Frankie Muniz Says He Hasn’t Spoken to Hilary Duff in 22 Years — Here’s Why
Frankie Muniz recently opened up about his falling out with Agent Cody Banks costar Hilary Duff. Speaking on The Joe Vulpis Podcast, the 39-year-old actor said Duff was one of his first friends when he moved to L.A. while filming Malcolm in the Middle.
Muniz recalled that they were close in the early 2000s and even appeared together on Lizzie McGuire. However, things changed after Duff was cast in Agent Cody Banks — a decision Muniz said was pushed by her mother, Susan Duff, whom he called “the epitome of a stage mom.”
According to Muniz, Susan learned about the movie while he was visiting the Lizzie McGuire set and quickly arranged for Hilary to be cast, even though he had creative input over his costar. “The next day her mom told me, ‘We’re going to be spending the summer together,’” he said, adding that the studio went around him to finalize the deal.
Muniz admitted he was upset with how it happened, saying it created awkwardness on set. “We were professional, but her mom’s presence made things difficult,” he shared. After filming ended, the two never spoke again.
Still, Muniz said he regrets losing touch. “I’d love to reconnect with her,” he said. “We had a great friendship for a long time.”