At fourteen, Muhlach was cast as one of the male leads in Viva Entertainment's 1984 film, Bagets. The film, which is about typical teenage life in the 80s, also starred william Martinez, Herbert Bautista, JC Bonnin, and Raymond Lauchengco. As the majority of the target audience could relate to the story, the film was a success, and Muhlach became a popular matinee idol.