From the Olsen twins to Macaulay Culkin, Hollywood has been home to variouschild actors breaking into show business.
In 2009, ABC seemingly soft-launched yet another child actor into the stratosphere while producing “The Middle.”
“Starting in the industry was absolutely me falling into it,” he recalled.
“It was never a pre-planned thing by my parents.
They didn’t birth me and then say, ‘He’s going to be an actor.’
It really was something that kind of just happened.”
Like many child actors, his growth has been incredible to watch.
To learn more about his life and notable feats, here is the stunning transformation of Atticus Shaffer!
I used to do speeches for banquets and at the charity football game," he explained.
“Then everything snowballed from there.”
While it never led to a full-time gig, it was an impressive feat for an 8-year-old to accomplish.
Although they were small gigs, it allowed him to build his credibility and work with several notable actors.
After which, Shaffer walked away and exclaimed, “A**hole.”
Given how early he was in his career, this was an opportunity Shaffer looked back on with fondness.
“The first time was probably when I was able to meet Will Smith.
I worked with him in the movie ‘Hancock,'” he stated.
“He was the nicest gentleman you’re able to imagine.
I was a bit speechless and didn’t want to wash my hand after he shook it.
From 2009 to 2018, Shaffer successfully portrayed the youngest of the Heck family, Brick Heck.
As someone who’s into niche pastimes like collecting Yu-Gi-Oh!
“He’s definitely the nerdy throw in.
I am a big nerd and am very proud of it.
“I’m very big into that.”
In 2011, Shaffer picked up his first voice acting gig in “Thundercats.”
“Well, voice-over work was actually what I originally got into the business to do.
I literally fell into this business.
Shaffer has owned his fair share of furry friends over the years, including chickens to cats.
According to a 2022YouTube Q&A,Shaffer revealed how this interest came to be.
“What a lot of people don’t know is that I grew up in the country.
So, my mom raised me to appreciate the homesteading lifestyle,” he shared.
According toUSA Today, Shaffer just like Victor Frankenstein lost his dog, Aslan, due to a seizure.
“He was our great protector.
It was really tough for me and my mom,” he said.
“It definitely made this movie hit close to home.”
Though his success during this venture was partly due to his personality, his condition was the drawing point.
Of course, this didn’t mean that Shaffer didn’t face challenges growing up with the condition.
No, I know real pain,” he stated.
Born into a Christian household, Shaffer had always had a connection to his religion and religious practices.
“I really committed to Christianity when I was 15,” he stated.
“I just knew I had that draw to say, ‘I need to know the Lord.
I need to know where I stand.
I need to pick a side.'”
This grew more apparent as his online presence began to reflect that.
“I do know pain.
I’ve had many fractures in my life.
“[My disorder has] helped me to be more empathetic and be more compassionate.
… [Y]ou get placed in situations where you have to depend on God.”
Through assisting veterans in need, the organization prides itself on spreading awareness to the military.
“Teachers adopt the curriculum based on their students’ grade level,” he explained.
“What it does is it teaches patriotism in the classroom to the younger generation.
“I did two films, and they have a film festival,” he recalled.
“I won best edited and best overall with my projects.
So, I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I am good at this.
This is something to work toward then.'”
In addition to chasing his goals as a producer, things were looking good for Shaffer.
Amid theglobal spread of COVID-19, however, the pandemic caused several productions to shut down.
As a result, Shaffer like many actors had a hard time adjusting to this change.
“So, thank you all for that.”
