Winnie Cooper was the ultimate '90s crush for teenagers watching The Wonder Years. As
the object of affection for series' lead Kevin Arnold, played by Fred Savage, she was front
and center for the show's too-short run from 1988 to 1993. When the show wrapped, actress
Danica McKellar went to college at UCLA, graduating with a degree in mathematics.
Luckily, McKellar didn't stop acting, subsequently popping up in shows like How I Met Your Mother
and The West Wing. She's also a filmmaker, having written, directed, and produced a short,
Speechless, in 2001, which featured fellow Wonder Years alum Dan Lauria, who played Kevin's
dad. McKellar also has producing credits, including on Christmas at Dollywood, which
naturally stars the incomparable Dolly Parton.
It's safe to say that if Winnie Cooper could see McKellar now, she'd be proud. In fact,
McKellar, who now authors books on mathematics, told Today that she might actually be living
Winnie's adult life herself.
"I think Winnie Cooper might be writing math books. She was always really smart and studious."
One of her favorite storylines from The Wonder Years found Winnie scoring higher in her math
SATs than Kevin, which was a big deal considering the show was set in the '60s.
"Like, what can I say, Winnie Cooper was ahead of her time."
The actress grew up alongside her character, sharing how she was often studying on set
after shooting a scene related to Winnie's schooling or breaking up with boyfriends just
as Winnie and Kevin were breaking up on the show. She told Today that it was easy for
her to tap into what a teenage girl might be feeling in that moment because, quote,
"All I had to do was think about what had just happened in my life."
"Danica, how are you?"
"Good."
"Nice to see you. What are you studying right now?"
"I'm studying geometry."
Still, there were times McKellar didn't enjoy fame, even telling Today she once pretended
not to be herself after being accosted by fans at Disneyland. She isn't hopeful for
a Wonder Years reboot either, arguing it might ruin the show's place in pop culture. The
actress still holds her Wonder Years family incredibly close, however, sharing a photo
with Savage and Josh Saviano, who played Paul Pfeiffer, in 2019, and writing,
"You guys are like family...I mean, we DID grow up together, after all."
McKellar also played up her image as the object of every teenage boy's affection in a hilarious
punishment on TV prank show Impractical Jokers, which found James "Murr" Murray tasked with
interviewing her, his childhood crush, while oiled up for a bodybuilding competition. Aside
from being an excruciating piece of television, it also showcased just how gorgeous Winnie
Cooper grew up to be, which likely only made things more uncomfortable for poor Murr.
"That has been a dream come true to meet you in person."
"I wish I could say the same."
Although McKellar credits The Wonder Years with catapulting her to stardom and giving
her a platform, the actress and scholar utilizes that platform predominantly to encourage other
young women to follow their passions rather than hiding away. Her math books, aimed at
female students of all ages, including the New York Times bestsellers Math Doesn't Suck,
Kiss My Math, and Girls Get Curves, aren't just aimed at those interested in the subject
either.
As McKellar explained to CNBC,
"[Math] exercises the problem solving part of your brain, which will help you better
able to pursue your dreams, whatever they might be."
The studious actress and advocate explained that young women shouldn't shy away from studying
because they're worried about being judged by their peers. As she sees it,
"You don't have to choose between being fabulous and fun and being smart, they go hand in hand."
McKellar says she understands the privileged position she's in, telling Media Village she's
been trying to keep busy and give back as much as possible during the ongoing coronavirus
pandemic, whether answering fan questions, recording readings for children's charities,
or providing an insight on homeschooling, which is something she's intimately familiar
with. She told the outlet,
"The biggest tip I can give anybody is to have patience...Listen to your kids and what
they're interested in right now, what they have to say and what are their frustrations.
Stop your output and take in theirs."
The actress also utilized her downtime to get some work done on her Hallmark movie,
the second installment in the Matchmaker Mysteries series, admitting,
"I had to do some [voice pick-ups] in my son's bedroom. I filled his bunk bed with pillows,
and I bought this great professional microphone online, so it ended up sounding great and
hopefully you won't be able to tell the difference."
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