More than 20 years after his hit film Big Fat Liar premiered, Frankie Muniz admits there is one co-star that “intimidated” him.
Videos by Suggest
While promoting Disney+’s miniseries Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, Muniz revealed to PEOPLE how nervous he was to work with fellow former child actor, Amanda Bynes.
“My dream was to be on the Nickelodeon show All That or The Amanda Show,” he explained. “Because I thought it was so funny. They were so good. Amanda was incredible. So when I got the call from the producers and Universal about Big Fat Liar, and it was going to be with Amanda Bynes, that was the ultimate.”
“He then declared, “I couldn’t have been more excited. And the film is so fun.”
Along with being eager to work with her, Muniz also said that he had a “massive crush” on Bynes at the time.
Muniz Skipped Major Career Opportunity While Preparing to Film With Bynes
He then went as far as to skip out on a major opportunity while preparing to film Big Fat Liar.
“I got asked to co-host the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in the year 2000,” he said. “As a kid, I’m like, ‘I’m going to get slimed. This is going to be amazing. This is going to be the best time of my life. I’m gonna meet Amanda Bynes.”
He was then asked to do another major opportunity – host Saturday Night Live.
“I’m like, ‘What’s that?’” Muniz said while recalling his mom telling him the big news. ““I didn’t really know, right? I was a kid. And she’s like, ‘It’s a big deal. It’s always this cool thing.’ I go, ‘What’s the date?’ And it was the same date as the date I was supposed to host the Kids’ Choice Awards. I was like, ‘Nope, not doing it.'”
Explaining his decision, Muniz shared, “I was like, ‘I’m a man of principle. I committed to Nickelodeon. I’m going to co-host it. They’ve been advertising it. I can’t let them down.’ But really, deep down I just wanted to meet Amanda Bynes.”
The former child actor jokingly admitted he still questions the decision nearly 30 years later. However, he shared that he and Bynes developed “an amazing friendship” while filming Big Fat Liar.
“We really got along great,” Muniz added. “I actually remember being fairly intimidated by her on set, because she was just so naturally funny.”