WINNIE COOPER FOREVER!

‘The Wonder Years’ Star Reveals Why She Gave Up Acting

Danica McKellar reveals she gave up her spot as America’s sweetheart to pursue mathematics.

Former child star Danica McKellar, best known for playing Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years, gave up her Hollywood career to study mathematics and is now a published author on the subject. The 50-year-old told Christine Taylor and David Lascher on the Hey Dude… The 90s Called! podcast that she decided to enroll in UCLA to study math after The Wonder Years ended in 1993. McKellar played Winnie Cooper, the love interest of Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage), at the age of 13. “I needed to figure out who else I was besides Winnie Cooper.” She admitted that constantly being recognized for her role felt limiting, prompting her to ask, “Who am I now? Where do I get my validation?” Excelling in her studies, McKellar later reentered the acting sphere while also launching a math advice website, which inspired her to become an author. She has since written numerous math books for children and adults, starting with Math Doesn’t Suck. This November, her twelfth book, I Love You 100: A Counting Book Full of Love, will be released, marking her continued passion for making math accessible and inspiring to new generations.