Danica Mae McKellar
 

see below for high resolution scans of photos I own 

Danica's monthly TV schedule (US only)

In "The Wonder Years": 
Gwendolyn (Winnie) Cooper 
  • She does not appear in episodes 12-16, 20+21, 25-27, 35, 38, 41, 44, 49, 52, 55, 59-65, 67, 70, 72-77, 79-84, 88-91, 95, 111, 113. Her appearance dropped very much in the forth and fifth season. The reason was that Danica wanted to have more money (by Time Warner via Dennis Barron):
  • First season 100% only 6 episodes
    Second season 57%
    Third season 73%
    Forth season 50%
    Fifth season 26% minor appearance in ep. 87 and 92
    Sixth season 86%
  • Also she is nearly always called "Winnie", her actual name is Gwendolyn.  Quote from episode 1:

  • WINNIE: Gwendolyn. I don't want to be called Winnie anymore, my real name is Gwendolyn. 
  • Young Winnie is played by Jenny Drugan 22.
Winnie's family:
Winnie's boyfriends and love interests except Kevin: 
Landes, Michael (Kirk McCray, Winnie's first boyfriend) 7, 9, 10, 11, 17, 69 (only from former episodes) 
Jacoby, Bobby (Eddie Pinetti) 18
- (Chip, "just one of those summer things" (quoting Winnie), a lifeguard, never shown on screen but mentioned in her letter to Kevin) 24
Josh Saviano (Paul Pfeiffer) ? 36
Hoffman, Art  (Roger (Dikovian)) 57, 58
Renfro, Jason (Matt Stevens) 85
Anthony, Bret (Phil Stephens (only studies with Winnie)) 100
Naso, Brad (Eric) 114

In real life: 
Danica Mae McKellar 
Birthday: January 3rd, 1975, in La Jolla, California
Family:
  • daughter of Maihaila (a homemaker who was a professional dancer before her marriage and whose parents were of Portuguese descent) and Chris McKellar (a real estate developer, related to the prominent Scripps publishing family)
  • with whom she had a younger sister, Crystal, who appeared as Becky Slater, on "The Wonder Years."
  • Her parents divorced in 1982 and her dad married Molly.with whom he has two sons, Christopher and Connor.

 

Danica spent five years at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) and got a degree in Analytical Math. She graduated summa cum laude in June 1998. Her research project was "Percolation and Gibbs-states multiplicity for ferromagnetic Ashkin-Teller models in two dimensions." She did not continue for graduate school but started acting again, see interview (March 1998) and interview (September 1998).

Trivia:

  • Danica means "the Danish" in Latin and "morning star" in some Slavic languages. Her parents picked her name out of a book for baby names (according to her on Celebrity Sightings (link defunct) Chat, 18 June 1998). 
  • Danica took dancing lessons together with her sister crystal even before she moved to Los Angeles with her mother in 1982, see article.
  • At age 9 Danica did her first commercial. At age 11, she did a Mountain Dew commercial. In 1986 she appeared in a Volkswagen commercial.
  • At age 10 she appeared in two episodes of the TV series The Twilight Zone.
  • The first kiss in her life was with Fred Savage on "The Wonder Years" pilot, when she was 12.  See interview with Danica. 
  • Danica was nominated for Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Series for the 11th Annual Youth in Film Awards 1988-1989 for her role in "The Wonder Years." 
  • Danica and her sister Crystal were students of Diane Hill Hardin's Young Actors Space (like Leonardo Di Caprio).
  • On December 23, 1989, Danica appeared alongside Josh Saviano, Nicole Eggert and Jeremy Miller as a guest on "Wide World Of Kids." 
  • There are reports that Danica was an extra in the movie "The Nutty Professor" with Eddie Murphy. She was the girl dressed in a blue jean outfit in the halls of the college eddie murphy's character teached in. (she walks by real quick).  She is not listed in the titles, so can anybody confirm this?
  • In March 1998 Danica and Fred Savage appeared together in an episode of "Working," a show in which he plays the regular character Matt. There were some funny lines recalling "The Wonder Years" like when co-workers as him if he plans to see her anymore.  MATT:" I don't even like her! She reminds me of a girl I knew growing up." (Audience truly laughs). See transcript, anouncement of NBC and article from TV Guide about this episode of "Working." Jason Hervey was also a guest star in this TV series but in a different episode.
  • On May 4, 1998, Danica appeared on a one-hour episode of the new LOVE BOAT: The next wave series.  The same day she was interviewed on a segment of "American Journal". 
  • It was in a third-year abstract algebra class that she met her boyfriend Jason Richard, now 25 (1998) and a computer software product manager. 
  • Danica McKellar can be seen in the Debbie Gibson video "No More Rhyme" which was released in mid-1989. It can be found on the A*Vision video release "Live Around The World".
  • Danica McKellar is NOT in the Paula Abdul video "Forever Your Girl". I have looked closely at every frame on a PAL high-resolution screen. The young dancing girl with the electric guitar looks a bit like her. But the shape of their faces are different when I compare with Danica in 1989, the production year of that video. Danica McKellar is also not mentioned in the end titles.
  • Danica likes to ski and has participated in several charitable ski tournaments. 
  • Danica supports the organization Earthtrust.
  • There is a rock band called "Winnie". Bass player/drummer Jason had a crush on a girl at his school who looked like Winnie Cooper. He would always refer to this girl as "Winnie," and one day he suggested that the band be called Winnie. Visit their homepage.
  • Danica appeared on "Home & Family" on March 17, 1998 and on "Eyewitness News" on May 6, 1998.
  • On January 30, 1999, Danica had her musical debut as Rizzo in GREASE. This happens at The Grove Theater in Upland, which is half hour east of downtown LA.  The show ran on weekends until Feb.28th.
  • Danica will star in a movie that is filmed at the moment in Georgia, USA, by Channel 12 Productions in Winder, GA. The movie is titled "Good Neighbor" and is a thriller or murder mystery. Look for it out in video stores near you in six months or so. (August 2000)
  • Danica is very actively supporting math teaching in schools.  
    • Danica gives online advice about math problems, see her website.
    • On Thursday, July 13, 2000, Danica gave a personal testimony at a hearing of the California Committee on Science, Subcommittee on Technology to discuss a Review of the Morella Commission Report: Recommendations to Attract More Women and Minorities into Science, Engineering, and Technology. 
    • She talked to an audience of math teachers on April 12, 2000, Chicago, at the press conference announcing the release of "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics". 
  • Danica has written, directed and played in a new short film, "speechless..." She won as Best First Time Director Short Films at the Hollywood Underground Film Festival 2002.
  • Danica is starring as the young mathematician Catherine in the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play
    "Proof" at the San Diego Repertory Theater. The show runs Sep 27 to Oct.26, Tue-Sun nights and Sunday matinees.
  • There is a new Official Danica McKellar website.
  • On July 19, 2005, a full article appeared on her in The New York Times and on November 18, 2005, another full article in The Los Angeles Times.
  • Danica worked as a writer, director and producer of the short movie Broken.
  • Danica appeared on the Food Network as part of their new show "Celebrity Diet Secrets" on January 1st, 2006, at 9pm and 11pm, January 7th at 4pm, and January 8th at 5pm. She'll talk about her healthy eating habits and how yoga keeps her in shape.
  • In 2007 Danica wrote a book with the title "Math doesn't suck",which ranked 6th in the LA Times bestseller list and 4th in the Amazon bestseller list in September. In December Amazon put it in the list of the Best Book of 2007. There is also her website Math doesn't suck.



Filmography:
Title Character she played Year Type
HACK! 2006 Movie
Path of Destruction 2005 TV Movie
Bathroom Boy
Lacy Baldwin 2003 Movie

Black Hole

Rachael 2002 Movie
Hip, Edgy, Sexy, Cool Sissie 2002 Movie
Naked Movie Herself 2002 Movie
Reality School Student 2002 Movie
Virgil Debbie 2002 Movie
The Year That Trembled Pam Hatch 2002 Movie
Good Neighbor Molly Wright 2001 Movie
Jane White Is Sick & Twisted Tiffany 2001 Movie
Speechless... Dana 2001 Movie
XCU: Extreme Close Up Sarah 2001 Movie
Static Shock Freida Goren (voice) 2000 TV movie
Happy Hour herself 1999 TV show
Justice for Annie Annie (Mills Carman) 1996 TV movie
A Busch Gardens/Sea World Summer Celebration herself 1994 TV special
Moment of Truth: Cradle of Conspiracy Kristin Guthrie 1994 TV movie
Teen Scene herself 1994 TV show
The New Adventures of Captain Planet  Voice of Lisa, Todd's girlfriend 1992 Syndicated daytime children's series
Sidekicks Lauren 1992 Movie
Cancelled Lives: Letters from the Inside One of the letter readers 1991 Video
Wake, Rattle & Roll  unknown 1991 Syndicated daytime children's series
Camp Cucamonga Lindsay Scott 1990 TV movie
The Wonder Years Gwendolyn (Winnie) Cooper  1987-1993 TV series

Guest Star in:

TV Series  as in Episode Date
"How I Met Your Mother" 11/21/05
"Strong Medicine" 06/19/05
"The West Wing" Elsie Snuffin, an associate campaign manager/speech writer  

10/30/02
11/06/02
11/13/02

"The Division" Wendy; Tim's girlfriend Don't Ask (1.8) 02/25/01
"Sirens" (not the movie!) (a young prostitute) ? 1993-
"Love Boat: The Next Wave" Mary How Long Has This Been Going On? (1.4) 05/04/98
"Working" Jolie As Bad As It Gets (1.16)
She loves me, yeah, yeah, yeah (2.16)
03/13/98
1999
Walker, Texas Ranger Laurie Stolen Lullaby (#27) 05/21/94
Babylon 5 Aria Tensus The War Prayer (1.7) 03/09/94
"The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" Patty Day of the Orphan 09/05/89
Win Lose or Draw herself - 1988 or 1989?
The Twilight Zone Nola
Deidre Dobbs
Her Pilgrim Soul (1.28)
Shelter Skelter (2.16)
12/13/85
05/21/87
 

[Danica with Straw Hat]


Danica and her mother (from a magzine, fall 1998).

Copyright 1996-2005 by Peter.  The three pictures are scanned from prints I own.