Whatever Happened To Sue From The Middle?

Sue from "The Middle" – the sunniest member of the Heck family — was a life-changing role for actor Eden Sher. Although it wasn't easy to snag. "It is a miracle I was cast; it was not an easy process," the actor admitted to Gold Derby in a 2016 interview. She noted that every time she had a callback "there would just be more and more girls — it was a total Sue moment." Still, it's abundantly clear the role was meant for her.

In 2018, following nine seasons on the air and a whopping 215 episodes, the cast of "The Middle" wrapped and went their separate ways. While some of the stars continued booking other big roles or changing careers altogether, Eden Sher has remained her funny self. We wouldn't be surprised if, by the end of her time on the show, Sher wasn't sure where Sue ended and she began. Although, obviously, grateful for the career boost, the actor has since sought new opportunities to show off what she can do.

In the almost immediate aftermath of "The Middle" ending, a spin-off starring everyone's favorite put-upon middle child was enthusiastically shopped around. Eden Sher told TVLine in July 2018, "We are shooting a pilot. I hope it gets picked up. I think it's going to be great." A concept was never fully ironed out, but reports suggested the story would pick up with Sue not yet happily settled down with dreamy neighbor Sean, as the finale episode flash-forward had suggested she eventually would end up with him.

"The [flash-forward] was like a 'happily ever after,'" Sher clarified to TVLine, with the actor suggesting the new show would simply follow "Sue being Sue as a young adult." Deadline revealed the show was set to be called "Sue Sue in the City" and would take place in Chicago. They confirmed ABC had opted not to pick it up to series in November 2018. "The Middle" creators and executive producers, Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline ,were handling the project, which had been ordered to pilot the previous August. A pilot was eventually shot but was never picked up by a network.

Although "The Middle" took up most of her young adult years, Eden Sher also found time to write a book of which her most famous character would undoubtedly be proud. Released in 2016 and entitled "The Emotionary: A Dictionary of Words That Don't Exist for Feelings That Do," it was a self-help tome of sorts infused with the actor's indomitable wit and sunny outlook on life.

She gushed in an interview with Vulture, "There's nothing better than when people turn to a page and say, 'I know exactly what that is!' And if it's paired with some kind of chuckle, my heart just swells and it feels like I'm not alone." The actor joked, "The book was so self-serving, it was so just that I could get validation from anyone and everyone."

Of her inspiration for putting it all down on paper, Sher told Talk Nerdy with Us, "I decided to capitalize on my emotional self-indulgence, and I didn't know it was going to be a book. I just had to get it out. Then I thought it was funny because I would just hit it with puns and funny things. Honestly, I think it spawned from all the feelings. Then I just thought of a title and said, 'it's a book!'"

Eden Sher's next big role following the inimitable Sue from "The Middle" was altogether quite different, and yet, played on the same basic female empowerment logic. In Disney's animated show "Star vs. the Forces of Evil," she voices the titular character, "The most kick-a** Disney princess that has ever existed," according to the lady herself, who proudly told Yahoo! that Star is "like [her] without a filter."

Gushing about a character who is girly and strong, Sher explained, "She's pretty unapologetic about who she is, what she does, and she just loves to kick a**." She added, "There's this whole 'If you're gonna be boys' club or whatever, it's kind of like, 'No no no no no, I'm gonna make my own club, because I'm gonna be totally, totally unapologetic for everything I do, but I'm also gonna be super-girly.'" As "The Middle" alum succinctly put it, "She's not a tomboy, she's not one of the boys, she's a girl-a** girl."

"Star vs. the Forces of Evil" lasted four seasons before being canceled in 2019, but the experience allowed Eden Sher to flex muscles she didn't even realize she had. The actor admitted to Yahoo!, "It was really enlightening, actually, recording the pilot. Daron [Nefcy, series creator] tells this story about how she knew I was meant to play Star when we were recording the pilot. I had no idea what the hell I was doing and I started jumping while recording. ... They were like, 'You can't jump, the mic picks up the sound.' ... I definitely learned a lot about what voice acting is as a concept."

As Sher explained to HuffPost, she didn't even think the role was hers, revealing, "When I went in and auditioned for Star, it kind of killed me that, by the end of that week, they still hadn't called. Because from the very first second that I got the breakdown for this character, I just loved Star. I so wanted to be the voice of this character." Once she was actually in the booth, she had to stand still, "which is tougher than you might think because Star Butterfly is such an active and awesome character." 

"The Middle" was an outlier not just because it ran for nine successful seasons without incident and left the airwaves just as beloved as always, but also thanks to its setting smack bang in the, well, middle of America. Eden Sher expressed a desire for the show to have dealt more directly with politics in conversation with Vulture, arguing, "I think it would've been good, at least in a subtle way, to hint at some kind of political change. A way to make some kind of statement of, 'We don't think this. We don't think that.'"

A piece by The New Yorker suggested the Hecks might have voted for Donald Trump, and Sher took the opportunity to shoot that idea down once and for all. "I can guarantee you, I'm saying out loud, Sue and the Hecks would not have voted for Trump, no question," she stated emphatically. The actor clarified that not including politics in the show wasn't a judgment on the writers, but pointed to "a really missed opportunity." She continued, "All it could've done was make something a little more positive. ... "I'll say that if it were my show, I would've hinted towards some political opinion. Or at least start a discussion."

Earning her feminist credentials while simultaneously striking out from Sue from "The Middle" in a big way, Eden Sher took aim at Hollywood for neglecting to hire more female creators in an impassioned piece for Jezebel. "Why aren't more women in positions of power in the film and television industries?" she wrote. "I know lots of smart, capable women with hopes of working as actresses, but almost none who want to be directors. In fact, when I ask these smart, capable women actress friends if they've ever considered directing, the response is invariably along the lines of, 'Directing? I don't think I could handle that.'"

Sher despaired, "Over and over I found that they all have the desire to be creative and get involved in some way behind the camera ... but are eager to forfeit the position of The Boss." In an interview with Teen Vogue, Sher advised, "I never want to sound preachy about youth and feminism, but I feel like there aren't enough young people coming out about their concerns and opinions. I feel very strongly that young women have regressed a little bit." 

In March 2019, Eden Sher took to Instagram to excitedly announce her engagement to long-time boyfriend and comedy writer Nick Cron-DeVico. Sharing a slideshow of sweet shots from their relationship, the actor known for playing Sue from "The Middle" cleverly broke down their romance by the numbers, writing, "It's been more than 4 years, we've been to 4 countries, lived in 2 houses, have 2 dogs, been REAL BORED in 12 airports, gotten fancy 100+ times, taken 58 photo booths, have collectively 1 Emmy, and now @nickcrondevico and I get to spend THE REST OF ETERNITY DOING MORE OF ALL OF IT. V EXCITING NEWS GUYS."

Her man, a screenwriter who's worked on the long-running and super-popular Adult Swim series "Robot Chicken," also took to Instagram to share the happy news. "A few nights ago I got engaged to the coolest person I know. Can't wait to spend the rest of our lives growing up together. It's been an amazing 4 years. Here's to another 4!" wrote Cron-DeVico.

Take even a cursory glance at Eden Sher's X feed and it's evident she's a vocal and proud campaigner for human rights, speaking out for issues, such as better conditions for public school teachers (including her mother). Sher argued, in conversation with Teen Vogue, that she has to be outspoken because "in the '50s and '70s, feminism was a way more accepted worldview to have than it is now." She continued, "Young women aren't identifying as feminists as much. If more young girls were like, 'Yeah I'm a feminist!,' others would follow."

"The Middle" alum is proud of her character's feminist moments, too. "There's an episode where Sue gets really heated about everything and it sort of ends with her breaking down, being overwhelmed by the number of causes there are in the world, and being distraught over not being able to save everyone and everything," Sher told Vulture. "I like that she was being aggressive and at the end it wasn't her realizing that she was wrong and being annoying and that she needs to chill out. I like that it was her being overwhelmed and 'I don't know what I can do right now.' It hit very close to home." 

The role of Sue from "The Middle" made Eden Sher's career, plucking her out of relative obscurity. She had a few prior, minor roles in the likes of "The O.C.," "Weeds," and "Party Down," but nothing too substantial. While "The Middle" was still on the air, she and co-star Charlie McDermott, who played Sue's brother Axl, expressed self-assurance in branching out once the show wrapped. "I'm pretty confident in that we're pretty talented human beings who will be able to convince others that we can play other people," Sher told Daily Actor.

As much as the comedic actor wishes to distance herself from her most famous character, particularly as she gets older, she'd gladly rely on Sue for the rest of her career. "I'm more really excited for the future when I am only — when people just call me Sue Heck on the street and I'm getting paid to make birthday party appearances as Sue and that's my only source of income," Sher joked.

Now that she isn't constrained by the demands of a network show, Eden Sher is looking to, well, recreate the amazing experience she had playing Sue from "The Middle." "I would love to do another comedy," she told Vulture. "I love television. I feel there's a hierarchy of the prestige of different mediums within Hollywood, and I know sitcoms aren't high on the totem pole, but I f***ing love them. I'd love to do another."

Aside from wanting to play someone less like herself (and Sue), Sher is looking to get more involved in the process. "I could be more creatively involved! Maybe I could write! I'm working on stuff on my own, too," she shared. "The Middle" star told the outlet she was working on something alongside Nick Cron-DeVico, noting, "The dream is for the next project to be something that either I write with someone or at least have a bit of creative control and collaboration with."

Regardless of where she ends up, or what she's doing, Eden Sher is a ball of unreserved positive energy. Or, she exists in a near-constant state of hyperbole, as HuffPost described the actor when they interviewed her about "Star vs. the Forces of Evil." Rather than being rendered cynical by Hollywood after, essentially, growing up in front of the cameras, Sher is bursting with more enthusiasm than ever before. And it makes her incredibly lovable. 

"That's why I always have to try and keep myself in check," the actor admitted of her tendency to get over-excited. "Otherwise — whenever anyone asks me what I'm working on now — my automatic response is that it's 'THE BEST THING EVER!'" It's far from a hindrance, however, as Sher's ability to see every possible job as the opportunity to do something wonderful clearly sets her apart from other starlets.

In July 2020, Eden Sher and Nick Cron-DeVico tied the knot amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple had a backyard ceremony, and Sher shared a few photos from their wedding day in an Instagram carousel. The first was a shot of her wearing a strapless pants-and-dress combo and a stylish pink mask. Her other accessory was one of her adorable dogs. "The rumors are true ... PEANUT AND I GOT MARRIED!!!! @nickcrondevico I'm sorry you had to find out this way," she joked in her caption.

The newlyweds had Tinder to thank for their union. In a 2025 appearance on the "Couples Therapy" podcast, Sher admitted to crushing on Cron-DeVico for years after meeting him at age 18 through mutual friends. However, she had to settle for being friend-zoned because he was always dating someone. She discovered he was finally available when she matched with him on Tinder. Naturally, she panicked. "I swiped left," she said. One of Sher's friends also matched with Cron-DeVico and wanted to date him, so Sher was going to keep concealing her feelings. But then Cron-DeVico reached out to Sher via text to address their awkward Tinder encounter — and ask her out.

Sher didn't wait long before finally confessing to Cron-DeVico that she had been harboring feelings for him for a long time. "On our second date, I was like, 'You know I've kind of always ... had a crush on you,'" she recalled. "And he was like, I have always had a crush on you, too." With that Hollywood happy ending, it's fitting that Sher would go on to appear on the sitcom rom-com "How I Met Your Father" in 2023.

Eden Sher's twin daughters' 2021 arrival was a terrifying experience. On Alessandra Torresani's "EmotionAL Support" podcast, Sher said she and Nick Cron-DeVico thought they were having just one baby at first. But during her second ultrasound, her OB/GYN informed the parents-to-be that they were in for double the trouble. "He turned gray," Sher said of Cron-DeVico's reaction to the twin revelation.

Sher hadn't even had her baby shower when she started having contractions and ended up in the hospital 27 weeks into her pregnancy. She remained there until she went into labor at 28 weeks. Her harrowing birth experience began with what felt like a contraction that didn't stop. "It was just ... the most insane pain," she recalled. Sher was initially assured that she would be able to give birth vaginally, and pushed her first twin out without issue. Unfortunately, baby No. 2 wasn't as ready to come out, so she had to be prepped for an emergency C-section. This is when things took a surreal turn.

A technician thought they recognized Sher but couldn't place her. This being a common occurrence, she thought nothing of it at the time. "I'm on drugs. I'm terrified for my babies' lives. And I think it's totally normal for this person to be like, 'You look familiar,'" she recalled to Metro. The tech only had more to say when they realized Sher had been on "The Middle." Thankfully, she made it through her C-section complication-free, but she told Torresani of her birth experience, "It was traumatic and stressful and horrifying."

On Christy Carlson Romano's "Vulnerable Podcast," Eden Sher said her husband's creative partner, Angela Beevers, wanted to perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2023 and encouraged Sher to create a one-woman show so they could attend the event together. But when Sher applied for the festival, all she had was a vague idea of what she was going to do and a title: "I Was on a Sitcom." It was enough for her to get accepted.

Sher got to work writing but quickly realized she needed help. Luckily, she had someone in her life who was perfect for the job: her former co-star Charlie McDermott, who played her on-screen brother Axl on "The Middle." While some of the stories Sher decided to share were about motherhood and her twins' dramatic birth, there was no one better than McDermott to polish her material about their shared sitcom years. "I was able to bounce ideas off of him ... and he was like, 'Well, that wasn't my experience of it,'" she said.

McDermott's wife, Sara Rejaie, co-directed the show with him and turned out to be pretty indispensable herself. "Sara, who has never been on a sitcom, would say to us at times this part means nothing to me. It's meaningful for you guys but it's missing the mark and I think this helped us balance the tone," McDermott told Fest magazine. Their partnership paid off big time when all of Sher's shows sold out, and just a few months later, she hit the road on a comedy tour.

Eden Sher brought her storytelling talents to a different realm in July 2024 when she teamed up with her on-screen BFF from "The Middle," Brock Ciarlelli, for a rewatch podcast aptly titled "Middling." In addition to reminiscing about their time on the show and sharing inside info about each episode, they chat with special guests. Some of the famous faces who have appeared on their podcast include Sher's TV parents, Neil Flynn and Patricia Heaton, and the latter's other sitcom hubby, Ray Romano.

On "Couples Therapy," Sher revealed she and Ciarlelli reconnected during the pandemic when she sent him a photo of herself drinking from a wine glass he had given her as a wrap gift one season. When he responded to her playful pic, he brought up the idea of doing a podcast. However, it took a few years to bring his vision to fruition. "This past year, we've just reconnected in a way that it feels really good," Ciarlelli said in the premiere episode of the "Middling" podcast. Sher then chimed in to explain why they felt that they would make outstanding podcast co-hosts. "Then of course we were like, 'Wow, we're so interesting, and we have really good conversations with each other. We should record them,'" she recalled.

In 2025, fans were excited to see Eden Sher guest-star in an episode of the "Night Court" revival starring Melissa Rauch — she even brought her mom to the set because she loved the original series. However, for fans hoping to see more of Sher on TV, the comedian shared news about something that was going to eat up a lot of her free time. 

On an episode of the "Middling" podcast in October 2025, Sher announced she was pregnant again — this time with a "singleton." But while being a mother of three could make it harder for her to pursue acting gigs, Sher has a history of turning bundles of joy into comedic opportunities. Her twins have turned out to be the gift that keeps on giving, and Sher often shares their comedy gold on Instagram. One example is their review of Taylor Swift's album "The Life of a Showgirl," which had some fans wondering if they'd been catfished when it was released. While Sher's daughters are Swifties, she revealed that one song in particular didn't wow them. "Mommy, 'Opal[ite]' is so good, but not as so good as the 'Wicked' trailer," she recalled them telling her. With a hilarious hot take like that, it seems that those two might be destined to follow in their mom's very funny footsteps.