At 13, McKellar was cast as Winnie, the love interest of Fred Savage’s character, Kevin Arnold, when the beloved series premiered in 1988. The show made her one of America’s sweethearts, but when it ended in 1993, it marked the start of an entirely new chapter.
She recalled how people constantly recognized her by that one role. “Every day, all day long, people would say, ‘Aren’t you that girl, Winnie? Aren’t you that girl from TV?’”
Looking for a fresh start, McKellar enrolled at UCLA, where she took a math class on a whim, because she loves a “challenge.” “I thought I failed the first midterm,” she said, laughing. Scoring 22 out of 40, she soon discovered she was among the top performers.
The next day, a classmate recognized her, not for her acting, but for her math skills. They asked, “‘Are you that girl who got the 22?’” McKeller said it was “the greatest feeling.” For the first time, it was just her brain, not the Hollywood persona, getting all the credit.
After graduating, she returned to acting with voice-over work and roles on shows like Even Stevens and The West Wing. At the same time, she launched a website to share math advice and help others feel more confident with numbers.
Reflecting on her unexpected journey, McKellar said she didn’t fully grasp her role as “America’s sweetheart” during The Wonder Years. “In the last year of ‘The Wonder Years,’ somebody referred to me on set as America's sweetheart. I was like, ‘What? What are you talking about?’” she recalled.
She hadn’t realized that, for many viewers, she was their first crush. “It’s still bizarre for me,” she said.
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