# Charlie McDermott

Charles Joseph McDermott Jr. (born April 6, 1990) is an retired American actor, best known for his role as Axl Heck on ABC's The Middle. He was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in the acclaimed film Frozen River.

## Early life and education

McDermott was born Charles Joseph McDermott Jr. on April 6, 1990, West Chester, Pennsylvania to Barbara (née Reilly) and Charlie McDermott Sr. McDermott briefly attended high school at Salesianum in Wilmington, Delaware before enrolling in, and graduating from, PA Leadership Charter School (PALCS), an online school in Pennsylvania. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of 16.

## Career
### Acting career

Since 2004, he has worked on a wide range of television series, including The Office and Private Practice. His biggest roles to date are as Axl Heck on the TV show The Middle, Wild Bill in Disappearances, and T.J. Eddy in Frozen River. In 2008, he received a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award as Best Supporting Actor for his Frozen River performance.

### Music career

In 2020, McDermott began releasing experimental folk music, with his debut album Some Things Fall Out of Your Hands. In 2022, he released a second album, Blind Warm Weight.

## Personal life

In 2017, McDermott married his wife Sara Rejaie.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | The Village | 10-Year-Old-Boy | |
| 2005 | Keeping Up with the Kids | "Sneaky" | Short film |
| 2007 | Disappearances | William "Wild Bill" Bonhomme Jr. | |
| 2007 | All Along | Tom Harrison | |
| 2007 | The Ten | Jake Johnson | |
| 2008 | Holy Sapien | Phineas | Short film |
| 2008 | Frozen River | Troy "T.J." Eddy Jr. | |
| 2008 | Sex Drive | Andy | |
| 2008 | Oh My Captain! | Ethan | Short film |
| 2009 | Safe Harbor | David | |
| 2010 | Hot Tub Time Machine | Chaz | |
| 2010 | Morning | Jesse | |
| 2010 | Good Grief | Jack Hinkler | Short film |
| 2015 | Slow Learners | Student In Guidance Office | |
| 2015 | ImagiGary | Henry | Also writer and director; feature film directorial debut |
| 2016 | Three Days | Young Sean | Short film |
| 2018 | Instant Family | Stewart | |
| 2019 | Countdown | Scott | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | Windy Acres | Young Garald | Main сast (7 episodes) |
| 2005 | Franklin Charter | Wes | TV movie |
| 2008 | The Office | Student | Episode: "Job Fair" |
| 2008 | Generation Gap | Corey Williams | TV movie |
| 2009 | Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas | Pale Boy | TV movie |
| 2009 | Safe Harbor | David Porter | TV movie |
| 2009 | Medium | Brandon Whitman | Episode: "A Necessary Evil" |
| 2009 | Little Hollywood | Richie Seaman | TV pilot |
| 2009 | Private Practice | Bobby Douglas | Episode: "What You Do for Love" |
| 2009–2018 | The Middle | Axl Heck | Main сast (215 episodes) Directed 1 episode |
| 2010 | Bond of Silence | Ryan Aldridge | TV movie |
| 2015 | Super Clyde | Clyde | Unsold Pilot |
| 2017 | Future Man | Young Barry Futturman | Episode: "Operation: Natal Attraction" |
| 2019 | Unbelievable | Ty | Recurring roles |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2008 | Independent Spirit Award | Best Supporting Actor | Frozen River | Nominated |
| 2011 | Young Artist Awards | Outstanding Young Ensemble in a TV Series (shared with Eden Sher and Atticus Shaffer) | The Middle | Nominated |
| 2015 | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite TV Actor | The Middle | Nominated |
| 2016 | Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema | Best Actor in a Short Film | Three Days | Nominated |