Why Romcom Star Danica McKellar ‘Let Go’ Of Hollywood ‘Superficiality’ After Hit Series
Like many romcom stars, Danica McKellar started her career as a teenager, portraying Winnie in the iconic series The Wonder Years. However, after her early success, she had to “let go” of the “superficiality” of Hollywood. What did she do next?
Danica McKellar Left Hollywood To ‘Find Out Who Else I Was’
Danica McKellar was only 13 when she started acting in The Wonder Years. Looking back, the 50-year-old star reflected that she was 18 when the series was over. Despite some trepidation on leaving the familiar Hollywood confines, she choose something bigger. The Matchmaker Mysteries star chose to go to UCLA “to get a degree in mathematics.”
I stopped acting for four years. I just needed to find out who else I was. For me, the way I could find out was just to do something else and really exercise my brain.
Besides the educational benefits of focusing on her course of studies, she also wanted to “let go of all the glamour and superficiality of Hollywood.” She confirmed that the end result was “really empowering to me.”
She earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics, and since then, has co-authored a scientific research paper, as well as collaborative work on research papers.
Returning To Hollywood Meant Wonder Years Star Had To ‘Catch Up’
Although taking time off from Hollywood to concentrate from school allowed Danica McKellar to find out what she was made of, returning to Hollywood after four years brought her some new challenges. She was ready to return to acting, but was “worried” about how that was going to happen.
When I was done with my degree and I decided to go back into acting, I felt like I was trying to catch up. I was doing all of these independent films that weren’t very good.
However, her hard work and persistence paid off. Soon, she “started getting some traction.” She got some great roles including The West Wing and How I Met Your Mother. She continued to guest star in many series, like NCIS. Soon, Danica starred in one of the most classic holiday romcoms ever made, Love At The Christmas Table.
Next, in 2014, she was a contestant on Dancing With The Stars. She was paired up with Val Chmerkovskiy. The two wound up finishing in sixth place. However, after her appearance, she starred in a string of Hallmark movies, including the fan-favorite, Crown For Christmas. Now, she is exclusive to Great American Family, and she continues to star in heartwarming romcoms and mysteries. She is so synonymous with the mystery genre that McKellar also got mentioned in Knives Out, associating her with a fake mystery title, Deadly By Surprise.
Not one to waste her impressive degree, she has a whole collection of mathematics books for students in middle school and beyond. These books make difficult subjects like geometry and algebra more accessible. It is clear her other gift is dance. It may have been over a decade since she was on the hit ABC series, but Danica can still dance! Recently, she starred as a former Swing Into Romance for Great American Family, showing off her moves.
Be sure to stream Danica McKellar’s vast array of romcoms and mysteries on Hallmark+ and Pure Flix.
