Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz has given up acting for a new pursuit - race-car driving. Says the diminutive, creepy little freak about his abrupt shift in career path:
I never really wanted to get out of acting, but now I'm a professional race-car driver. Seriously, ask any actor if they'd rather be a professional race-car driver or an actor.
Uh, yeah Frankie, I bet Cate Blanchett would rather drive race cars than be an actor. Uh-huh. Well, anyway, as long as you're happy. You are happy, right?
I'm truly the happiest I've ever been in my life. ... I like the fact that I basically control my destiny with how much effort I put into working out, testing and training and becoming a race car driver. ... As an actor, it's all what people think of you. You can do your best job possible but if someone says it sucks, it sucks. Whereas here, if I'm good, it will show.
Oh. So, basically what you're saying is that you couldn't take criticism. It all comes clear now Frankie. You had some success on that Malcolm show, which Crabbie somehow managed to miss every single time it was ever on, but then you tried segueing into movies and suddenly you weren't so adorable anymore. Agent Cody Banks? That was actually the next Citizen Kane, but unfortunately, no one appreciated it. So you just gave up? Kind of chickenshit if you ask me Frankie. I mean, what happens when you crash your little race car a couple of times? Are you going to cry to your mommy? "Stupid race-car, I was doing my best and then it crashed. I'm going to become a garbage-man. At least they never crash." See, here's the problem Frankie - sometimes sucking isn't only a matter of subjective opinion; sometimes sucking is just plain sucking. Race-car drivers who crash a lot, well, they suck. And it's a lot harder to rationalize that kind of sucking. At least in acting you can tell yourself, "They just don't get it." But if you drive into a brick wall and smash your car up several times, and your owner fires you? It's pretty hard to argue that he simply failed to appreciate what you were doing.
(source)
