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Mike Wolfe is remembering Frank Fritz, one piece at a time.
The collectibles experts were best friends since middle school before bringing the iconic History Channel show “American Pickers” to life in 2010.
Wolfe, 60, and Fritz co-hosted the long-running series that saw the pair travel across America in search of rare artifacts.
In September, Fritz died at age 60 as a result of “late sequela of cerebral infarction,” also known as a stroke. He was hospitalized for a stroke two years before his passing. He also suffered from numerous health issues, including back surgery and Crohn’s disease.
Six months later, Wolfe is detailing the touching way he keeps the beloved reality star’s memory alive.
“Everyday we think about Frank on set. He was such a big part of the show,” he exclusively told The Post at the red carpet premiere for the new Western “Day of Reckoning.”
“He was my friend since 8th grade. And a lot of times when we are traveling through a property there are so many things that capture our attention that connect us to him. It’s kind of hard to talk about because it’s so fresh, but he is with us in spirit every single day.”
Following Fritz’s death, Wolfe penned a beautiful Instagram tribute to the late star.
“I’ve known Frank for more than half my life and what you’ve seen on TV has always been what I have seen, a dreamer who was just as sensitive as he was funny,” he wrote in part. “The same off-camera as he was on, Frank had a way of reaching the hearts of so many by just being himself.”
Wolfe concluded, “We’ve been on countless trips and shared so many miles and I feel blessed that I was there by his side when he took one last journey home. I love you buddy and will miss you so much I know your in a better place.”
Fritz stopped appearing on the show during Season 21 in 2020, and he was later replaced by Rob Wolfe, Wolfe’s brother. The pair had a falling out, but ultimately reconciled in 2023 before Fritz’s death.
“I haven’t talked to Mike in two years. He knew my back was messed up, but he didn’t call me up and ask how I was doing. That’s just how it is,” Fritz told the Sun in a 2021 interview. “The show is tilted toward him 1,000%. I can’t even bend that far down to show you how much. That’s fine. It’s like you’ve got Aerosmith and there’s Steven Tyler and he’s the frontman. I found my spot, I’m second and he’s No. 1 on the show. That’s no problem with me, maybe he does have a problem.”
Wolfe is currently shooting Season 27 of “American Pickers.”
“We’re filming right now,” he revealed to The Post. “We’ve got another two months to finish the season and then we’re going to start up again in January.”
Looking back at the incredible rare artifacts the actor has found over the years, he shared the criteria of what would make them an all-time favorite.
“Really anything antique motorcycle,” Wolfe expressed. “To be honest with you, that’s what drew me into this film, it’s the motorcycle part of it. Anything transportation related, advertising. We’ve been doing the show for 15 years now, so it’s a really long time, so we’ve been very blessed that way.”
These days, Wolfe has made the jump from unscripted to scripted, as he stars in the upcoming Shaun Silva-directed action movie, “Day of Reckoning.”
“I’ve always been a fan of Westerns,” he confessed. “I’m old enough to remember when they were still on television and going to see them in the movie theaters. The script was amazing and I’m a huge fan of Shaun Silva. He’s a Nashville guy, so we’ve collaborated on a lot of projects together. So it was great to be here and supporting him.”
“The energy on set was incredible,” detailed Wolfe. “I didn’t work with any stuntmen on the set but I know a lot of those guys and they worked really hard. I can say there’s almost like blood on every frame because they all worked their butts off, so it’s a great film.”
There could definitely be more acting in the television personality’s future, too.
“This is completely different than anything I’ve ever experienced. I threw my hat in the ring with the scripted situation. I’ve done some stuff before. I’ve done an episode of ‘NCIS’ one time and that was fun,” Wolfe said. “I’m trying more things now.”