Brian Damage
08-20-2009, 10:55 AM
For her new ABC series, "The Middle," Patricia Heaton takes on a role she is all too familiar with: working mother.
In the new comedy, her second since "Everybody Loves Raymond" wrapped, Heaton plays Frankie Heck, mother of three and a car salesman. Frankie is middle class, lives in the middle of the country, and is rapidly approaching middle age. It doesn't take a big leap to guess why the show has the title it does.
"I relate to every single thing," Heaton says. "I grew up in Ohio, and since I didn't really get a regular start in this industry until much later in life, I feel, you know, the Ohio roots, the Midwestern roots are still really within me, and I feel that's where I'm most comfortable. So this is a very comfortable character for me to be in."
Search: 'The Middle'
View results for: Heaton on 'The Middle' Heaton on 'Raymond' Working moms Heaton says this character is definitely relatable in other ways, as well. As the real-life mother of four with husband and producing partner David Hunt, she is very familiar with getting up in the morning and throwing food in the microwave to get her family going, just like Frankie does with pancakes.
"I don't do it so much anymore, but when the kids were little and I was working a lot, that was totally me, although we did, like, toaster waffles more," she admits. "And I get people -- moms feeling harassed in having to do everything, do everything really quickly and always feeling inadequate because everything you see on TV, in the magazines, is how you are supposed to prepare everything, and it's supposed to be fresh and organic. You just don't have time for it, and you are exhausted. It's exactly what we all go through."
Heaton says she is looking forward to a long run for "The Middle," which also stars Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Shur as Sue, Atticus Shaffer as Brick and Chris Kattan as Bob, and premieres Wednesday, September 30 at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.
http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=426985&affid=100055
In the new comedy, her second since "Everybody Loves Raymond" wrapped, Heaton plays Frankie Heck, mother of three and a car salesman. Frankie is middle class, lives in the middle of the country, and is rapidly approaching middle age. It doesn't take a big leap to guess why the show has the title it does.
"I relate to every single thing," Heaton says. "I grew up in Ohio, and since I didn't really get a regular start in this industry until much later in life, I feel, you know, the Ohio roots, the Midwestern roots are still really within me, and I feel that's where I'm most comfortable. So this is a very comfortable character for me to be in."
Search: 'The Middle'
View results for: Heaton on 'The Middle' Heaton on 'Raymond' Working moms Heaton says this character is definitely relatable in other ways, as well. As the real-life mother of four with husband and producing partner David Hunt, she is very familiar with getting up in the morning and throwing food in the microwave to get her family going, just like Frankie does with pancakes.
"I don't do it so much anymore, but when the kids were little and I was working a lot, that was totally me, although we did, like, toaster waffles more," she admits. "And I get people -- moms feeling harassed in having to do everything, do everything really quickly and always feeling inadequate because everything you see on TV, in the magazines, is how you are supposed to prepare everything, and it's supposed to be fresh and organic. You just don't have time for it, and you are exhausted. It's exactly what we all go through."
Heaton says she is looking forward to a long run for "The Middle," which also stars Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Shur as Sue, Atticus Shaffer as Brick and Chris Kattan as Bob, and premieres Wednesday, September 30 at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.
http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=426985&affid=100055