Fans of The Middle are probably wondering what’s happened to the actors that they enjoyed watching, and while they’re easy enough to find online most times, it’s still fun to check in on them and see what they’ve been doing. Atticus Shaffer for instance, the guy who played the slightly off-kilter Brick Heck, is someone that people wonder about now and then since the guy has a very distinctive act and look that kind of puts him in his own class. Standing at 4’8″, Atticus was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, which tends to make a person’s bones very brittle and causes shorter stature. He was told by his mother that he would live his life out in a wheelchair, but obviously she didn’t want to believe such a thing and encouraged Atticus every step of the way as he ended up becoming a pretty decent actor, a career that’s seen him noticed because of his height a lot of times, but also because Atticus does have his own distinctive look as well. His career started in 2007 and has been going steady ever since as he keeps on pushing forward, taking on one role after another as he continues to show people what he can do. If anyone recalls, he played the role of the kid in Hancock that informed the titular hero that there was a police chase going on before proceeding to call Hancock the one word that absolutely hated. It was a short role, but it was memorable because Atticus’s skill with delivering a line is absolutely great and his ability to work alongside his fellow actors is definitely what fans like to see. It’s fair to say that some folks might think that there aren’t a lot of roles out there for him thanks to his limited height, but it’s easier to think that there might be quite a bit he can do with his acting ability, especially since he could possibly convince just about anyone to hire him on if he found a role that he wanted. Obviously there are some roles that might not work depending on what’s needed, but in terms of acting ability, Atticus isn’t the kind of person that needs to be counted out or looked down upon.
His time as Brick Heck is bound to be the most memorable role for anyone since the fact is that he was more than a little convincing in this role. The act was based on the son of the co-creator of the show, but Atticus did so great that there were some folks wondering if he was just as odd in real life. There’s no doubt that Brick was a bit of an oddball, but much like his sister Sue, he was so outwardly positive that it took a lot to really get to him. He was an avid reader that came up with some of the oddest trivia around, and his need to repeat himself every so often in a hushed voice definitely made people think he was strange, but it was ultimately accepted as a part of his character. This is something that actually happens with some folks in real life, and there is a valid explanation for it, but of course, without knowing as much, people usually assume that Brick was just a strange kid, but also one that was somehow upbeat enough most times that it was hard to think of him as anything but a fun character. As of the end of The Middle though, Atticus has continued working and is still taking on roles here and there as he pushes himself to keep things going. It’s easy to say that he’s not quite as noticeable at this point since the fact is that Brick is kind of a tough character to just let go of, but one also has to remember that by the time The Middle ended, Atticus was technically an adult. Some child stars don’t really age that quickly and manage to retain their youthful demeanor, but as time went on it was obvious that Brick was getting a little older, meaning that eventually, the show would have to end or enter a spinoff that would have likely been less popular than the main show.
A spinoff was already scheduled with the character of Sue, but nothing ever came of it, and it’s likely that nothing would come of any other spinoff simply because The Middle was the kind of show that, kind of like Malcolm in the Middle, was better when all the actors were together and shared their experiences more often than not. The Heck family wasn’t quite as well known as other sitcom families, but they were still a lot of fun to watch since the differences between them were easily noticed and definitely celebrated.
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