Television

Danica McKellar Shares Her ‘Wonder Years’ Audition Story, 35 Years


master mentalism tricks

Danica McKellar Shares Her ‘Wonder Years’ Audition Story, 35 Years

The Wonder Years turns 35 today! The beloved family series premiered on January 31, 1988 right after Super Bowl XXII. In honor of the show’s anniversary, Danica McKellar is sharing the story of how she got the role of Winnie Cooper as part of TV Insider’s first edition of “My Audition Story.”

Winnie Cooper was a beloved fixture of The Wonder Years. But did you know that McKellar’s sister, Crystal McKellar, nearly played her? What started as a long day of auditioning for what they believed to be a one-episode role ended with Winnie becoming a series regular and an entirely new role being written for Crystal.

“My mother had a rule,” McKellar says in the video above. “This was going to be a hobby only. No series regular auditions, and no auditions for feature films that would take us out of town.” The Christmas at the Drive-In star says Winnie was “just supposed to be a guest role on the first episode.”

“If they knew from the beginning that it was going to be a series regular role, I never would’ve auditioned for it,” she adds with a grin. The McKellar sisters went through several rounds of auditions in one day, the group of hopefuls continuously dwindling in numbers until it was finally just Danica and Crystal left. They all broke for dinner, and then came back to read with Fred Savage, who played Kevin Arnold in the series.

The Wonder Years - Season 2 Episode 5 - Danica McKellar, Crystal McKellar

ABC

“Ultimately, they chose me, but they said, ‘We love Crystal so much, we’re going to write a role for her.’ And they did,” McKellar says. “She played Becky Slater, the little blonde nemesis of Fred Savage for a while. They dated for a little while, then they were enemies. We got to do some scenes together, and it was amazing.”

If mama Mahaila McKellar had a no-series-regulars rule, how did both of the sisters end up signing onto the series? Well, when McKellar booked Winnie, it was only for The Wonder Years pilot. If the show got picked up to series, McKellar explains, that’s when they would write the role for Crystal. But it didn’t take long for the show to realize they wanted Winnie to be a bigger player.

“Four days into shooting, the producers approached my mom and said, ‘We think that Danica and Fred have this amazing chemistry. We want to offer her a series regular role. The network has approved it,’” she explains. “My mom was like, ‘Oh, we don’t do that.’ I was like, ‘Please, please please!’

“And by that point, we had already been on set and she saw that Joanne Savage and Jane Saviano and Marsha Hervey — the moms of the other kids on the show — were all so grounded, and they really cared about their kids being kids first. It wasn’t going to be one of those Hollywood situations where the kids are being pushed in front of the camera when they’re sick… If somebody wasn’t feeling well, the mom pulled them.”

The Wonder Years moms convinced Mahaila that the set was a “good environment” for her daughters, if they were going to be on a show longterm. But she still hired a good lawyer to help them get out of the series if/when they wanted for good measure. And the rest is TV history.

The show got its series order, but McKellar notes above that there was one big change after the Super Bowl pilot: “We didn’t have Daniel Stern’s voice as the narrator. It was someone else.”

Get more details about the creation of The Wonder Years‘ debut season above.

The Wonder Years, Streaming Now, Hulu

Read The Full Article Here


trick photography
Release Date, Top Songs & More – Hollywood Life
Release Date, Top Songs & More – Hollywood Life
Source On Blake Lively And Anna Kendrick Feud Rumors
Source On Blake Lively And Anna Kendrick Feud Rumors
Diddy Accuser Alleges He Said Threatening Words Before Assault: Report
Diddy Accuser Alleges He Said Threatening Words Before Assault: Report
Meet Victoria Granucci – Hollywood Life
Meet Victoria Granucci – Hollywood Life
Who Will Be the MCU’s New Avengers?
Who Will Be the MCU’s New Avengers?
To A Land Unknown review – a brilliantly acted tale of moral complexity
To A Land Unknown review – a brilliantly acted tale of moral complexity
Why Did Ty Leave as a Regular in Sweet Magnolias Season 4?
Why Did Ty Leave as a Regular in Sweet Magnolias Season 4?
John Lithgow In Talks to Play Dumbledore on ‘Harry Potter’ Show
John Lithgow In Talks to Play Dumbledore on ‘Harry Potter’ Show
The Way Home Season 3 Episode 7 Casts Doubt on Sam and Pulls Kalliot Apart
The Way Home Season 3 Episode 7 Casts Doubt on Sam and Pulls Kalliot Apart
Inside Mindy Kaling’s Mind of Romance: Her Spiciest TV Hot Take & More
Inside Mindy Kaling’s Mind of Romance: Her Spiciest TV Hot Take & More
Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 12 Gave Silva A Meaty Story After Weeks of Underusing Her
Law & Order: SVU Season 26 Episode 12 Gave Silva A Meaty Story After Weeks of Underusing Her
Drew & Jonathan Scott Get New Show ‘Chasing the West’ on HGTV
Drew & Jonathan Scott Get New Show ‘Chasing the West’ on HGTV
Bon Iver Is All ‘Love’ On First Single From New LP
Bon Iver Is All ‘Love’ On First Single From New LP
Albums by Different Artists That Have the Same Artwork
Albums by Different Artists That Have the Same Artwork
Death Cab for Cutie Reveal Plans 20th Anniversary Tour Dates
Death Cab for Cutie Reveal Plans 20th Anniversary Tour Dates
Universal Music Group Launches Mental Health Fund Alongside Music Health Alliance
Universal Music Group Launches Mental Health Fund Alongside Music Health Alliance
6 Powerful New Memoirs to Inspire Resilience
6 Powerful New Memoirs to Inspire Resilience
Book Censorship News, February 14, 2025
Book Censorship News, February 14, 2025
Sparks Fly this Valentine’s with Bold Romance, Fierce Friendships and Dark Desires
Sparks Fly this Valentine’s with Bold Romance, Fierce Friendships and Dark Desires
Interview with Noah Chinn, Author of Lost Lives (Get Lost Saga Book 3)
Interview with Noah Chinn, Author of Lost Lives (Get Lost Saga Book 3)
Kendall Jenner Wore This Polarizing 2000s Accessory Trend
Kendall Jenner Wore This Polarizing 2000s Accessory Trend
We Tried the Reformation Cary Jeans—Here’s Our Honest Review
We Tried the Reformation Cary Jeans—Here’s Our Honest Review
Jennifer Lawrence Just Wore New Loewe It Sneakers
Jennifer Lawrence Just Wore New Loewe It Sneakers
Valentine’s Day Underwear Color Meaning | 2025 Guide
Valentine’s Day Underwear Color Meaning | 2025 Guide
For Night Will Come (2023)
For Night Will Come (2023)
Shudder Acquires Mumblegore Thriller ‘Dead Mail’
Shudder Acquires Mumblegore Thriller ‘Dead Mail’
Bloody Valentines: Date Movies for the Horror Loving Couple
Bloody Valentines: Date Movies for the Horror Loving Couple
The Baphomet Seance – Banned Movie (1983) Leaked Footage
The Baphomet Seance – Banned Movie (1983) Leaked Footage