The "The Middle" Cast

Frankie Heck, a wife and mother of three. Frankie is the central character in the show and provides the voice-over narration. She is a devoted wife and mother and sees family as the most important thing in her life. Her motto, "You do for family," guides her daily routine, despite the frustrations she encounters with her three kids and her older, ailing relatives who depend on her for their needs.

"We're not rich enough to get a divorce. So we're gonna have to have a fight."

Mike Heck, Frankie's husband, known for his blunt honesty and somewhat old-fashioned ways. Mike works at the quarry as the manager, and despite his no-nonsense approach to work and family, he is a devoted husband who always seems to come through for Frankie when she needs it most.

"Why do we gotta go looking for trouble? I'm pretty sure it knows our address."

Axl Heck, athletic teenage son of Frankie and Mike, who can't be bothered to put on more than boxer shorts most of the time at home. He is the stereotypical older brother: sarcastic, lazy, and mean to his siblings.

"Eskimos aren't even real. They're just in stories like leprechauns and trolls."

Sue Heck, socially awkward early-teen middle daughter of Frankie and Mike. She seems to fail at everything she tries out for, but her optimism and determination keep her trying again and again.

"I love cross country! That's running, right?"

Brick Heck, youngest child, who is an unusual boy who loves to read and has a habit of whispering the last words in a sentence to himself. He is exceptionally intelligent, but is easily distracted, leading him to procrastinate on – or just forget – his homework assignments and projects.

"Cool! A manual. And it's in German, Japanese and French!"

Bob, Frankie's best friend at work, who fares only slightly better than she does at car sales. He is often depicted as a lonely person, and also a little girly and "camp".

Don Ehlert, owner of the car dealership where Frankie and Bob work. Mr. Ehlert is a hard-nosed boss, and Frankie and Bob both constantly worry he's going to fire them both.

Sean Donahue, Axl's friend and teammate on the football team. He is helpful, polite, and friendly, which makes him outwardly a total opposite of Axl.

Carly - is Sue's best friend. She used to wear glasses and braces, but later took them off and became more popular than Sue. However, their friendship remains strong despite Carly's makeover.

Brad - is Sue's flamboyant ex-boyfriend. They dated during Thanksgiving but shortly broke up when Sue found out Brad is a smoker. Frankie and Mike both suspect he is gay; however, both Sue and Brad seem oblivious of their suspicions.