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"I have the belief that we were all created to be unique. We are supposed to be different and do those things that made us who we are." Shaffer was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta at a young age and has never let his disease stop him.

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He had his major breakout role in 2007 as Brick Heck in the ABC Family's series The Middle. Shaffer is also known for his guest appearances in movies like Hancock (2008), and shows like My Name is Earl (2009), Shake it Up (2011), and Days of our lives (2007). He also has voiced as Ono in the Disney Juniors mini-series The Lion Guard (2016) and Disney Channel's animated series Fish Hooks (2010) where he gives voice to the character Albert Glass. More recently he has voiced in the Netflix cartoon show Harvey Girls Forever (2018).

Early Life

Born to Debbie Shaffer and Ron Shaffer, Atticus Ronald Shaffer was born on June 19, 1998, in Santa Clarita, California. As you might guess, he was mamed after Atticus Finch from the classic book "To Kill a Mockingbird." He was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta IV, a disorder that makes one's bones brittle. His short stature is a cause of his disease, measuring at 4 feet and 7 inches. Shaffer has always been vocal about his disability, claiming that his condition is just a single facet of who he is. “It’s a small portion of me and nothing more.  I take extra precautions where I step to make sure it’s safe.  And I shouldn’t do anything with heavy lifting or anything that could make me slip and fall.”

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Shaffer was homeschooled by his mother and found a deep interest in American history. He is also an avid reader and chess player. In 2015 Shaffer was baptized as a Christian and since then has been very vocal about being close to his faith.

Living with OI has never stopped Shaffer in pursuing his dreams in acting. "It's technically called a disability, but I don't see it in any way disabling us. I'm able to do all the things I really want to do, just a little differently and more carefully."

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Living with Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Shaffer's disease has never seemed to slow him down and the young actor has always emphasized that his condition does not define him or his work. Shaffer gives a lot of praise to his mom Debbie who refused to believe her son would live his life in a wheelchair. “If it wasn’t for my mum, I would not be standing here, actually standing. That’s what’s so cool about my mum. She was there for me and she never wanted me to feel any different.”

Although at times he uses an aid to walk, he continues to push past OI. He has made it a point to advocate awareness for this rare illness and has previously spoken at conferences where he has met other people with the same disease. “It’s a genetic condition, it’s something you’re born with… Granted it is a challenge, and granted it can be very painful… [But] you have to treat O.I. children and O.I. adults on [an] individual basis… I talked to people who were type three [and] one of them was in a wheelchair but she was perfectly fine and she had her mind and her heart… and the other gentleman was walking around perfectly fine, so it’s on an individual basis.”

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Career

Having several roles in major TV shows and voiceovers, his debut onto the screen was the TV show The Class (2007) where he appeared as Jonah in Season 1. Shaffer had his first movie debut playing a minor role in Leaving Barstow (2008). His career kicked off when he was cast as Brick Heck in The Middle (2009-2018). He played the son of Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn's characters in the American hit sitcom.

For almost a decade, Shaffer played the role of Brick, which he shared in several interviews was very similar to his personality. “I love the fact that he shows that it’s okay to be smart and to be unique and to do what you love to do and to follow the beat to your own drummer.”

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Shaffer has done plenty of voiceovers for TV shows and his more famous role in Tim Burton's Frankenweenie (2012) where he voiced Edgar in the film. Much of Shaffer's work is being a voiceover actor. “The animation, the people that you get to work with and the fun that you get to have in the booth when you’re bouncing off of each other, doing these different voices. It is phenomenal.” He gave voice to the character Albert Glass in animated series Fish Hooks (2010-2014). You may also see Shaffer in other movies like Hancock (2008) playing the kid at the bus stop, and An American Carol (2008) playing the role of Timmy. Shaffer also plays Matty Newton, in the horror movie The Unborn (2009) playing alongside Odette Yustman and Meagan Good.

His most recent work has been a voiceover for the Netflix's original kids animated series, Harvey Girls forever (2018) where he gives voice to the character Melvin.