.

He also worked in the films Big Fat Liar (2002), Deuces Wild (2002), Agent Cody Banks (2003), and Racing Stripes (2005).

[9] He was discovered at the age of eight at a talent show in Raleigh, North Carolina, playing Tiny Tim in a local production of A Christmas Carol.

[2][10] Muniz appeared in commercials and made his film debut in the made-for-television movie To Dance with Olivia (1997), starring Lou Gossett Jr.

Throughout his television career, Muniz made guest appearances on the shows Lizzie McGuire; Sabrina, the Teenage Witch; and MADtv.

His first starring role was as Willie Morris in the 2000 family drama film My Dog Skip,[15] which was released at the same approximate time as the pilot for Malcolm in the Middle.

He had a hit with the 2002 release Big Fat Liar, in which he co-starred with teen actress Amanda Bynes as a pair of students seeking revenge on a sleazy movie producer (played by Paul Giamatti).

[18] He announced, during that same month, that he would be taking a break from acting, in order to pursue a career in race car driving, under a full-time two-year deal with Jensen Motorsport in the Formula BMW competition.

"[21] Despite his earlier stated intention to take a break from acting, in May 2006, he signed on to star in the R-rated teen-sex comedy Extreme Movie.

In December 2007, he made a cameo appearance in the movie Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, playing Buddy Holly.

In 2015, he made another cameo appearance in The Mysteries of Laura, in which one of the detectives (Merideth Bose) had a crush on the actor/ racecar driver (Frankie Muniz) who was competing in a drag race.

[32] Muniz, who was also attending the race to film for MTV's documentary series True Life, witnessed the subsequent crash on the final lap which killed Earnhardt.

[34] The following year, he finished third,[35] and was the best-finishing celebrity after capitalizing on Ingo Rademacher and Aaron Peirsol's contact on the final lap.

[36] While investigating the possibility of joining a racing team as an owner, he was granted a test in a car, and instead signed a two-year deal with Jensen Motorsport as a driver.

Muniz entered fourteen races during the 2006 Formula BMW USA season, and failed to finish in a point-scoring position.

[citation needed] He was selected as one of the thirty–six drivers to compete in the annual Formula BMW World Final at Valencia.

[39] In 2007, Muniz moved up to the more competitive Champ Car Atlantic Series,[40] where he competed in the entire season of 12 races.

[42] He signed with Atlantic Championship-winning team Pacific Coast Motorsports in January 2008, with a goal to consistently compete in the top ten of the points championship.

[45] In January 2022, Muniz participated in the ARCA Menards Series test at Daytona International Speedway, driving the No.

[46] On January 11, 2023, it was announced that Muniz would drive full-time for Rette Jones Racing in the ARCA Menards Series in the team's No.

[49] On February 9, 2024, it was announced that Muniz would attempt to make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, driving the No.

[50][51][52][53] On June 19, 2024, it was announced that Muniz would attempt his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Nashville Superspeedway, driving the No.

[61] In 2018, Muniz and Paige Price bought Outrageous Olive Oils & Vinegars, a small specialty shop in Scottsdale, Arizona.

[66] Muniz is reportedly a supporter of English football club Coventry City, this connection apparently coming from a friendship he made with a producer on the set of the film Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London.

[76][77][78] On November 30, 2012, at age 26, Muniz was hospitalized after having a suspected transient ischemic attack, and spoke about the experience on Katie.

[81] However, that same month, it was claimed on Dancing with the Stars that he suffered significant amnesia, theorized to be caused (at least partially) by multiple concussions; the TV show star gave the impression that he could not remember the majority of his time on Malcolm in the Middle, and that his former co-star Bryan Cranston often called him to remind him about the good times they had.

In the same podcast he also clarified that reports of his amnesia were false, that they were based on a throwaway sentence: "Man, I don't remember what happened in 2001.

* Season still in progress 1 Ineligible for series points (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.