Highlights

• Danica McKellar and Fred Savage had a crush on each other during The Wonder Years.
• The first kiss between their characters was McKellar's first kiss in real life, and the crew applauded.
• Their close working relationship created a brother-sister dynamic instead of a romantic one.

Even though Kevin and Winnie don't live happily ever after, the sweet characters have a relatable relationship on the hit series The Wonder Years. They lean on each other while they experience the stressors of youth, school, family, and friendship. Acting on the show must have been a fulfilling time for the stars both personally and financially. Danica McKellar earned much of her net worth playing her popular character.

The Wonder Years cast has talked about Fred Savage in the decades since the show first aired, and Danica McKellar shared that she had romantic feelings for her co-star. Here's the truth about whether the stars dated.

The Truth About The Wonder Years Stars Danica McKellar And Fred Savage's Relationship

'90s Con took place in March 2023 and was a lot of fun for fans who grew up watching teen shows during that decade. According to Cinemablend.com, Danica McKellar talked about her crush on Fred Savage during her panel. While it sounds like both actors liked each other, they never dated. Neither star has ever said that they were in a relationship at the time. They didn't date after The Wonder Years ended, either.

At '90s Con, McKellar explained that when Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper kissed for the first time in the pilot episode, it was the first time she had kissed anyone.

McKellar said, "I have to mention: after the first kiss, the first take, the entire crew and our parents and everyone applauded. Imagine that. Imagine being 12 and having your first kiss. And I was so nervous. And I was so excited."

She added:

"I had a huge crush on Fred at the time."

The Truth About Winnie From ‘The Wonder Years’s Real Life Kevin Arnold

Winnie From 'The Wonder Years' glew-up and got married.

The actress also said that Savage was crushing on her at the same time. She continued, "He actually wrote me a love letter that first week. . . . So we both had a crush on each other at the time. So it was very nerve-wracking. And then to have that moment, which suddenly feels very private, and then everyone's like, 'Yayyy!' You're mortified. absolutely mortified. And, 'Okay, let's do it again.' [Laughs.] So that was my first kiss."

This wasn't the only time that McKellar mentioned kissing Savage on camera. In 2014, The Daily Mail reported that The Wonder Years cast talked about the show and Savage called the kiss "terrifying." McKellar added, "We were both really scared and nervous and didn't know what was gonna happen or if we were gonna do it right.’

Danica McKellar talked about Winnie and Kevin in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2022 and confirmed that she and Savage didn't date. McKellar shared that they had a mutual crush. Once again, she mentioned that her co-star wrote her letters. While this meant a lot to her, it didn't start an actual relationship.

She continued:

"When we came back to do more of the show, things quickly devolved into this annoying brother-sister relationship. When you're a 12-year-old girl and somebody says, 'Pull my finger,' and then you learn what that is for the first time, you're not charmed."

It sounds like both The Wonder Years actors were anxious about their onscreen kiss since they had real feelings. But, as McKellar explained, since they worked together so closely, a sibling dynamic emerged instead of a true romantic one.

Is Fred Savage Married? (According to Us Weekly)

• married Jennifer Lynn Stone (2004)
• the couple has three kids
• Oliver (born 2006)
• Lily (born 2008)
• Auggie (born 2012)

It seems like the co-stars worked so well together that McKellar once said she would be glad to star in a movie for the Hallmark Channel with Savage. In 2019, she told People, “There’s some hope here actually. I might have to convince Fred, but there’s hope. He’s a very fun guy. We can even have names that are similar -- Devin and Minnie. It’ll be a period piece set in the ‘60s. No big deal.”

What Did Danica McKellar And Fred Savage Say About The Wonder Years?

It's fair to say that The Wonder Years was a formative experience for both Danica McKellar and Fred Savage since they were young when they filmed the series.

In 2022, Danica McKellar appeared at RomaDrama Live! and talked about how she knows that she will always be associated with her famous character.

According to E! News, she said, "It's incredible to be part of a show that had that kind of impact. It's something that I never want to take for granted... Right when the show ended, I thought, 'Okay, I am moving on and so will the rest of the world, and the rest of the world didn't move on."

In 2014, Fred Savage talked about The Wonder Years with Esquire, and he shared that he grew up alongside his character Kevin.

Fred Savage's Notable TV Roles

• Kevin Arnold in The Wonder Years (1988-1993)
• Matt Peyser in Working (1997-1999)
• voice of Oswald in Oswald (2001-2003)
• voice of Mitch Crumb in Crumbs (2006)
• Stewart Sanderson in The Grinder (2015-2016)
• Max Adler in Friends From College (2017-2019)
• Dr. Harding in The Connors (2018-2021)

Savage said, "The whole show was about looking back. Looking back on this time in his life that meant so much to him. I think you can look back at that time in your own life with the narrator and smile. I was in lockstep with Kevin the whole way. It was almost like a workbook. I would do it on the show and then do it in real life."

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