Thanks to "The Wonder Years," TV viewers were introduced to a cute 12-year-old named Fred Savage. That was 1988 and Savage soon became a household name due to the continued adolescent misadventures of his character, Kevin Arnold, a kid growing up in the ever changing 1960s.
"The Wonder Years" also gave rise to one of TV's most revered love stories as Arnold navigated the challenges of puberty and his affection for best friend Winnie Cooper, played by recent "Dancing With the Stars" alum Danica McKellar.
It's been a few years since we've seen Savage on-screen in a regular role. He last appeared in ABC's "Crumbs" in 2006. Since then, the now 39-year-old father of two has kept himself busy behind the camera as a respected director on shows like "The Goldbergs" (which has drawn comparisons to his "Wonder Years" days) and as a voice-over artist.
Tonight, Savage steps back in front of the camera, alongside Rob Lowe, in Fox's new series "The Grinder," and he couldn't be happier.
Off-screen, it's a totally different story for the former child star and teen heartthrob who had never met before being cast.
"We'd never met each other or known each other," revealed Lowe. "We met and, from the minute we were together, we got each other. That's what's making the show really special."
One thing that would make "The Grinder" special for Savage fans would be an on-screen reunion with old flame Winnie Cooper, something actress McKellar would have no hesitation in doing.
"I haven't seen [the show] yet," the actress told HNGN this summer. "But sure. I did something with his NBC series 'Working' —it was a while ago; I did two episodes of that. There haven't been any talks about it yet, but anything's possible."
"The Grinder" premieres tonight at 8:30 p.m. EDTm on Fox. For more with Fred Savage, continue reading.
Do you see elements of "The Wonder Years" in shows like "The Goldbergs"?
Adam F. Goldberg [the show's creator] is a very good friend of mine, so I'm so happy for him. The show is fantastic, and I'm thrilled for the success he's having with that show. He's a great guy and an incredibly talented writer.
Does the Adam character remind you of Kevin in any way?
I feel like they do a great job in portraying a very real kid growing up in the '80s on that show, and Kevin Arnold was a great representation of a kid growing up in the '60s. As family shows are... now back in the mix, I think people really gravitate to depictions of young people in the world, and Adam has done a great job of that.
What do you think about the fascination people have now with classic TV shows?
I feel we all have our favorite media moments growing up, as viewed from shows that we are nostalgic for and love. Shows that we love, [but] might be embarrassed to admit we love. The fact that there are more outlets now than ever... gives people who pine for those shows or movies they loved growing up a chance to live with them again.
What shows are you embarrassed to love?
I'm ashamed of nothing! I like all of my picks and am not ashamed of any of them.
How boring would a tell-all movie about "The Wonder Years" be?
Like a behind-the-scenes? There would be a lot of seeing of the actors learning their lines and going to bed on time. Going to school and making sure you could do the show while studying for your AP exams, then a lot of filling out college applications.
So there was no drama on set?
Well, filling out college applications is high stress! But there's nothing scintillating, and I don't know who would view it. I'm proud to say it was pretty uneventful backstage at "The Wonder Years."
What do you think of shows getting revivals?
I'll be watching "Fuller House" on Netflix, sure. I loved that show growing up.
Are you enjoying playing the "non-Hollywood brother" on the show because it's obviously very different from your real life?
I like to think of myself as "not so Hollywood." I think it helps being next to Rob Lowe, because next to Rob, I'm not real Hollywood at all. It's as odd as playing any other character who is different from yourself, but if you consider me a Hollywood insider, that is a hard-earned title and I really appreciate that.
Is there a chance Danica McKellar might guest star on the show, and would you be into that?
Danica is so good at so many things and being a comedic actress is one of those. She's better than just about anyone out there. She'd be great as an attorney — she's serious, argues well and is focused. I don't think there are plans, but I think we'd be lucky to have someone like Danica on the show. I support Danica in everything and anything.
You have some very nice moments with your wife on the show, did that just come naturally?
It's a very real marriage, and the fact that Mary Elizabeth Ellis and I have known each other for years certainly helps feed that. My wife's advice going to play those scenes was, "just talk to her like you talk to me." That's exactly what I tried to do, and it feels authentic because it kind of is.
Can you talk a little bit about being the straight man and setting up a lot of Rob's comedy?
At least for the pilot, there is a lot of eye rolling at Rob — not just at Rob, but also for the incredibly warm response that he gets from everyone. My character, Stewart, feels like the only sane person on the island for a lot of pilot. I think that kind of continues. That's a really fun thing to play, and all of us at some point in our lives, I know me for sure, feels like we are the only person who knows what's going on and everyone else is just along for the ride. It's fun to exercise that muscle and, hopefully, people will kind of see themselves in Stewart more so than Rob's character, who is a huge Hollywood superstar. They'll see themselves as Stewart and someone who can't believe everyone isn't seeing the smoke and mirrors with this guy.
