Atticus Ronald Shaffer was born on June 19, 1998 to Ron and Debbie Shaffer, with whom he resides in Acton, California. Atticus was discovered by his manager in 2006 and soon landed a guest starring role in the series The Class (2006). That role led him to the role of Brick in the original ABC pilot,The Middle (2007). Several episodes followed, such as My Name Is Earl (2005), Days of Our Lives (1965), Carpoolers (2007) and Out of Jimmy’s Head (2007).
Perhaps best known for the bus stop scene he shared with Will Smith in Hancock (2008), Atticus’ other roles in feature films include The Unborn (2009), Big Fat Important Movie (2008), Leaving Barstow (2008) and Opposite Day (2009).
Among Atticus’ many talents is his unique approach to comedy, displayed in numerous commercials, most notably with AIG. He has also provided many voiceovers in feature films, including Year One (2009), Subject: I Love You (2011) and Frankenweenie (2012).
He is home schooled and enjoys Yu-Gi-Oh and Lego. He says he’s a huge nerd and admits to that. He loves to read Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) books. He also loves to read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series as well as history books about World War II, and enjoys viewing the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)TV show. He also loves to watch History Channel’s Pawn Stars (2009), American Pickers (2010) and Storage Wars (2010).
Shaffer has Osteogenesis Imperfecta, type IV, a genetic condition inherited from his mother, who has type I. Atticus says that the disability is just a small part of who he is. He loves being a Boy Scout and especially enjoys participating in camping trips and earning Merit badges. His character on The Middle (2009) is three years younger than he is.
