Charlie McDermott

2004–2008: Early acting and Frozen River

McDermott began his professional acting career as a teenager. His first film appearance was in M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller The Village (2004), in which he played a young boy. He subsequently appeared in the independent films Disappearances (2007) and The Ten (2007). In 2008, McDermott played Troy "T.J." Eddy Jr. in Frozen River, a crime drama written and directed by Courtney Hunt and starring Melissa Leo and Misty Upham.

McDermott's performance earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Male at the 24th Independent Spirit Awards. McDermott also appeared in the teen road comedy Sex Drive (2008), playing Andy.

2009–2018: The Middle

In 2009, McDermott was cast as Axl Heck in the ABC sitcom The Middle, created by Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline. The series follows Frankie and Mike Heck, played by Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn, as they raise their three children in the fictional Indiana town of Orson. McDermott portrayed Axl, the eldest child, alongside Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. McDermott remained a principal cast member throughout the programme's nine seasons, from September 2009 until its conclusion in May 2018.

In a 2017 interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, McDermott discussed his experience growing up while working on the series and the prospect of leaving a character he had portrayed for nearly a decade. During the show's run, McDermott received a nomination for a Young Artist Award as part of its ensemble cast, alongside Sher and Shaffer. He was also nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite TV Actor in 2015. McDermott also directed an episode of The Middle. While working on the sitcom, he continued to appear in films, including Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) and the independent drama Morning (2010).

2015–2019: Filmmaking and later acting roles

In 2015, McDermott wrote, directed and starred in the independent comedy ImagiGary, playing Henry. The project marked his feature-film directorial debut. The film follows a young man whose imaginary childhood friend reappears during adulthood, disrupting his attempts to establish a conventional life. McDermott subsequently appeared in the family comedy-drama Instant Family (2018), directed by Sean Anders and starring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne.

In 2019, he played Scott in the supernatural horror film Countdown. That year, McDermott also appeared as Ty in the Netflix miniseries Unbelievable, starring Kaitlyn Dever, Toni Collette and Merritt Wever. The series is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation "An Unbelievable Story of Rape" and follows the investigation of a series of sexual assaults.

2020–present: Music career

Following the conclusion of The Middle, McDermott increasingly focused on songwriting and recording music. In 2020, he released his debut album, Some Things Just Fall Out of Your Hands, an independent collection of experimental folk songs. He followed it with a second album, Blind Warm Weight, in 2022.

In a November 2024 interview with Scottish arts publication SNACK, McDermott discussed his transition from acting to music. He explained that songwriting provided a creative outlet distinct from the demands of television production and helped him develop a stronger sense of his own artistic identity after spending much of his life portraying Axl Heck. In 2024, he performed live shows the United Kingdom.

Film

Television

Studio albums