Charlie McDermott 2025: What He’s Doing Now, Wife, and More

If you grew up watching Axl Heck saunter through the Heck house on ABC’s The Middle, you might wonder where that lanky, sarcastic teen ended up. Charlie McDermott, the actor who brought Axl to life for nine seasons, has quietly traded sitcom sets for folk music stages. Here’s what he’s doing now, who he’s married to, and why his latest chapter is the most unexpected one yet.

Born: April 6, 1990 ·
Age: 34 (as of 2024) ·
Occupation: Actor and musician ·
Famous for: Portraying Axl Heck on The Middle ·
Current focus: Folk music career and touring

Five key facts about Charlie McDermott, at a glance:

What is Charlie McDermott doing today?

Charlie McDermott is no longer auditioning for sitcom roles. Instead, he is building a career as an independent folk musician — a shift that has surprised some fans but makes sense given his long-running creative interests. He released his debut album Some Things Just Fall Out of Your Hands in 2020 (SNACK Magazine), followed by the EP Blind Warm Weight in September 2022 (The List).

Charlie McDermott’s music career and tour dates

His music is described as experimental folk (Nicki Swift), a genre that allows for intimate, lo-fi production and personal lyricism. In 2023, he co-directed a stage show called I Was In A Sitcom alongside his wife Sara Rejaie (Fest). As of 2024, he is actively touring, with promotional materials featuring a portrait drawn by Rejaie several years earlier (Nicki Swift).

• Debut album: Some Things Just Fall Out of Your Hands (2020) (SNACK Magazine)
• EP: Blind Warm Weight (September 2022) (The List)
• Single and video: “Park and Ride” (2021, co-created with Sara Rejaie) (The List)
• Co-directed stage show I Was In A Sitcom (2023) (Fest)
• Touring in 2024 with poster art by Sara Rejaie (Nicki Swift)

Recent interviews and public appearances

McDermott has kept a relatively low media profile compared to his sitcom days. Coverage from Fest — a UK arts publication — documented his appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2023 alongside former co-star Eden Sher. The pair discussed their sitcom past and McDermott’s creative pivot. A broader profile by SNACK Magazine notes that his music career accelerated after the COVID-era industry shutdowns and later Hollywood strikes.

Who is Charlie McDermott’s wife now?

Multiple entertainment sources identify Charlie McDermott as married to Sara Rejaie, but official confirmation from the couple themselves is scarce. According to IMDb, McDermott has been married to Rejaie since 2017. However, IMDb is a user-contributed database (Tier 3 source), meaning the date carries less authority than a public announcement or official record.

Who is Sara Rejaie?

Sara Rejaie is described in entertainment coverage as an artist (Nicki Swift). She has contributed visual art to McDermott’s music career, creating the portrait used on his 2024 tour poster (Nicki Swift). She also co-directed the 2023 stage show I Was In A Sitcom (Fest) and collaborated on the music video for “Park and Ride” (The List). A Facebook page associated with her name (Facebook) mentions an experimental drawn-notation-to-music project, though this is an unverified Tier 3 source.

Timeline of their relationship

• 2017: Reported marriage date according to IMDb (IMDb)
• 2021: Collaborate on “Park and Ride” music video (The List)
• 2023: Co-direct stage show I Was In A Sitcom (Fest)
• 2024: Rejaie’s portrait used for tour poster (Nicki Swift)

The pattern: McDermott and Rejaie appear to value privacy over publicity. Their relationship is visible through shared creative work, not Instagram posts or red-carpet appearances — a deliberate choice that aligns with McDermott’s low-key post-Hollywood persona.

How old was Charlie McDermott while filming The Middle?

Charlie McDermott was born on April 6, 1990 (Wikipedia, Tier 3). The Middle aired from September 30, 2009 to May 22, 2018 (SNACK Magazine).

Five ages, one pattern: McDermott grew up on screen right alongside his character.

The implication: McDermott was 19 when he first stepped into the Heck household and 28 when the series ended — a full decade of his 20s spent playing a teenager. That kind of prolonged association with a single role can be both a blessing and a career trap. For McDermott, the exit at 28 was timely: old enough to have made his mark, young enough to reinvent himself.

Did the cast of The Middle get along?

By all available accounts, the cast of The Middle maintained warm relationships throughout the show’s nine-season run and beyond. The most documented friendship is between Charlie McDermott and Eden Sher, who played his on-screen sister Sue Heck.

Off-screen friendships among The Middle cast

In a 2023 interview with Fest, McDermott and Sher appeared together on stage at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, discussing their sitcom past and McDermott’s creative pivot. Atticus Shaffer, who played youngest brother Brick, has also remained close with the pair (The List). Patricia Heaton (Frankie Heck) and Neil Flynn (Mike Heck) have spoken positively about the cast in various interviews, though no on-set drama has ever surfaced.

Are Sue and Axl friends in real life?

Yes. McDermott and Eden Sher are real-life friends who have continued collaborating professionally. Their joint appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 (Fest) is the strongest public evidence of a friendship that outlasted the show.

The catch: While the principal cast seems friendly, there is no comprehensive reunion interview or documentary confirming deep off-screen bonds. The available evidence points to a professional, warm environment — not a family replacement, but a solid workplace relationship.

Why is Charlie McDermott wearing makeup?

Some fans have noticed McDermott wearing noticeable makeup in his music-related content and have asked why. The short answer: there is no confirmed explanation from McDermott himself.

Makeup in music videos and performances

McDermott’s 2021 music video for “Park and Ride” shows him with subtle makeup styling consistent with the video’s aesthetic. In certain promotional photos for his 2024 tour, he again appears with visible makeup — possibly as artistic choice or stage look (Nicki Swift). However, no interview or social media post has addressed the topic directly.

Public reactions and speculation

Speculation on platforms like TikTok and Reddit ranges from “artistic expression” to questions about skincare or dermatological reasons. Neither McDermott nor his representatives have clarified the motive.

What this means: McDermott is operating in a visual medium (music videos, stage performances) where appearance is part of the art. The lack of explanation is itself a statement — he may simply prefer not to address it.

Career timeline

Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear

Given the low research confidence on this topic, here is what is backed by sources and what remains unverified.

Key quotes

“Charlie McDermott – best known for his role as Axl Heck on ABC’s The Middle – has spent most of his life in front of cameras.”

— SNACK Magazine, an entertainment publication covering celebrity career transitions

“McDermott has been married to Sara Rejaie since 2017.”

— IMDb, a user-contributed film and biography database (Tier 3)

Two sources, two very different levels of authority. The SNACK Magazine quote is grounded in reporting; the IMDb entry is crowd-sourced and should be treated as plausible but unconfirmed.

For fans of The Middle hoping for a definitive life-update article, the honest takeaway is: McDermott is making music, collaborating with his wife, and staying out of the tabloid spotlight. The specific details of his marriage and finances remain his private business. The implication for anyone tracking his career: the art is the public-facing product. The person behind it prefers to remain off-stage when the music stops.

Frequently asked questions

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