Frankie Muniz has opened up about a surprising rift between him and Hilary Duff, revealing how her mom caused tension on the set of Agent Cody Banks. The actor shares the never-before-heard story of their fallout.
Frankie Muniz has revealed the surprising reason behind the end of his friendship with Hilary Duff, which has remained largely unspoken for over two decades. The Malcolm in the Middle star opened up during an appearance on The Joe Vulpis Podcast, sharing an unexpected story about his time filming Agent Cody Banks in 2003 alongside Duff.
Although Muniz and Duff were close during their time together on the set of the film and on her TV show Lizzie McGuire, a falling out occurred that led to a long-lasting rift. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Duff herself who caused the tension but rather her mother, Susan Duff, who was known for her “intense” and “stage mom” behavior.
Muniz recalled his first encounter with Susan on the set of Lizzie McGuire, saying, “She was intense. Hilary was so cool, we had an awesome relationship, but her mom was super intense.” It all started when Susan asked Muniz about his plans for the summer, and when he mentioned a new project, she seemed interested in getting involved. She allegedly asked him, “Is there a girl that could be Hilary, that would be good for Hilary?”
Later that day, Susan informed Muniz that they would be spending the summer together in Vancouver for the upcoming Agent Cody Banks film. Muniz was initially confused, thinking they had landed another project together. However, he quickly realized that Susan had taken it upon herself to sign a contract for Duff to star alongside him in the movie without consulting him first.
“I’m like, ‘The movie you knew nothing about yesterday, you signed – how – it’s not possible! It’s not humanly possible,’” Muniz recalled, frustrated by the lack of communication. The actor’s contract had given him some input on casting, but it was clear that decisions were being made without his involvement.
While Muniz wasn’t upset that Duff was cast, he admitted that he was disappointed by how everything was handled without his consent. “They went around me,” he said. “I wasn’t thrilled about it. And not because I didn’t want it to be Hilary. Just because they went around me.”
This tension led to a complete breakdown in their relationship, with Muniz admitting that he and Duff never spoke after the final day of filming. “I’ve never talked to Hilary since the last day of filming. I’ve not said one word to her since then,” he revealed.
It remains unclear whether Duff knew about the behind-the-scenes drama involving her mother. Recently, Duff has faced public scrutiny over personal issues, but this story from Muniz sheds light on a long-standing rift between the two stars that few were aware of.
