Danica McKellar became a household name at the age of 13 after landing the role of Winnie Cooper in beloved family sitcom “The Wonder Years.”
The nostalgia-driven ABC dramedy series was a ratings hit and critical darling when it premiered in 1988. “The Wonder Years,” which ran for six seasons until 1993, also made child stars of its young actors, including McKellar and series lead Fred Savage.
Now 35 years later, the 48-year-old actress reflected on how she was able to stay grounded despite her early fame — which she attributes to the influence of her parents, Christopher and Mahaila.
“I’m very fortunate to have two parents who never overemphasized the importance of Hollywood or my acting career,” the actress explained in an interview with Fox News Digital ahead of her appearance at 90s Con.
Danica McKellar credits her parents for keeping her grounded after she rose to fame on “The Wonder Years.” (Getty Images)
She continued, “It was just a fun, cool thing that I did. But family, health, education all came first. Always. Never a question about that.”
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McKellar and her younger sister, Crystal, began acting at the ages of 9 and 7, respectively. The siblings both auditioned to play Winnie, who was the neighbor and on-and-off girlfriend of Savage’s Kevin Arnold.
Originally, Winnie was a one-off character who was set to only appear in the pilot episode. However, the show’s producers offered McKellar a series regular role after noticing the strong chemistry that she had with Savage. Crystal went on to play the recurring role of Becky Slater, Kevin’s one-time love interest and later nemesis.
“I’m very fortunate to have two parents who never overemphasized the importance of Hollywood or my acting career.”
Though the first season of “The Wonder Years” only featured six episodes, the show won the Emmy Award for outstanding comedy series at the 40th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1988. However, McKellar recalled that she missed the glitzy awards ceremony because she had a pre-planned river rafting trip with her family.
“I remember the first year that ‘The Wonder Years’ was nominated for best comedy series, and the only year that we won, we had a trip scheduled with my dad and my sister and me,” she recalled.
McKellar continued, “The three of us were going to go on this river rafting trip on the Rogue River in Oregon, and we did. It conflicted with the Emmys, so we didn’t go to the Emmys, we went on the trip.”
“My dad’s work schedule was tough, so it really wasn’t a question,” the “Dancing With The Stars” alum added. “I was like, ‘Yeah, of course we’re going to do that. That’s more important.’ And I remember watching the Emmys from our tiny little motel room in Oregon the night before we hit the river.”
“The TV had to have been from the ’70s, and my dad has always been very frugal,” she remembered with a laugh. “So, we were staying in this tiny little place, watching ‘The Wonder Years’ win the Emmy for best comedy series. We were jumping up and down on this tiny bed, can’t believe we didn’t break it, [cheering] ‘Yay, we won!’ And then next morning, we got on the river and had the trip of our lives.”
McKellar noted that the anecdote was an example of her parents’ values and priorities and how they shaped her upbringing.
McKellar and her sister, Crystal, both auditioned for the role of Winnie. Crystal later played recurring character Becky Slater. (Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images / File)
“I had a lot of core memories from that trip, and just the fact that my parents made that decision, and it was a clear choice,” she said. “That type of thing, that’s just indicative and representative of how they treated me and my sister growing up.”
The actress continued, “It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, Danica is on the show.’ No, I had chores when I came home, and I was a regular kid and that kept me very grounded, and it kept me in touch with where my value is. And that makes a big difference.”
McKellar went on to say that many child stars struggle with their self-worth and identity after the shows that propelled them to fame come to an end.
“I had chores when I came home, and I was a regular kid and that kept me very grounded, and it kept me in touch with where my value is.”
“You’re so connected to that in a way that says, ‘That’s my value. That’s why I matter,'” she explained. “And then when that show’s over, then you’re left with this big gaping hole: ‘Wait, wait, wait, do I matter anymore? Where does my value come from?’”
“And because of my upbringing, I was able to say, ‘Well, I’m not sure, but I know that there is more value to me. Like, I’m a daughter and a sister and all that matters.'”
After the end of “The Wonder Years,” McKellar took a break from acting to enroll in UCLA where she discovered her love of mathematics.
McKellar starred opposite Fred Savage in the beloved family sitcom. (ABC Photo Archives /Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
“Then I sort of shifted to that: ‘Oh, now I matter because … I’m good at math and I can help to prove a new theorem.’ And I got this whole other piece of my life because I had that basis from my parents,” she said.
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McKellar graduated from UCLA summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. She later earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Chicago. The “Love In Design” star has authored a number of math books for teens and adults, including “Math Doesn’t Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail,” “Girls Get Curves: Geometry Takes Shape,” “Hot X: Algebra Exposed!” and “Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who’s Boss.”
She told Fox News Digital that her passion for math was one of the reasons that she decided to homeschool her son, Draco, 12, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Mike Verta.
“I write math books. And so I have a very specific way that I think math should be taught,” McKellar explained. “And I don’t know, I just I knew I could do it. I love a good challenge.”
“We tried a couple schools when Draco was really young, and either it was way too easy or it was weird politics at the school,” she recalled. “And I was like, ‘Well, I don’t want this element in my life.’ He already knows how to read. I already taught him how to read, and he was already doing simple math.”
McKellar remembered that Draco was 4 at the time, and she decided to give homeschooling a try: “And then as my friends would tell me stories about stuff going at their schools, I was like, ‘What? No! That sounds awful.'”
The actress explained that Draco socializes with other children by playing on sports teams and having frequent playdates.
“Is it a little more work for me, even on the social aspect? Yes,” she said. “Constantly scheduling playdates, making sure that he’s got friends that he likes to hang out with, making sure he’s doing that.”
“But it’s worth it,” McKellar added. “I love it especially because – so his dad and I are divorced, we co-parent fantastically. It’s been a journey, but I’m so grateful for it. And I get him half the time. So, if he had to be in school all day long, you know I wouldn’t get to see him very much. So, I also really appreciate the fact that we get to bond more.”
McKellar shares son Draco, 12, with her ex-husband, Mike Verta. (Danica McKellar Instagram)
Last year, McKellar decided to leave Los Angeles after more than 40 years and move to rural Tennessee.
“We love Tennessee,” she said. “It’s beautiful. We wanted kind of more of a country life.”
The California native now lives on a homestead an hour from Nashville with Draco, Mahaila and her husband, Scott Sveslosky.
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“It’s been great,” she said. “We love the seasons, having seasons for the first time.”
Last weekend, McKellar reunited with her “The Wonder Years” co-star Olivia d’Abo at 90s Con in Hartford, Connecticut. Held at the Connecticut Convention Center, the three-day event, which was attended by some of the biggest ’90s stars, featured meet-and-greets, autograph signings and panels.
“We love Tennessee. It’s beautiful. We wanted kind of more of a country life.”
McKellar told Fox News Digital that “The Wonder Years” cast keeps in touch “here and there,” noting, “It’s funny, life takes you in different directions, but there’s always that sense of family.”
She recalled that she spoke with Savage last year when he reached out to her about “The Wonder Years” reboot. Savage, who was the ABC’s show executive producer and director, asked if the production team could use a photo of her pictured as Winnie in an episode of the show.
Savage and McKellar reunited at the TV Land Awards in April 2015. Last May, Savage was fired from the reboot after 20th Century Television launched an investigation into allegations of “inappropriate conduct.” (Jason Merritt / Getty Images / File)
“And I was like, ‘Yeah, of course,’ she said. “That was really fun, and it was really fun to see my picture in that show.”
Last May, Savage was fired from the reboot after 20th Century Television launched an investigation into allegations of “inappropriate conduct.” The reboot was subsequently green-lit for a second season, which is expected to air this summer.
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McKellar told Fox News Digital that she considers the show a spinoff of “The Wonder Years” rather than a reboot since it is set in the same world as the original series. She said that she would love to see more spinoffs as she reflected on the legacy of “The Wonder Years.”
“The model that ‘The Wonder Years’ started, which I think was so – it was revolutionary at the time, it really was brand new, was truly honoring the kid’s point of view,” she said.
She continued, “A lot of sitcoms back then in the ‘80s and ’90s, it was all about the parents and their dynamics and interactions and jobs and whatever. And then they had their kids who would run in and say something funny and run out.”
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“But ‘The Wonder Years’ said, ‘No, no, kids’ feelings and emotions really matter.’ I feel like as adults sometimes we say, ‘Oh, well, they’re just kids. They don’t have to pay mortgage or taxes or anything else. So, what problems could they really even have?’ But the truth is, we have huge, big emotions at that time in life. And so that show honored those feelings, those big, big feelings.”
“And other shows have done that since then to some extent,” McKellar added. “But I think it’s a great format that, speaking of nostalgia, makes us all feel connected to our childhoods because it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s right. I did have big feelings, and maybe they weren’t paid enough attention, but look at that.’ Now I connect to this show because it’s recognizing that.”
McKellar will next be seen in the Great American Family holiday movie “Royal Christmas Ball.” (Getty Images)
McKellar will next be seen in the Great American Family holiday movie “Royal Christmas Ball,” which she is also co-writing and executive producing. In 2021, the actress left the Hallmark Channel after inking a multi-picture deal with GAF. “The Winter Palace” star shared her thoughts on why she loves acting in Christmas movies.
“They’re sweet. They make you feel good,” McKellar explained. “They provide – yes – an escape.”
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“We live in a crazy world,” she added. “We need escapes more than ever. But I think it’s more than that. I think they’re more than an escape. I feel like these movies, Christmas or just even the rom-coms that happened throughout the year. What we’re doing is we’re modeling.”
“We’re modeling what human behavior can be. That’s how I see it. Making choices, doing the right thing … and trying to just model behavior and give hope and an example. Maybe even to some of us who are making the movies, it’s like, ‘Oh, that’s a good way to handle that.'”
“And being optimistic,” she continued, “because the characters do go through hardships, but fighting through those, and that buoyancy, that optimism and buoyancy that is so vital for all of us to have, and so to get to model that feels really good.”