Atticus Shaffer
Atticus Ronald Shaffer (born June 19, 1998) is an American actor known for playing Brick Heck on the ABC sitcom The Middle (2009–2018), as well as for voicing Edgar in the film Frankenweenie (2012) and Ono on the Disney Junior series The Lion Guard (2016–2019), and for his brief appearance in Hancock (2008).[1]
Atticus Shaffer | |
|---|---|
 Shaffer attending the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 2012. | |
| Born | June 19, 1998 |
| Occupation | Actor, voice actor |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Known for | Role as Brick Heck in The Middle |
Career
The Middle
The role for which Shaffer is thus far most well-known is that of Brick Heck, a character in the American television sitcom The Middle. The role was played by Shaffer during the show's entire nine-season run, from 2009 to 2018. Brick is the youngest of the three Heck siblings, and is highly intelligent and smarter than most people his age. He loves to read and has an ongoing fascination with fonts. Brick is socially awkward, and repeatedly overlooked by the members of his family, such as via forgotten birthdays. The series and its cast were nominated dozens of times for awards, and won over a dozen collectively.
In a Wired magazine interview published in January 2013, Shaffer said his role as Brick was very similar to his own life, as he is also a "big reader" and "nerd[s] out over the weirdest stuff".[2] In May 2011, a TV Guide article had reported the closeness as well.[3] Brick's characterization, including his idiosyncratic palilalian repetition of words and phrases at the end of sentences, is actually based on The Middle co-creator Eileen Heisler's son, Justin.[4]
Personal life
Shaffer, named after Atticus Finch, the lawyer in To Kill a Mockingbird, was born in Santa Clarita, California, the son of Ron and Debbie Shaffer. He lives in Acton, California.[4][5]
Shaffer has type four osteogenesis imperfecta,[6][7][8] a condition involving a defect in type 1 collagen, which causes fragile bones, and short stature; he is 4' 8" (142 cm) tall.[9][10]
Shaffer is a devout Christian, and has a daily Bible study with his mother, alternating between the Old and the New Testaments.[11] As of 2015, the year he was baptized, he was a fan of Christian rock music and identified several Christian bands among his favorites.[9][12]
Shaffer has official YouTube and Twitch video gaming pages, titled "atticusshaffervlog", the latter of which he announced in December 2019. He plays The Long Dark and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare among other video games.[13]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Class | Jonah | Episode: "The Class Rides a Bull" |
| 2007 | Days of Our Lives | Irish boy | Episode 1.10632 |
| 2007 | Human Giant | Wade | Episode: "Mind Explosion" |
| 2008 | Carpoolers | Boy | Episode: "Take Your Daughter to Work Day" |
| 2008 | Out of Jimmy's Head | Aaron | Episode: "Bad Fad" |
| 2009 | My Name Is Earl | Space camper | Episode: "Chaz Dalton's Space Academy" |
| 2009–2018 | The Middle | Brick Heck | Main role; 215 episodes |
| 2010 | Extreme Makeover: Home Edition | Himself | Special guest, 1 episode |
| 2010–2014 | Fish Hooks | Albert Glass (voice) | 28 episodes |
| 2011 | I'm in the Band | Eddie Nova, Jr. | Episode: "Camp Weasel Rock" |
| 2011 | The Penguins of Madagascar | Vesuvius Twins (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2011 | Shake It Up | Zane | Episode: "Beam It Up" |
| 2011 | ThunderCats | Young Emrick (voice) | Episode: "Song of the Petalars" |
| 2012 | See Dad Run | Episode: "See Dad Find His Way Home Part 1" | |
| 2013–2018 | Steven Universe | Peedee Fryman (voice) | Recurring role |
| 2015 | Clarence | Seabass (voice) | Episode: "Hoofin' It" |
| 2016–2019 | The Lion Guard | Ono (voice) | Main role |
| 2016–2018 | Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh | Fox (voice) | Recurring role |
| 2017 | Pete the Cat: A Groovy New Year | Grumpy Toad (voice) | Holiday special |
| 2017–2018 | Pete the Cat | Grumpy Toad (voice) | 9 episodes |
| 2017–2019 | Star vs. the Forces of Evil | Dennis (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2018–2020 | Harvey Street Kids | Melvin (voice) | Main role |
| 2020 | Never Have I Ever | Russia Model UN representative | Episode: "...started a nuclear war" |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Leaving Barstow | Boy on bus | |
| 2008 | Hancock | Boy at bus bench | |
| 2008 | An American Carol | Timmy Atticus |
|
| 2009 | The Unborn | Matty Newton | |
| 2009 | Opposite Day | Small Man | |
| 2009 | Subject: I Love You | Tommy | Voice role |
| 2012 | Frankenweenie | Edgar "E" Gore | Voice role |
| 2013 | Super Buddies | Monk-E | Voice role |
| 2015 | The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar | Ono | Voice role; Television film |
| 2016 | Monkey Up | Mooner | Voice role |
| 2017 | The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar | Ono | Voice role; Television film |
| 2018 | I'll Be Next Door for Christmas | Archie | |
| 2019 | The Lion Guard: Battle for the Pride Lands | Ono | Voice role; Television film |
Radio
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–present | Adventures in Odyssey | Morrie Rydell | Recurring role |
Self
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2009, 2010, 2011 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | 3 episodes |
| 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015 | The View | 4 episodes |
| 2010 | The Bonnie Hunt Show | Episode: "30 March 2010" |
| 2010, 2017 | Entertainment Tonight | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Lopez Tonight | Episode: "3 November 2010" |
| 2010 | The Tonight Show With Jay Leno | Episode: #19.44 |
| 2010 | 79th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade | Episode: "10 December 2010" |
| 2011 | 25th Annual Genesis Awards | Episode: "30 April 2011" |
| 2011 | Conan | Episode: "The Container Store Of My Discontent" |
| 2011 | Extreme Makeover: Home Edition | Episode: "The Sharrock Family" |
| 2012 | Good Morning America | Episode: "6 February 2012" |
| 2012 | Live with Kelly and Michael | Episode: "6 February 2012" |
| 2012 | Made in Hollywood | Episode: #8.3 |
| 2013 | The Queen Latifah Show | Episode: #1.8 |
| 2013 | 40th Annual Annie Awards | Presenter |
| 2013 | The Chew | Episode: "Meals from the Heartland" |
| 2014, 2015, 2018 | Home & Family | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Celebrity Page | Episode: October 16, 2015 |
| 2016 | The Real | Episode "15 January 2016" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Media Access Awards | RJ Mitte Diversity Award (for an actor with a physical or emotional disability) | The Middle | Won | [14] |
| 2010/11 | Young Artist Awards | Outstanding Young Ensemble in a TV Series | The Middle | Nominated | |
| 2013 | Annie Awards | Voice Acting in a Feature Production | Frankenweenie | Nominated | [15] |
References
- "About Atticus Shaffer". ABC. Archived from the original on January 31, 2010.
- Cericola, Rachel (January 8, 2013). "5 Questions With Frankenweenie Actor Atticus Shaffer". Wired. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
- Hochman, David (May 18, 2011). "Meet 'The Middle' Scene Stealer Atticus Shaffer". TV Guide. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
Shaffer is a lot like Brick, the character he plays on 'The Middle'.
- Barnes, Brooks (May 6, 2010). "Everybody Loves the Weird Kid". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
- Bennett, Mark (February 27, 2011). "Caught in the 'Middle' - Terre Haute Tribune Star: Lifestyles". Tribune-Star. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
- WENN. "Atticus Shaffer opens up about brittle bone condition". Hollywood.com. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- Harvey, Kerry (March 6, 2015). "The Middle star says it's OK to be a nerd". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- Gliatto, Tom; Rizzo, Monica; Hamm, Liza (April 12, 2010). "Picks and Pans Review: The Middle's Atticus Shaffer Brick's Layers". People. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- Klett, Leah Marieann (March 21, 2015). "'The Middle' Star Atticus Shaffer Opens Up about Acting, His Faith, and Why He Loves Christian Rock". The Gospel Herald. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- Klett, Leah MarieAnn (February 9, 2018). "'The Middle' Star Atticus Shaffer Credits God for Success: 'I Could Not Have Gotten Here on My Own'". The Christian Post. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- Koslosky, Kayla, ed. (September 24, 2018). "Atticus Shaffer of 'The Middle' Talks Navigating Hollywood as a Christian". Christian Headlines. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
- Hallowell, Billy (May 21, 2018). "'The Middle' Star Reveals What Led Him to Christ". Pure Flix. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
- Shaffer, Atticus (December 3, 2019). "I'm on Twitch". YouTube. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- "2010 Media Access Awards Honor Hollywood" (Press release). Writers Guild of America, West. October 8, 2010. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
- Giardina, Carolyn; Zakarin, Jordan (December 3, 2012). "Disney Leads Annie Award Best Picture Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
External links
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