Atticus Ronald Shaffer was born on June 19, 1998 to Ron and Debbie Shaffer, with whom he resides in Acton, California. Shaffer 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). Shaffer is perhaps best-known for his bus-stop scene with Will Smith in Hancock (2008), but his other feature-film roles include The Unborn (2009), An American Carol (2008), Leaving Barstow (2008), and Opposite Day (2009). Among Shaffer's many talents is his unique approach to comedy, displayed in numerous commercials, most notably with AIG. He has also provided many voice-overs in feature films, including Year One (2009), Subject: I Love You (2011), and Frankenweenie (2012). He is home-schooled, enjoys Yu-Gi-Oh and Lego, and admits that he is a huge nerd. He loves to read Star Wars (1977) books, as well as the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and history books about World War II. He enjoys viewing the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) TV show and 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. He says that the disability is just a small part of who he is. He loves being a Boy Scout and especially enjoys going on camping trips and earning Merit badges. His character on The Middle (2009) is three years younger than he is.