© 20th Century Fox ; Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Frankie Muniz left Hollywood at the height of his career in 2008 to start a new life in Arizona The former child star explained why he felt the move "saved my life" during a new interview withUs Weekly TheMalcolm in the Middleactor now lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., with his wife Paige and their three-year-old son Mauz Frankie Munizis looking back at his life-changing decision to leave Hollywood. The former child star, 39, spent a chunk of his early life filming hit movies and shows likeMalcolm in the MiddleandAgent Cody Banks. He recalled how from "ages 8 and 21, I maybe had 60 days off," and it started to take a toll on him, he toldUs Weeklyin a Sept. 3 interview. While his decision to ultimately leave Los Angeles in 2008 and start fresh in Arizona came at the peak of his career, Muniz said the move actually "saved" his life. "Honestly, I did not like L.A. So I moved to Arizona, and I love it," he told the outlet. "I feel like it saved my life in the sense that I started enjoying the little aspects of life more, like hiking [and] going to the grocery store, because it was easy." frankiemuniz4/Instagram While he admits to sometimes considering how his life might be different if he didn't leave the acting scene — telling his agents and managers at the time, "Don't call me" — he still believes he's exactly where he's meant to be. "I'm so lucky taking that step back happened, because it made me appreciate everything more," he added. "It allowed me to do other things and realize a lot more about myself." Muniz is now based in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he lives with his wife of nearly six years,Paige Muniz, and their 3-year-old son,Mauz Mosley. After moving to Arizona, Muniz had more time to focus on pivoting to a new career: professional race car driving. The actor, who began racing in 2004 and started his professional career in 2006, isnow a full-time driverfor the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series withReaume Brothers Racing, PEOPLE previously reported. Samuel Corum/Getty During an exclusive interview with PEOPLE in February, Munizgot candid about achieving his goal of becoming a full-time professional driver, especially after he experienced a crash in 2009 that left him witha broken back. "I never thought I would get to where I am now, especially since I got badly hurt in 2009 and didn't race anything until 2023," he said at the time. Ethan Miller/Getty Muniz also opened up to PEOPLE about his family life, and how his son Mauz was abig reason why he got behind the wheel againfollowing his injury. "I went back to racing with him in mind," he said, adding, "I wanted him to see me striving for something that's difficult." Of fatherhood, he shared, "I love it. I am always striving to be the best dad I can be. I think I am a good dad, but I always feel like I can be better. So just trying to be there." Saeed Adyani/20th Century Fox Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Despite his success in his new field, Muniz is not giving up acting altogether. In fact, Disney+ revealed in December that Muniz and hisMalcolm in the MiddleparentsBryan Cranstonand Jane Kaczmarek were going to reunite for a limited, four-episode revival of the beloved sitcom, which originally aired from 2000 to 2006. Read the original article onPeople
