Increasingly adult situations continue to pose problems for child actors
Remember Frankie Muniz? He was the smart alecky high schooler and awkward middle child on Malcolm In The Middle. Since he portrayed a teen ager who had a thought in his head and who could confront increasingly adult situations with a glimmer of intelligence and sensitivity, it gave him credibility as an actor. The way it gave Fred Savage that years before, on the Wonder Years. Well that is before Fred got charged or sued by that wardrobe girl who claimed he felt her up.I'm not a genius but I play one on TV
People had higher hopes for Muniz. He played a kid with a 160 IQ so that oughta count for something. Plus he seemed comfortable with letting go of fame. He wasn't out trying to get some new series, or singing career on the go. He was doing other things to keep him interested. He started racing cars. Now that's a sensible outlet to youthful exuberance, as opposed to crashing them on freeways. He did get a band on the go, but he played serious gigs. Not MTV type stuff angled at starting a performing career. So maybe this was one child star who'd turn out to be normal.
Trouble & Turnblow Love
If that's what you expected then you might find the most recent news out of Muniz disappointing. Seems that Frankie's latest increasing adult situation ain't working out for him. Frankie has gotten involved with a girl -Elycia Turnbow. Turnblow has set herself up to be the Mila Kunis to Muniz creepy troubled Macaulay Kulkin. Not that I'm accusing anyone of playing the "How Does She Put Up With Him" game (read Eric Burns). Let's just say that the more involved with Turnblow he got, the creepier and more troubled Muniz became. Maybe that's what she likes about him. Who knows but let's give her the benefit of the doubt.
Malcolm in a muddle
Anyway the latest increase in Muniz's adult situation came just recently, and in the form of domestic assault. According to Muniz's girlfriend (if she's as much of a girl as she is a friend then she might be a female impersonator!) in her official police report: sometime last Friday they were arguing about previous relationships (she was threatening to leave and go back with her old boyfriend) when Frankie flipped the fuck out and got all despondent. That is a pulled a loaded gun and held to his own head. That was after he punched her in the head and shoved her into a wall. Then he made some noises about killing himself. Naturally she phoned for help, 'cause people need to know what sort of a lunatic she's living with.
Love for the record
Not surprisingly Muniz had a different story. Firstly he claims, in his official police statement, that "I love her too much. She is the woman I want to marry." A pathetic cry for help if I've ever heard one! After putting everything into context, he then he goes on to tell what he says really happened. He was sleeping last Friday when about 10 PM he was awakened by someone screaming and hitting him in the face. This was the love of his life, the aforementioned Turnblow.
love & other guns
Well Frankie says that what happened next was him just trying to defend himself from that onslaught of love taps. Except for the part about the gun. The gun wasn't loaded, for one thing. For another he says he didn't even pull the gun on himself, but the gun holster. It was just a way of making a point, like using air quotes. That Malcolm always could talk himself out of a spot.
Unfortunately this time the cops checked the gun, and found that it was in fact loaded. Perhaps the difference between Muniz and Charlie Sheen is that Charlie would've pulled the gun on the chick. So is that why he makes $2 million a week and Muniz can't get arrested (even lately)? The wimp has no killer instinct!
no harm no foul, but don't do it again
Maybe that's also why Muniz didn't get arrested. The cops checked both parties for injuries, and found none. So that left them with a ticklish "He said, she said" situation of the kind that makes hardened police officers check out for donuts when ever a domestic complaint is called in. Besides, what else could they do, other than impound the gun. Which they did. They also warned the young lovers that if they keep up the mischief, then the next time they're both going to jail. Sounds like they were too cynical to decide who to root for in that situation!
I'm not normal but I play it on TV
So that upshot is that yet another child star is going off the rails, as Muniz has had his Fred Savage Moment. Which is almost ironic considering shat a good job he did off acting normal on his show. Then again there's a lot of difference between acting normal and being normal. Whatever normal is. So we shouldn't be too surprised that Muniz is in his current increasingly adult type situation. Remember that he's only accused of turning a gun on himself, and not anyone else. So there's hope for him. Wish him luck, readers!
