Frankie Muniz Cherishes Family Even More After The Surreal Life

Absence absolutely makes the heart grow fonder.

When Frankie Muniz agreed to film The Surreal Life in 2021, the actor knew it was going to be difficult to leave his wife Paige Muniz and their newborn son Mauz for nearly three weeks. But now as the VH1 series prepares for a big return on Oct. 24, the 36-year-old is sharing how the show affected his family.

“My son was six months old when I left and it was really hard to leave,” Frankie told E! News in an exclusive interview. “Obviously you want to be there. I don’t want to abandon my wife either.” 

But according to Frankie, it was Paige who pushed him to do something outside of his comfort zone. Looking back, he’s so glad he did.

“I cherish every single moment I get to spend with my family,” Frankie said. “I don’t know if they’ll show it, but there were a lot of cool moments where they allowed my wife to zoom in. I got to see them a little bit and talk and there was a lot of drama that happened in my house when I was gone.”