Patricia Heaton remembers her hungry past and applies it to her current success

Patricia Heaton stars in "The Middle."

At 52, Patricia Heaton has found success coming later in life has kept her grounded.

"When success comes late in life, you stay very much in touch with the struggle," says the star of ABC's "The Middle." "I think that's why I still feel close to my roots and people who live paycheck to paycheck."

Heaton will speak on stage at Women Today at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 20. She was nearly 40 when she started playing Debra Barone on CBS's "Everybody Loves Raymond," her first major TV break. This year she has found critical and ratings success as Frankie Heck, a frazzled working-class mom on "The Middle."

Heaton is candid and accessible, just as Debra and Frankie are.

"I'm just now coming to the point where I have spent just as much time making money from show business as I did working survival jobs," she says.

"This all still feels like a gift that I can't believe happened to me."

She applies her connection to those "struggling" days in the archetype she's best known for playing.

Twenty years ago ("It seems like yesterday," she says), Heaton was 32 and made a living by summarizing depositions in her one-bedroom apartment. She was also working her way into show business, appearing in the chorus of Broadway shows.

In 1996, she grabbed the role of Debra Barone and earned Emmy nominations in seven of the show's seasons. She won twice.

On "The Middle," Heaton wanted to do a comedy about life in the so-called "fly-over states" between New York and California.

A native of Ohio and the daughter of a newspaper sportswriter, she says Hollywood dismisses the Midwest far too quickly.

"A huge percentage of people who watch 'The Middle' can relate to the characters," she says. "Sometimes Hollywood is so out of touch with America. All (writers) know to do is to make fun of (the Midwest), which is interesting since most of them are from there."

Frankie is a wife and mother stretched very thin. She works at a car lot but never sells a thing. Her husband recently lost his job, and they have three outspoken children, all demanding of her time.

Like Frankie, Heaton tries to do it all. She lets producers know ahead of time when she needs to leave work for a bit to catch one of her children in a school production. She's in touch with teachers via e-mail often.

Her co-stars marvel at her pace. She usually shows up for work by 6 a.m. - and that's after she's gotten her kids ready for school and walked the dog. Her work day ends around 6 p.m.

"When you're a mom with a career, it's go to work and then come home and work more," she says. "You spend time with the kids, check the homework and all that stuff.

"When you have (a child) depending on you, you just do what needs to be done. It's automatic."

Terry Morrow may be reached at morrowt@knoxville.com or 865-342-6445.

Women Today

■ When: Friday-Sunday, March 19-21

■ Where: Knoxville Convention Center, 701 Henley St.

■ Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday

■ Tickets: $10 at the door. Discount tickets available online.

■ Web: womentoday.com

Special events

■ Women's Wine Down: Friday, March 19, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Hosted by Fabio Viviani from Bravo's 'Top Chef.' Food, wine and shopping event to benefit the Empty Stocking Fund. Cost: $40; order online.

■ Covenant Health Conversation Stage: Interact with experts on all topics that affect the lives of women. For schedule, go to womentoday.com

■ KnoxMoms Summer Camp Fair, Sunday, March 21.

Cooking School Stage

Friday, March 19

■ 10 a.m.: Sisters of the Skillet, featuring Jennifer Alexander and Mary Constantine

■ 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.: Fabio Viviani, Bravo's 'Top Chef'

■ 1 p.m.: Ted Prater, Crown and Goose

■ 3:45 p.m.: Easter Table cooking contest winner

Saturday, March 20

■ 9:45 a.m.: Easter Table cooking contest winner

■ 11 a.m.: Fabio Viviani, Bravo's 'Top Chef'

■ 12:15 p.m.: Bruce Bogartz and Charlene Oesterling, Rouxbarb

■ 1:30 p.m.: Melissa d'Arabian, host of Food Network show 'Ten Dollar Dinners'

■ 2:45 p.m.: Jeffrey DeAlejandro, Crown and Goose

■ 4 p.m.: Sisters of the Skillet featuring Jennifer Alexander and Mary Constantine

Sunday, March 21

■ 12:15 p.m.: Sisters of the Skillet featuring Mary Constantine and Jennifer Alexander

■ 1:30 p.m.: Bruce Bogartz, Rouxbarb

■ 2:45 p.m.: Melissa d'Arabian, host of Food Network's 'Ten Dollar Dinners'

■ 4 p.m.: Easter Table cooking contest winner

Fashion/ entertainment stage

Friday, March 19

■ 11 a.m.: Daisy Luellen Presentation

■ 12:30 p.m.: Stunned 2 Stunning Fashion w/JCPenney

■ 2 p.m.: Skirt Fashion Show

■ 3:30 p.m.: Daisy Luellen Presentation

Saturday, March 20

■ 9:30 a.m.: Sit. Stay. Strut. Pet Fashion Show

■ 10:30 a.m.: Daisy Luellen Presentation

■ 11:30 a.m.: Stunned 2 Stunning Fashion w/JCPenney

■ 12:30 p.m.: Patricia Heaton

■ 1:30 p.m.: Artistry Presentation

■ 2:30 p.m.: Smoky Mountain Harley Davidson Show

■ 3:30 p.m.: Skirt Fashion Show

■ 4:30 p.m.: Star 102.1 Her vs. Her

Sunday, March 21

■ 1 p.m.: Stunned 2 Stunning Fashion w/JCPenney

■ 2 p.m.: Girl Power Fashion Show

■ 3 p.m.: Jennifer Stone Meet & Greet

■ 4 p.m.: Skirt Fashion Show

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