Unlike a lot of the more formulaic series in the late '80s, The Wonder Years was decidedly more authentic, prioritizing genuine interactions between the members of its cast, particularly the young ones. In this way, audiences found they could relate to the show's candor and serious approach to real issues while still finding plenty to laugh about.
The Wonder Years set out to capture a specific time in American history and in a young boy's life, and because it did so with such boldness and vigor, it can still be viewed today as timeless. Using articles, interviews, and DVD extras to explore the show's history, there are many things even longtime fans might not know about the cast.
Fred Savage Really Punched John Corbett
Karen had a variety of boyfriends on the series, and she seemed to gravitate towards older, cooler guys who, like David Schwimmer's character, drove motorcycles. One boyfriend, played by Sex and the City's John Corbett, was featured in a fantasy scene where Kevin was supposed to punch him.
Though the entire scene was choreographed for safety purposes, Fred Savage actually punched Corbett in the face. Knowing it was an accident, Corbett was apparently "cool about it," and earned Savage's respect for taking a punch.
Winnie Was Supposed To Be A One-Shot Character
Apparently, actress Danica McKellar was never supposed to be in The Wonder Years as a reoccurring character. In an interview, she explained that her family imposed strict rules on her acting career growing up, and didn't want her pursuing anything that took too much time away from her schooling.
She was allowed to audition for the part of Winnie because it was supposed to be a one-shot character for the pilot episode. The producers liked her so much that during the pilot taping they offered the role as a featured character to her, and her parents graciously accepted.
Fred Savage Grew Up Along With Kevin
For six seasons, Fred Savage channeled his formative years into playing Kevin. From age 11 until he was 18, the trials and tribulations of Kevin's life mirrored his own, and vice versa (incidentally, the film Vice Versa starring Savage was what got him the audition for The Wonder Years).
In the episode where Kevin's math teacher dies, Savage was going through the turmoil of his grandfather being sick, and the fear of loss combined with the pain of grief was reflected in his moving performance at such young age. Savage said the show "was right in sync with what I was going through in my life."
Winnie And Becky Were Actually Sisters
Though Winnie and Becky Slater might have seemed like complete opposites thanks to the characters' wildly divergent personalities, they were in fact played by sisters. Crystal McKellar originally auditioned for the part of Winnie, but it went to her sister Danica McKellar instead.
It's almost difficult to imagine the bossy girl who played Becky Slater being Kevin's main squeeze, but that just points to the talent of the young actors who were able to make the most of the roles they were given — even if they weren't the ones they originally wanted.
Fred Savage Was The Youngest Actor To Be Nominated For A Best Actor Emmy
Fred Savage joined an elite cohort of young actors to be nominated for an Emmy thanks to his earnest portrayal of Kevin in The Wonder Years. At just thirteen years old, he was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
Unfortunately Savage didn't win, but that fact didn't make his performance at such a young age any less impressive. He also was nominated the following year in 1990 but didn't walk away with the win.
Olivia d'Abo Researched Her Role Thoroughly
Kevin's older sister Karen was firmly against the Vietnam War, which kicked off the series and represented a particular type of activist teenager in the '60s. To prepare for the role, d'Abo spent an entire summer studying the decade at the Actor's Center with a coach, which she equated to "going to college for the '60s."
She watched series about the '60s like The Fabulous '60s, read Letters To Vietnam, and had a very mature experience because of her thorough immersion in the culture of the time. She became passionate about the material herself, and that carried over into the authentic portrayal of Karen Arnold.
The Dialogue Often Came From The Young Cast
Unlike the forced dialogue in a lot of the other '80s TV families, the series was praised for its realistic dialogue involving young children and teenagers, with audiences wondering how the writers managed to make scenes feel like they were eavesdropping on genuine conversations between the main characters. This is because the writers were in fact eavesdropping on conversations with the young cast members.
Their turns of phrase and style of speaking created the perfect lexicon for their characters. Danica McKellar explained that the “Do you like him or do you like him, like him?” line was an expression that Fred Savage and her used when they were talking about someone that she had a crush on off-set, and it made it into the script weeks later.
Danica McKellar's First Kiss Was With Fred Savage
Many of the children on the series found that their lives began to parallel those of the characters they played, and it was no different for Danica McKellar, who received her first kiss when Winnie did — on the swings with Fred Savage.
McKellar explained that the scene took six takes and that it worked as a parable for relationships in her life because when the pair went back to the same swing set after their first kiss, they simply behaved as children, and Kevin explained that progress wasn't a straight line, but similar to the back and forth of a swing.
The Breakup Wasn't Always Intended
The episode "Heartbreak" remains one of many tear-jerkers in The Wonder Years, especially for fans who thought that nothing could come between Kevin and Winnie's love. But Winnie breaks up with him over Roger, leaving many viewers to never forgive her, despite the fact that their relationship always seemed to circle back around.
In reality, Danica McKellar was going through a growth spurt, and producers felt that it wouldn't look right if she was significantly taller than Kevin. They were reunited after Fred Savage was on the other side of puberty himself. Who knows if that would even be considered as big a deal in the reboot.
Entire Families Had To Relocate
In order to assemble the cast every season, families of the child actors had to relocate from the East Coast, as well as hubs like New York and Chicago, to make sure their children weren't traveling constantly back and forth to the shooting location on the West Coast.
According to interviews with the cast on The Wonder Years - The Complete Series DVD extras, it had an incredible impact on their lives, with some children (like Savage, who was 18 by the time the series wrapped) choosing to remain even if their parents didn't.