"The Middle" actor Atticus Shaffer, 19, was born with a painful disease but more than four years ago he realized he needed to turn to God to improve the quality of his life.
Shaffer, who plays Patricia Heaton's youngest son Brick in the ABC sitcom, revealed in a Pure Flix interview that he has osteogenesis imperfecta or brittle-bone disease. This means that he suffers from broken bones or fractures frequently and have screws, rods and plates embedded in his body.
The young actor agreed to be baptized into Christianity about four years ago. "I really committed to Christianity when I was 15," the actor said. "I just knew I had that draw to say, 'I need to know the Lord. I need to know where I stand," Shaffer added. "I need to pick a side."
Shaffer's condition, however, hasn't prevented him from becoming a busy actor. He grew up on the set of "The Middle," which he has been a part of since he was 9 years old.
As the show airs its final episode this week after nine successful seasons, Shaffer said he would definitely miss working on the set of the family comedy.
"It's been nothing but an adventure," the actor said of his experience in "The Middle." He also expressed his appreciation at how the show maintained its moral ground as a wholesome family series through it all.
Shaffer recalled in a previous interview with Gospel Herald that his pastor commended him for staying true to his Christian beliefs even while working in a secular industry like Hollywood. The actor, however, said that he's actually in a good position to show people what it's like to be a witness to God.
He said in the Pure Flix interview that Christians could encourage and influence people in a secular world by showing respect and setting an example. He said, "We've been called upon to be lights in the world."
