Frankie Muniz Made $150K Per Episode Salary for ‘Malcolm in the Middle’
At the start of the new millennium, Fox hit it out of the park with the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, which debuted in 2000. The long-running television series focused on a dysfunctional middle-class family centered around the titular Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz. The young star continuously renegotiated his salary for the hit series, eventually making $150,000 per episode.
Frankie Muniz starred as the middle sibling in ‘Malcolm in the Middle’
Malcolm in the Middle aired for seven seasons from 2000 to 2006, for 151 episodes. The hit show was nominated for seven Golden Globes, winning one Grammy Award and seven Emmy Awards. Muniz won an Emmy for his portrayal of Malcolm along with numerous awards.
The series is revered by many as one of the greatest television sitcoms of all time. It received widespread critical acclaim for its use of offbeat humor, compelling characters, and unique direction. It revolved around Malcolm, a young genius with an IQ of 165, forced to attend gifted classes at the local public school. Instead of fitting in, he feels socially inept and constantly out of place.
Malcolm and his family weren’t the standard for TV at the time. Instead of the glamorous version of families many sitcoms try to pass off, they aren’t financially well off. This made them relatable to most audiences, adding to the charm of the humorous sitcom.
Frankie Muniz made a sizable salary by the end of ‘Malcolm in the Middle’
When Muniz signed on to play Malcolm, he agreed to a contract worth $30,000 per episode for the first three seasons, totaling approximately $1.9 million. The young actor renegotiated his contract for Season 4, earning $75,000 per episode through season six, for a whopping $4.95 million over three seasons.
For the seventh and final season of Malcolm in the Middle, Muniz earned five times his original salary, earning an impressive $150,000 per episode for a total of $3.3 million. According to MsMojo, this made him one of the highest-paid television child actors of all time.
What is Frankie Muniz worth today?
In addition to finding success with Malcolm in the Middle, the former child star starred in films such as My Dog Skip, Agent Cody Banks, Big Fat Liar, and many more. He also appeared on Dancing with the Stars and The Surreal Life on VH1. Muniz most recently appeared in a 2022 episode of the medical drama series New Amsterdam.
Today, at 37 years old, Muniz has an estimated net worth of $30 million. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he “earned around $10.15 million in base salaries alone from the first run episodes of Malcolm in the Middle. With union royalty rates, he likely earned around 80% of that in the show’s first syndication run.” They list his current profession as “actor, producer, race car driver, musician, voice actor, drummer, screenwriter, and television producer.”
The Racing Stripes actor is currently pursuing his dream of professional race car driving. In 2020, he married Paige Price, and the following year they welcomed their son, Mauz Mosley Muniz.
