Highlights
- Danica McKellar, who played Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years, has remained friends with Fred Savage.
- Alley Mills, who portrayed Norma Arnold on the series, defended Savage against harassment allegations.
- Fred Savage was let go from The Wonder Years reboot in 2022 due to misconduct allegations.
For many, the '80s and '90s coming-of-age series The Wonder Years brings up warm and nostalgic feelings. The main character, Kevin Arnold, is just a kid trying to grow up while figuring out the confusing world around him. The show also featured a sweet love story between Kevin and Winnie Cooper. Although Winnie and Kevin's relationship ends, they learn a lot from each other.
Although star Fred Savage's net worth has increased in the decades since The Wonder Years ended, he has been the subject of misconduct allegations that have shed light on what he is like to work with. Here's what the stars of the original TV series have shared about life on set with the star.
Did The Wonder Years Star Danica McKellar Like Working With Fred Savage?
The Wonder Years likely added to Danica McKellar's net worth, and she still talks a lot about the TV series. Since so many people grew up watching the actress play the absolutely charming Winnie, that of course makes a lot of sense.
One of the most memorable parts of Winnie's character arc is the fact that her brother passed away while fighting in Vietnam. This allowed The Wonder Years to delve into some sad territory.
Danica McKellar doesn't seem to have commented on the misconduct allegations against Fred Savage. However, she has remained friends with him since The Wonder Years went off the air in 1993. She has never said that she disliked being on set with him or that it was awful working with him.
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McKellar's voice acting work has been a great niche.In fact, over the years, the actress has stayed in touch with her former co-star. In February 2019, People reported that The Wonder Years cast spent time together. McKellar, Savage, and Josh Saviano had lunch.
Saviano and McKellar both posted about it on Instagram. Saviano played Paul Pfeiffer, a pal of Kevin's. While the three characters got along well in the fictional world of The Wonder Years, the actors also seemed to keep in close contact with each other.
McKellar wrote in her Instagram caption:
"This group look familiar to anyone? got to see these guys for lunch yesterday — it was so much fun to catch up and hear how their beautiful families are doing! And yes, @joshsaviano, I totally agree — *you guys* are like family… I mean, we DID grow up together, after all.”
Several years earlier, in 2015, according to The Daily Mail, McKellar and Savage attended the TV Land Awards. The Wonder Years was given a special award called The Impact Award.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in February 2022, Danica McKellar talked about Winnie and Kevin's kiss on The Wonder Years. Throughout the interview, she shared more about her connection to Fred Savage. It sounds like they were close while they filmed the TV series.
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This American coming-of-age comedy series introduces a fresh, new cast, while keeping all the nostalgic feels that fans have come to love.McKellar said:
"At that point, [when we filmed the kiss], I kind of thought he might have a crush on me too, but I didn't know. Later on, he actually wrote me a love letter in real life, and we wrote each other a couple letters. But then that was kind of it. 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."
What Did The Rest Of The Wonder Years Cast Say About Fred Savage?
While Danica McKellar has shared positive things about her The Wonder Years co-star Fred Savage, another cast member talked about him a few years ago.
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In truth, 'The Wonder Years' was supposed to reflect some level of reality, even the emotional and dark side.Alley Mills, known for her role as Norma Arnold, said The Wonder Years ended because of Fred Savage's behavior.
According to Us Weekly, Monique Long, filed a lawsuit against Fred Savage in 1993. She was a costume designer for The Wonder Years and the lawsuit alleged harassment.
In 2022, Mills was interviewed by Yahoo! and said that she didn't believe that this happened. She called it "completely ridiculous." Yahoo! reported that Long replied, "My only response to Ms. Mills’s slander is that it proves exactly why women in the industry are forced to remain silent."
Mills said:
“When we shot the series finale … nobody knew whether or not The Wonder Years was going to be renewed."
She called Savage "like, the least offensive, most wonderful, sweet human being that ever walked the face of the Earth.”
Other main The Wonder Years cast members, such as Dan Lauria and Josh Saviano, have never seemed to say anything negative about Fred Savage.
While he didn't mention Fred Savage, Dan Lauria talked about his career in an interview with The A.V. Club and explained that the cast still gets along and loves each other.
Lauria said:
"But they’re all doing well. Jason Hervey is one of the leading producers for reality shows. Josh Saviano’s a big entertainment lawyer in New York City. He’s handled Broadway shows like Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark and some of the other big ones. And Danica’s my girl. I even babysit her kids sometimes!"
There doesn't seem to be much evidence of The Wonder Years cast hanging out with Fred Savage since the allegations, however. In May 2023, The Daily Mail reported that several cast members were at the Toy, Model & Film Expo. But while Olivia d'Abo and Jason Hervey, who played Kevin's siblings Karen and Wayne Arnold, were there with Mills and Lauria, The Daily Mail mentioned that Fred Savage wasn't there.
What Are The Misconduct Allegations Against Fred Savage?
In 2022, The Hollywood Reporter shared that six crew members accused Fred Savage of misconduct on the set of The Wonder Years reboot.
While the reboot features new characters and actors, Savage worked behind the scenes. He directed several episodes and was also a producer. The article includes anonymous accounts of what allegedly happened on set.
Savage was let go from the reboot in May 2022. According to Global News, the official statement read:
"Recently, we were made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct by Fred Savage, and as is policy, an investigation was launched. Upon its completion, the decision was made to terminate his employment as an executive producer and director of ‘The Wonder Years,’”
In September 2023, Variety reported that ABC decided to end the reboot of The Wonder Years. The show only had two seasons.
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