As Candace Cameron Bure continues to change up her Christmas movies following her exit from Hallmark and move to Great American Family, the Full House star is remaining pretty busy. And it’s not just with her acting career. Not long after celebrating her 50^th birthday, Bure found out she’s going to be a grandmother, and Danica McKellar, Taylor Lautner, and more shared congrats.

Bure’s daughter, Natasha, and her husband, former Disney star Bradley Steven Perry, are expecting their first child together. After the happy couple shared the news on their Instagram pages, Bure couldn’t help but continue the celebration on her own Instagram. She posted a photo of the parents-to-be holding respective “Dada!” and “Mama!” mugs, with Natasha showing off her baby bump, alongside the sweet caption, “I’m gonna be a Candy Gram!!!!!!”

This will be Bure’s first grandchild, and it’s definitely crazy to think that D.J. Tanner is going to be a grandmother. Of course, she is as happy as ever, and so are many famous friends. Plenty of celebrities took to the comments of Bure’s post with congratulatory messages, while her daughter and son-in-law also replied, and it’s clear that Baby Perry is already so, so loved:

• Natasha Perry: Best Candygram ever!!!! ❤️😘😘😘
• Bradley Steven Perry: 😍
• Danica McKellar: Yippee!!!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
• Taylor Lautner: YAAASSSSSSSSSS BEST NEWS EVERRRRRRRRR 😍😍😍😍
• Melissa Coulier: Candygram!!! Congratulations to all of you. ❤️❤️
• Trina McGee: Congratulations ❤️❤️❤️❤️
• Marla Sokoloff: Omg! Congrats!

Considering the bad news plaguing the world these days, it’s always nice to get some good news every once in a while. It’s even better when many celebrities jump on the train as well, and I love how the announcement is bringing so many of them together. Not surprisingly, though, the comments are not just filled with celebrity congratulatory messages. Plenty of fans got in on the celebration, and even brought up Bure’s Full House persona:

• @saverios_authentic_pizza: Amazing! Congratulations to all! Your life will never be the same!
• @lanton61: Congratulations !!! Welcome to the best club..Godbless ❤️❤️❤️.. Grammy club❤️❤️❤️
• @rebeccaleigh423: Did anyone say Granny Tanny, yet? 🤣
• @jgred: Congratulations!!! Grandma DJ!!

The fact that Bure has gone from trapping her kids in a car to talk to them about sex to now celebrating one of her babies having a baby definitely shows just how fast time can fly.

This will be her first time being a grandmother, but since her oldest son, Levi, got married in 2024, it’s quite possible it won’t be long before she has another grandchild. It’s unknown when Baby Perry will make his or her entrance into the world, but time will surely fly as they continue to prepare. Candy Gram will probably be on hand to help, and I can’t imagine it any other way.

It’s going to be exciting seeing Bure and her family step into this new chapter of their lives. Whether or not she’ll be bringing her grandchild to the set of her Great American Movies is unknown, but at the very least, she’ll likely be bragging to all of her co-stars and the crew when the baby is born.

Just because we’re in the midst of the 2026 TV schedule doesn’t mean we can’t also be in the middle of ‘90s nostalgia, from Lisa Kudrow making Friends references on The Comeback to Ben Affleck’s Super Bowl ad to this week’s news about that Animorphs reboot. Over on American Idol, the judges and contestants celebrated the era with a ‘90s Time Warp episode, leading to a social media-crushing post from a trio of sitcom queens led by Boy Meets World vet Danielle Fishel (who also hosts Idol's official podcast).

No stranger to leaning all the way back into ‘90s culture (for better and worse) in her co-created podcast Pod Meets World, Fishel teamed up with Full House and Fuller House’s Andrea Barber and The Wonder Years’ Danica McKellar to craft a ‘90s-infused post that sent Instagram (and perhaps yours truly) into a throwback, puppy-lovey tizzy. Check out the video below, which is set to the decade-defining tune of The Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris.”

The comedic threesome tipped their metaphorical hats to the ‘90s roles that turned them each into eternal TV stars, and it’s amazing to see instant evidence of just how much each of them h as changed over the past 30 years or so, while also still essentially looking the exact same. I probably should have reached out to ask for beauty tips back in 1996, but that ship has likely sailed.

I gotta say, for all the '90s details seen in those photos, I think my favorite decade-specific detail is the see-through phone that's sitting on the table in front of the actresses. It's quite bizarre to see someone's cell phone lying next to it, too.

Understandably, the post garnered a slew of likes and shares, with several other celebs chiming in, including Barber's Full House chum Candace Cameron Bure, and the offiicial Goo Goo Dolls profile.

• CANDACE CAMERON BURE: Love it
• HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE: Awesome
• DAMON WAYANS JR: Oh come on 🥹😍🥰
• MIKE RUGA: This trio tho 🔥🔥🔥
• THE GOO GOO DOLLS: 💜💜💜

So many non-celeb comments as well, with a lion's of the responses being about childhood crushes that may or may not have dissipated over time. Which is to say, a lot of hornballs, both men and women. (Though mostly men.) Fishel has spoken about being perceived as a sex symbol as a teen, and the body issues that plagued her, but given that most of the comments are more sweet and innocent than salacious, hopefully they're received well.

I just want to shout out this comment for feeling as if it was removed directly from my brain and transcribed by Instagram.

• If you added Kelly Kapowski with Topenga and Winnie Cooper, would have been the Trifecta! - @jake005

Danielle Fishel later shared a post more directly tied to American Idol, in which she and the judges mouthed the words to dialogue from Ryan Murphy's horror comedy series Scream Queens. It's not exactly a '90s callbak, but the show did co-star Full House's John Stamos, so it counts.

All three of the actresses seen above are maintaining their busy careers. Andrea Barber, for example, is currently hosting the Full House rewatch podcast How Rude, Tanneritos alongside former co-star Jodie Sweetin, with the latest episode covering Season 6, Episode 14.

Fresh off of her Dancing with the Stars season, Fishel and her former co-stars Will Friedle and Rider Strong remain busy with Pod Meets World. And Danica McKellar, who turned 50 last year, recently celebrated the 38th anniversary of The Wonders Years premiere, and has kept busy in recent years starring in Christmas movies for Hallmark and Great American Family.

Alright now, ABC, how's about bringing TGIF back for a night of sitcom reunion specials?

It seems like only yesterday that The Wonder Years’ Danica McKellar celebrated the show’s 35th anniversary with adorable throwback pics. Her sweet girl-next-door character, Winnie Cooper, is forever iconic to fans, and it's been amazing to see how the show's popularity has endured. With that, it’s hard to believe how much time has passed since it premiered. The ABC series just turned 38, and McKellar celebrated by sharing a truly sweet message.

One of the best sitcoms of all time, The Wonder Years centers around young Kevin Arnold grows up during the late 1960s/early 1970s against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement and more. The show received critical acclaim amid its six-season run between 1988 to 1993, and it also inspired a reboot that ran for two seasons from 2021 to 2023. To celebrate the OG series' 38th anniversary, Danica McKellar took to Instagram to celebrate the show’s 38th anniversary with a slideshow of stills from the show as well as a heartwarming message:

The love for the show is definitely real, and I love that McKellar still connects with fans over the series even now. I also love seeing the throwback photos of young McKellar (as Winnie) in her pigtails and looking adorable alongside Fred Savage. It goes without saying that the Young Justice alum still has love for the classic sitcom that truly launched her career.

One of the best qualities of The Wonder Years is its depiction of how imperfect adolescence is and how there aren’t always happy endings. The general sense of warmth and comfort that the show evokes is also what McKellar wants to continue to deliver to audiences. She continued to talk about bringing the legacy of the Emmy-winning series to her work on the Great American Family network:

After Danica McKellar left acting for years to pursue her mathematics degree, she starred in various Hallmark Channel movies. McKellar eventually made the move to Great American Family. According to McKellar she left Hallmark due to a desire to not only to star in family-oriented movies but to write and produce them as well. From 2022’s The Winter Palace to last year’s Have We Met This Christmas?, McKellar’s multi-picture deal allows her to create programming that continues to bring families together like Wonder Years once did.

38 years later, The Wonder Years is still a solid fixture within the cultural zeitgeist, and I'm loving it. It's nothing short of heartwarming that Danica McKellar still sees and appreciates the joy the show brings people, and I hope that continues. On that note, you can celebrate with McKellar by streaming the nostalgic ABC series using a Hulu subscription.

Sitcoms of the 1980s and ‘90s were rife with teen icons who continue to be vital parts of the 2025 TV schedule decades later. Full House, Family Matters, Friends and so many more are among the most rewatchable series, and Candace Cameron Bure just blew my mind with a throwback post showing so many young actors of that era — Danica McKellar, Jennifer Aniston, Jaleel White and more — sharing the screen on a ‘90s TV movie.

If you were a kid in 1990, you might remember Camp Cucamonga — aka the “zaniest, most hilarious summer vacation ever” — which aired on NBC. If this ‘90s gem passed you by, though, get ready for a smack of nostalgia that’ll knock you out of your high-tops, as Candace Cameron Bure shared the following pics and videos to Instagram:

That group picture is like a who’s who of stars of the best sitcoms of all time. In addition to the Full House star, you’ve got Cheers star John Ratzenberger, Sherman Hemsley of All in the Family and its just-as-good spinoff The Jeffersons, Danica McKellar and Josh Saviano from The Wonder Years, Jennifer Aniston four years before she found fame on Friends, Family Matters’ Jaleel White, Chad Allen of My Two Dads, Breckin Meyer and so many more.

That last name was of particular interest to Kelly Rizzo, the widow of Candace Cameron Bure’s Full House co-star, Bob Saget, who is now dating the Clueless actor. Rizzo commented:

She wasn’t the only one of CCB’s Full House family to weigh in, as Dave Coulier’s wife, Melissa, clearly remembered Camp Cucamonga, calling it:

Why am I having so much FOMO over a fictional camp? As wild as it is to see so many of those actors in the same photo, I also can’t get over the videos! Candace Cameron Bure shared behind-the-scenes footage of the cast practicing their dance moves (I need to brush up on my “Running Man” skills) and just goofing off between scenes.

We even get a clip of Candace Cameron Bure’s Amber getting shown up by Danica McKellar’s Lindsey when the former wasn’t able to get her moves right. That was the slide that probably stuck out the most to Jen Lilley, who — like Bure and McKellar — left Hallmark for Great American Family. Lilley tagged McKellar as she commented:

The Wonder Years star was also feeling the nostalgia, as she wrote in CCB’s comments:

This post is simply full of memories, and I’m astonished to think of all of these actors not just sharing the screen for the 1990 TV movie but hanging out and having what must have been like an actual summer camp of their own! Unfortunately, Camp Cucamonga doesn’t appear to be available to stream so, hopefully, you’ve still got your recorded-from-TV VHS version lying around somewhere.

Considering how many child stars have walked away from Hollywood, it is always so inspiring to see an actor who started early and continues to act to this day. Of course, some of them would walk away from the spotlight or experience a bit of a career hiccup before making an impressive return, either with more acting roles or in a new medium altogether. See for yourself by taking a look at these former child actors who went on to impress us as adults.

Mayim Bialik

After hitting it big as the title character of the hit '90s sitcom Blossom, Mayim Bialik lived a normal life that included earning a neuroscience degree and starting a family. She made her major industry return by joining the Big Bang Theory cast as neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler, which led her to lead another sitcom called Call Me Kat and host Jeopardy! for a short time.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

After getting his start in movies like Angels in the Outfield and A River Runs Through It and playing an alien posing as a human teen on the great ‘90s TV show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Joseph Gordon-Levitt never really went away from Hollywood. However, he did experience a moment of relative obscurity before roles in the likes of (500) Days of Summer, a few great Christopher Nolan movies, and his many collaborations with Rian Johnson put him on the A-List.

Jurnee Smollett

Jurnee Smollett made a grand impression in her youth with a recurring stint on Full House and as the title role of the acclaimed Black horror movie, 1997's Eve’s Bayou. Her career would take an astonishing turn toward A-list success in 2020 after her Emmy-nominated turn in HBO’s Lovecraft Country, which was followed by her role as Black Canary in DC’s Birds of Prey, her great performance in Amazon Prime’s The Burial, and more.

Jason Bateman

Following his debut appearance on Little House on the Prairie, his roles on sitcoms like Valerie (later called The Hogan Family after some major casting shake-ups), and his lead part in Teen Wolf Too made Jason Bateman an '80s heartthrob. Years later, playing Michael Bluth in the Arrested Development cast made him a comedy icon before his Emmy-nominated turn as Marty Byrde in Netflix's Ozark cast further proved his remarkable versatility.

Keke Palmer

Keke Palmer – who proved she was an acting powerhouse at 9 years old with her debut role in Barbershop 2: Back in Business before scoring her first lead role in 2006's Akeelah and the Bee – never needed a comeback moment because her notoriety never really stopped. However, it is clear that the multi-talented Emmy winner was never more popular before her scene-stealing performance in Jordan Peele’s 2022 alien invasion movie, Nope.

Josh Brolin

After making his acting debut at 17 in 1985's The Goonies cast, Josh Brolin rarely had another role quite as successful until, at 39, he was cast in 2007's instant classic Western movie, No Country for Old Men, as Llewellyn Moss. The son of James Brolin went on to receive an Oscar nomination for 2008's Milk, was cast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first big bad, Thanos, and has given commanding performances in various other acclaimed films.

Drew Barrymore

Many forget that, years after 1982's E.T. the Extra-terrestrial made her a sensation at just 7 years old, Drew Barrymore had a few career shake-ups due to personal drama including addiction. Yet, her astonishing performance in the opening scene of 1996’s Scream brought her back to the A-List and earned her roles in blockbusters like Charlie's Angels and TV shows like Santa Clarita Diet before she found later success as a daytime talk show host.

Neil Patrick Harris

Playing the prodigious title role of Doogie Howser M.D. made Neil Patrick Harris a household name, at least for a while. His popularity would skyrocket, however, when he played Barney Stinson in the How I Met Your Mother cast, which opened up many avenues for the now multi-Emmy-winning performer, from working with David Fincher on Gone Girl to hosting award shows and taking the stage on Broadway.

Gaby Hoffman

Gaby Hoffman had an amazing run as a child actor in the late 1980s and early 1990s with roles in movies like Uncle Buck, Field of Dreams, Now and Then, and Sleepless in Seattle. After stepping away to focus on her education, she resurfaced as a sought-after talent with her Emmy-nominated starring role in the Amazon Prime original TV show, Transparent.

Ke Huy Quan

Following his iconic roles in classic '80s movies Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, as Short Round, and The Goonies, as Data, Ke Huy Quan’s role offers began to disappear. That would change decades later when he won an Academy Award for his uplifting performance in A24's acclaimed multiverse movie, 2022’s Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Anna Chlumsky

For years, Anna Chlumsky was best known for her heartbreaking performance as 11-year-old Vada in 1991's My Girl. Years later, she significantly increased her star power with her multi-Emmy-nominated role in the hit HBO series, Veep, as Amy Brookheimer.

Macaulay Culkin

One of the most essential examples of a “former child star” is Macaulay Culkin, who had Hollywood in the palm of his young hands after leading the original Home Alone cast as Kevin McCallister. He still acts from time to time, having shown up in the American Horror Story Season 10 cast or on HBO's The Righteous Gemstones, is in a power couple with Brenda Song, and finally received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.

Christina Ricci

Christina Ricci would continue to find notable acting roles beyond her star-making turn as Wednesday Addams in 1991's The Addams Family and 1993's Addams Family Values. However, starring in Showtime’s Yellowjackets cast did wonders for her modern notoriety before she revisited her breakout role with a fun part in Netflix’s Wednesday cast, opposite Jenna Ortega.

Christian Bale

Christian Bale owes his fame to starring in Steven Spielberg's 1987 period drama Empire of the Sun and the cult-favorite 1992 musical Newsies but his menacing turn in 2000's American Psycho earned him wide respect as an adult. However, leading Christopher Nolan's live-action Batman movies as Bruce Wayne made him one of the top actors of his generation, leading to his Oscar win for 2011’s The Fighter.

Danica McKellar

Danica McKellar embodied the ultimate girl next door when she was cast in the original Wonder Years as Winnie Cooper from 1988 to 1993. Much later in her career, she would acquire a much different fanbase when she became one of the most prolific stars on the Hallmark Channel with roles in movies like Christmas She Wrote and Swing into Romance.

Cole Sprouse

Cole Sprouse had already acted alongside his sibling, his identical twin brother Dylan, numerous times (such as in Big Daddy) before Disney Channel’s The Suite Life franchise made them teen idols. However, you could argue that Cole was never more popular after he joined the Riverdale cast as Jughead Jones.

Hilary Duff

There were few teen Disney Channel stars who became quite as iconic and as quickly as Hilary Duff after she starred in the title role of Lizzie McGuire. She would find later success in the scene-stealing supporting role of Kelsey Peters on TV Land’s Younger and as the lead protagonist of Hulu's short-lived but well-liked How I Met Your Mother spin-off, How I Met Your Father.

Josh Peck

Josh Peck first rose to fame on Nickelodeon by scoring major roles in kid-friendly comedies like The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh. He would later prove his worth as a versatile actor with more mature roles, such as on Fox's Grandfathered or in Christopher Nolan’s Best Picture Oscar winner, Oppenheimer.

Vincent Kartheiser

Vincent Kartheiser first made a name for himself by appearing in ‘90s teen movies like Alaska and Masterminds. However, he would find later and greater success after starring in AMC's Mad Men cast as Pete Campbell.

Kurt Russell

Following his feature debut in 1963’s It Happened at the World’s Fair alongside Elvis Presley, Kurt Russell continued to have success as the star of light and funny Disney movies like The Strongest Man in the World. In 1981, he reinvented himself as an action movie icon after playing Snake Plissken in John Carpenter’s Escape from New York, which led to plenty more awesome movie roles, such as R.J. MacReady in The Thing and Coach Herb Brooks in Miracle.

Kieran Culkin

Kieran Culkin was previously best known as Macaulay Culkin’s younger brother, who also showed up in the Home Alone movies and played Matty Banks in the Father of the Bride movies. However, he would become one of the more prolific Culkin siblings following his Emmy-winning turn in the Succession cast as Roman Roy and other widely acclaimed performances.

Johnny Galecki

For years, Johnny Galecki was best known for playing the third Rusty Griswold in 1989's National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and David Healy on Roseanne. He would later reprise the latter role on The Conners years after experiencing a career resurgence by playing Leonard Hofstadter on CBS' The Big Bang Theory.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster

Thomas Brodie-Sangster made an impressive feature film debut as Liam Neeson’s onscreen stepson in the 2003 rom-com, Love Actually. The British actor would later surprise audiences with his role as Jojen Reed in the Game of Thrones cast, leading to parts in the Maze Runner movies and Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit.

Tyler James Williams

Tyler James Williams became a bonafide sitcom star by playing a young Chris Rock on Everybody Hates Chris, which led to more interesting roles, such as Lionel in the acclaimed 2014 indie comedy, Dear White People. However, his recurring role on the Walking Dead cast and multi-Emmy-nominated turn as Gregory Eddie on the Abbott Elementary cast earned him wide respect as an adult actor.

Alisan Porter

Alisan Porter only appeared in a handful of movies, including Ron Howard's Parenthood and John Hughes' Curly Sue in the title role, before she walked away from acting when she was still very young. She would later reinvent herself as a talented musician when she competed in and won the tenth season of NBC's hit singing competition show, The Voice.

Ashley Johnson

Ashley Johnson broke into the business when she joined the Growing Pains cast as the Severs' youngest child, Chrissy. She is best known these days as a prolific voice actor who has breathed life into iconic roles such as Gretchen on Recess and Ellie in the hit post-apocalyptic video game The Last of Us, which was adapted into an HBO series that she cameoed on.

Jennette McCurdy

Jennette McCurdy became one of the most promising young talents to break through on Nickelodeon, having been cast on iCarly as the charmingly bullish Sam Puckett. However, she became better known and even better respected years later for her acclaimed, revealing 2022 memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, which focuses on her life as a reluctant child actor.

Natasha Lyonne

Natasha Lyonne began her career early in life – notably appearing on Pee-wee's Playhouse – and seemingly hit her peak in her late teens and early 20s with the American Pie movies and But I'm a Cheerleader before substance abuse caused her career to slow down. Years later, Emmy-nominated turns on TV shows like Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll (which she co-created), and Poker Face and a few acclaimed movie roles reignited her wonderfully versatile career.

Mara Wilson

Following her star-making roles in Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street, and Matilda, Mara Wilson walked away from the spotlight soon after starring in Thomas and the Magic Railroad. She would later take up minor, infrequent parts after becoming better known for writing about her experiences as a top child actor.

Haley Joel Osment

Haley Joel Osment would never go on to play a role quite as iconic as young medium Cole Sear in, arguably, the best M. Night Shyamalan movie, The Sixth Sense (which earned him an Oscar nomination) at 11 years old. However, his work as an adult – such as recurring roles on hit series like Silicon Valley and The Boys and memorable parts in movies like Kevin Smith’s Tusk – has been nothing short of exciting.

Taylor Momsen

Taylor Momsen made a charming debut as Cindy Lou Who in 2000's How the Grinch Stole Christmas and, in her teens, made an impression on the Gossip Girl cast as Jenny Humphrey. She would later reinvent herself as the frontwoman of a successful rock group called The Pretty Reckless.

Lukas Haas

Following an acclaimed run as one of the most revered child actors of the 1980s for his roles in Witness and Lady in White, Lukas Haas went on to take progressively smaller roles as he grew up. However, much of the projects he has taken in his adulthood – including movies like Inception and Babylon and TV shows like The Righteous Gemstones and War of the Worlds – have been met with great receptions.

Danica McKellar’s birthday may have been at the start of January, but when you are celebrating a milestone like 50, the party deserves to last all month. A few weeks after taking a rejuvenating cold plunge to celebrate her big day on January 3, the actress put on a gorgeous sparkling minidress and threw a big sparkly salsa party with her pals, including Candace Cameron Bure.

Danica McKellar Wore A Stunning Sequined Minidress To Celebrate Her Birthday

Honestly, Danica McKellar’s birthday is in the perfect month. It’s after the holiday rush, which she’s always a big part of because of her work at Great American Family, and before the 2025 TV schedule really kicks into high gear. So, it seems like it’d be a great time to take a beat and celebrate.

This year, she decided to go big too because she turned 50, and she did it in style, take a look at what she posted on her IG story:

The silver sequined minidress was so fun, and perfect for this occasion! Plus, over on her Instagram, McKellar posted an image of her and her hubby, and he wore a disco ball-esque top that matched her dress perfectly.

This was also the assignment for the night. McKellar wrote that everyone wore sparkles to the event, and it sounds like the party was sparkling just as much as they were, as she explained:

Her friends and family sure did understand the assignment, proving they were very here to celebrate their friend’s big birthday. This included Candace Cameron Bure too, who posted about the party and her reunion with McKellar.

Candace Cameron Bure Posted An Adorable Birthday Message For Danica McKellar After Reuniting

The guest list for McKellar’s party truly was immaculate and a who’s who of former child stars and TV actors from the ‘90s and early ‘00s as well as current Hallmark and Great American Family actors. Melissa Joan Hart, Jesse Hutch, Bethany Joy Lenz, Erin Cahill, Jason Hervey and more were in attendance. Notably, Candace Cameron Bure – who was also a sitcom star who went on to lead Hallmark movies before moving to GAF – was there too, and she shared the sweetest message about the evening on her Instagram:

Isn’t that the most precious message? I love that everyone seemed so on board to celebrate 50 with “sequins and salsa.” Oh, also, like the Wonder Years actress, Bure was literally sparkling at the party too, as she rocked a sequined red matching set. Truly, it looked like a wonderful way to commemorate such a big birthday.

McKellar and Bure have known each other for decades – heck, they were even in a love triangle with Growing Pains’ Jeremy Miller back in the ‘80s – and their careers have run parallel to each other. So, seeing lovely messages like this and knowing their history makes everything even sweeter.

Overall, this reunion and the party looked like a grand old time, and I love that Danica McKellar went all out for 50.

Considering how happy McKellar is with her move to GAF as well as the number of films she’s put out in the last few years, it’s clear she’s thriving professionally. Meanwhile, her birthday celebrations – cold plunge, sequins, salsa and all – prove that she’s thriving personally too, and we love to see it.

Now that the 2024 Christmas movie season is over and we’re in the first days of the 2025 TV schedule, Danica McKellar is celebrating the new year and her milestone birthday with a polar plunge. Yep, to commemorate her 50th birthday, the Great American Family star jumped into the freezing water while wearing a cute pink bikini and it looked both refreshing and freezing.

In the video posted to McKellar’s Instagram Story, you can hear her husband Scott Sveslosky wish her a happy birthday, and she thanked him for it. Then she proceeded to run into the ocean in a cute pink bikini. She quickly submerged herself in the water (which, kudos to her for hopping into the cold water without hesitation), and she came back saying “happy birthday to me” in a cheery tone.

Throughout the clip, you can also hear her talking about how cold the water was, and the photo illustrates that it was only 57 degrees outside as well. So, yeah, it was 100% not bikini weather. However, the Wonder Years actress was ready for that plunge and seemed to enjoy it immensely.

She then followed the video of her jumping into the chilly ocean with a cute selfie of her and Sveslosky, confirming that he was the one who filmed her and the fact that he did the polar plunge too.

On January 3, McKellar turned 50, and, she’s looking as good as ever. The former child star isn’t just thriving professionally, it would appear that personally and physically she’s also doing great.

It seems that doing something for her own well-being and health is a tradition for the actress when it comes to celebrating her birthday. For example, back on her 48th birthday, she shared her “secret” for looking young, writing that it all comes down to “attitude,” and a “healthy, clean lifestyle.” Well, a cold plunge certainly fits into that explanation!

Along with making choices in her personal life that keep her happy, healthy and youthful, the actress has also done that professionally. For example, back in 2021, she left Hallmark to move to Great American Family. Then, a few years later, in 2024, she said that she was “grateful” for her shift GAF, explaining that the network lets her “weave [her] faith into some of the stories” and she’s been able to write and produce more while still acting in plenty of movies.

So, overall, Danica McKellar is truly living her best life as she enters her 50th year!

Now, while the A Cinderella Christmas Ball star continues to celebrate her milestone birthday, you can keep up with the Great American Family’s schedule of programming and check out our list of upcoming Hallmark movies, so you don’t miss the fun TV movies coming our way from McKellar and more!

Danica McKellar and Candace Cameron Bure were both making headlines a couple of years ago when they left Hallmark for GAF, but their friendship has weathered more than a network change over the years. The two have been pals for decades, and Bure was even a catalyst for McKellar finding religion; they’ve also worked together in the rom-com and Christmas movies space. But at the start of their acquaintance there was a bit more friction. In fact, I just learned the two TV stars were actually involved in a love triangle decades ago, and a Growing Pains actor was involved.

The Story Behind The Love Triangle Bure And McKellar Inadvertently Got Involved In

Back in the the late ‘80s, Growing Pains was a big deal. One of the stars of the series, Jeremy Miller, was a young teen at the time who knew both Bure and McKellar -- and were interested in both young ladies to boot. Danica McKellar revealed how the three of them got involved in a love triangle and it all had to do with a little scheme Miller seemingly had going.

Stone cold move, Jeremy! The actress did quickly clarify to Fox News this was “so silly” and did not happen when they were grownups but when they were still child stars going to meet and greets and other events in Hollywood. She was in middle school at the time, but she says there is a reason it still rubs a little: She didn’t find out he was dating both women until years later.

In fact, after making appearances together during their Wonder Years and Full House years growing up, the two actresses have continued to cross paths. Both appeared on DWTS in 2014 and despite Bure taking a lengthy acting break, both went on to star in flicks on the Hallmark schedule in the years after. The two left that network at similar times for GAF, heading there after Hallmark started catering toward inclusion.

Jeremy Miller Recalls This Story As Being More On The Up And Up

While both ladies look back at their middle school years and feel they were maybe played a little by the Growing Pains star, he doth protest a little bit. He explained the story to OWN a while back, revealing he did date Candace Cameron Bure, and grew interested in McKellar. But there’s a big but.

In fact, he made it very clear he broke things off with the Full Actress before pursuing TV’s own Winnie Cooper. He had a whole scheme to get her to go on a date, given she was nearly 14 and he was only 12 at the time. The Dark Knight himself was involved.

He also called Danica McKellar his first real “dating” relationship, noting that with Bure they were both so young it was more about hanging out with one another on each others’ respective sets with parents and co-stars around. He and McKellar were able to do real activities together and have more alone time, including getting ice cream and talking for hours. But he says he knew he “broke Candace’s heart” at the time and admitted it became, perhaps, “a little bit of a love triangle.”

Young love, amiright? The three have certainly all moved on in the time since, with Miller marrying a woman named Joanie he says lovely things about on Instagram. Candace Cameron Bure’s been married to former hockey player Val Bure since 1996 and they share three children together. Danica McKellar has been married to Scott Sveslosky since 2014 and has a child from her previous marriage to Mike Verta. Young love may not have lasted, but they all ended up doing pretty well for themselves.

Networks like Hallmark, Lifetime and Great American Family have really nailed down the perfect movie formula for those holiday rom-coms we love so much, and they almost always include a kiss at the end. With more of those sweet moments to come on the 2025 TV schedule, fans may be looking forward to seeing the characters fall in love before their eyes, but that kiss isn’t always so beloved by the actors involved — or their spouses. After Candace Cameron Bure talked about her husband Val not liking those scenes, her fellow GAF star Danica McKellar revealed how she handles them.

How Danica McKellar And Her Husband Get Through Kissing Scenes

The Wonder Years alum — who, like her friend Candace Cameron Bure, left Hallmark for Great American Family years ago and is “grateful” she did so — appeared in one made-for-TV Christmas movie this season, A Cinderella Christmas Ball. While Danica McKellar admitted to Fox News that she tends to fast-forward through the kissing scenes because her real-life Prince Charming “doesn’t like” them, she also revealed a different strategy:

Nicely done, Danica. That's definitely a great way to reassure your husband during those inevitably awkward moments. Candace Cameron Bure seemingly liked her idea too, as McKellar’s response reportedly evoked a laugh from her friend. The Full House veteran shared her own perspective after previously opening up about the backlash Val Bure received over his apparent discomfort.

Candace Cameron Bure Shares More Thoughts On Husband’s Feelings About On-Screen Romances

Candace Cameron Bure, who nearly quit acting years ago, has been married to her husband since 1996, and the conversation regarding her characters’ romances has been ongoing for quite a while. After opening up about the backlash she and Val Bure received from her saying he didn’t like seeing her kiss other men, she went further into it with Fox News, saying:

It makes sense that non-actor spouses might not have the same understanding of on-screen romance, simply because they haven’t done that. Danica McKellar and Candace Cameron Bure, meanwhile, have been acting since they were children, and indeed, this was an issue that cropped up when Bure was involved in a love triangle on Fuller House years ago. Communication is key, it seems, but a little distraction a la McKellar’s method doesn’t sound like a bad idea either.

The 2024 Christmas movie season is upon us, and there is much to look forward to, especially on networks like Hallmark and GAF. In just a few short years, Great American Family has become a favorite among fans, partly because of its star power. This is partially because many Hallmark stars opted to move to GAF, including Danica McKellar, who recently explained her reasons why.

After starring in well over a dozen Hallmark original titles, the Wonder Years alum left the company in 2021 in favor of GAF. She was one of the first Hallmark mainstays to make the move, followed soon by Candace Cameron Bure, Jen Lilley, Trevor Donovan, Jessica Lowndes, and more. While she doesn’t have any ill will towards her former home, as she still defends her own Hallmark movies, McKellar told former DWTS pro Cheryl Burke on her Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans podcast why she left:

Even though it seems like McKellar has had quite a consistent acting career and is one of many former child stars still acting, there was a time she quit acting in the mid-90s after The Wonder Years. But she got back in the game and eventually landed at Hallmark in 2015. That's when she found a new level of success, and I can’t say I blame her for wanting to follow someone who helped her achieve all that.

Bill Abbott is not the only reason why Danica McKellar felt the need for a new setting. Despite doing nearly 20 films at Hallmark, the actress shared the one thing that GAF provided that her old network didn’t:

It might have been a surprise when McKellar announced she’d be leaving Hallmark, but the reason does make a lot of sense. Her deal at GAF allows her to have a much bigger say in the projects she makes. That kind of creative input mixed with her longstanding partnership with Bill Abbott makes this move very logical.

Now, the actress has a lot more movies in the works, including A Cinderella Christmas Ball, which premieres on November 29 on the 2024 TV schedule. The film also stars Oliver Rice, Sarah Orenstein, and Haley Summer, and it follows a dance instructor who travels to a small European country in search of her heritage during Christmas break. So, fans won't want to miss out on that as well as other projects Danica McKellar is working on with GAF.

When you've been around as long as NCIS has, there are bound to be a ton of big stars who have made cameos or had early roles in their career on the show. Some of the biggest stars of today have popped up on the long-running CBS procedural. Here is a list of quite a few stars who have appeared on NCIS.

Millie Bobby Brown

Before Millie Bobby Brown hit the really big time as Eleven in Stranger Things, she was working steadily from a young age. One of her first roles on American television came in Episode 6 of Season 12 of NCIS back in 2014. She had only had a couple of roles before it. 

Glen Powell

Glen Powell has emerged as one of the biggest stars around. His first huge break came in Top Gun Maverick, and even though that made him an A-lister, he'd been a working actor for decades at that point, going back to roles he had as a kid. An early role in his adulthood came in Season 10 of NCIS, where he played a Marine in a double episode. 

Lily Tomlin

You just never knew who might show up on NCIS. In Season 9 viewers were treated to an appearance by the legendary Lily Tomlin. In true Tomlin style, she plays a quirky but capable grandmother to one of the team members, McGee (Sean Murray). 

Billy Dee Williams

If fans ever wondered why Gibbs (Mark Harmon) had the first name Jethro, they learned why in Season 10. In the episode, the great Billy Dee Williams plays Jethro Moore, a World War II hero, and Gibbs' father's best friend. Moore and the older Gibbs had had a falling out, but by the end, the younger Gibbs had smoothed everything out between them. 

Jamie Lee Curtis

Hollywood legend Jamie Lee Curtis had a bit more than just a cameo. On the show she played Dr. Samantha Ryan over five episodes towards the end of Season 9 plays a possible love interest for Gibbs, but alas it was not meant to be and she is forced to go into hiding, never to be heard from again on the show. 

Terry O'Quinn

In the early days of NCIS, there was another show about to make its network debut: Lost. It turns out that quite a few actors who became known for their roles on Lost also popped up on NCIS around the same time. One is none other than John Locke himself, Terry O'Quinn. O'Quinn plays a Marine Colonel in an episode in the show's first season. 

Danica McKellar

Danica McKellar is best known as Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years. She also had a great, if somewhat brief, run in The West Wing as Will's sister. On NCIS, she appeared in the Season 2 episode called "Witness," as the titular witness of a crime. In the years since McKellar has found a home in made-for-TV Christmas movies and remains popular with her fans. 

Sean Astin

Sean Astin has carved out a pretty amazing career. His very first role, as Mikey in The Goonies, is one of the most beloved movie characters of all time. Plus he was in that little trilogy known as the Lord of the Rings, something he was nervous about. More recently, he was a key cast member of Stranger Things. In between, he was never not working, including a guest spot in Season 9 of NCIS. 

Taye Diggs

You could say that Taye Diggs got back to his roots in his guest appearance in Season 13. While Diggs plays a Marine on the show, he's a marine with the voice of an angel and at the end of the show, Diggs sings "Hallelujah" with the help of the real-life MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band. Diggs, of course, got his start on Broadway in musicals like Carousel and Rent. 

Samantha Logan

Samantha Logan is best known for roles in Netflix's 12 Reasons Why and CW's All American, but before both of those roles she played the daughter of a character played by Taye Diggs on NCIS. Logan made her acting debut way back in 2009 when she was just 13 and had a small role in Gossip Girl. 

Bob Newhart

What can we say about the late, great Bob Newhart? His TV career is the stuff of legends with two massively popular shows that bore his name and for a younger generation, he'll always be Will Farrell's character's adoptive father in Elf. He also popped up in NCIS, playing a character very much in his wheelhouse. 

Jon Cryer

Jon Cryer started his career in some classic '80s movies like Pretty In Pink and Morgan Stewart's Coming Home. In the 2000s, he became a TV legend as one of the men in Two and a Half Men. He's since even played Lex Luthor, in the Supergirl TV show. Somehow he also found the time to pop into an episode of NCIS playing a battlefield doctor. 

Drew Carey

He started in stand-up. Then had a hit show named after himself. Then he became a superstar of daytime TV as the host of The Price is Right. Drew Carey has done it all, including showing up for one episode of NCIS as a retired marine. Carey was a marine in real life, so the role is actually perfect.  

Michelle Obama

Okay, okay so technically Michelle Obama isn't an actress, but she did show up in one episode of NCIS while she was First Lady of the United States. She played herself of course, there's no way she could be anyone but herself, right? She welcomed Gibbs and others to the White in an episode called "Homefront."

Abigail Breslin

As one of the youngest Oscar nominees ever, at age 10, you might think that Abigail Breslin just burst on the scene in Little Miss Sunshine. That's not the case though. Breslin was already a working actor with a bunch of credits on her resume, including a supporting role in one episode of NCIS in the Season 2 premiere. 

Sterling K. Brown

The Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning actor Sterling K. Brown was a veteran of prime-time TV long before his own show, This Is Us, made people cry every week. As he was coming up in Hollywood, he popped up on all kinds of network shows, including one episode of NCIS in 2013.

Dean Norris

Dean Norris is most famous for Breaking Bad, but he's been snagging roles for decades. One role was as a Marine in a very early episode of NCIS. In Episode 12 of Season 1, Norris plays a soldier with a past run-in with Gibbs when Gibbs was still an MP.

Zac Efron

Zac Efron became a huge star thanks to movies like High School Musical and Neighbors, but he was a child long before those movies exploded. One of his early roles came in a Season 3 episode of NCIS where he played a trouble-making kid that he was perfect for. 

Jesse Plemons

A quick glance at Jessie Plemons resume will show that the actor took the long road to fame. While he would eventually be leading men and key supporting characters in some of Hollywood's biggest movies, he started more humbly. One such example is his role as a teenager getting in trouble with the team at NCIS on the show. 

Colin Hanks

Tom Hanks is often called "America's Dad" and so that must make Colin Hanks our collective brother, right? Well, maybe not, but he is a great actor in his own right and he shows it in roles like the one he starred in on NCIS in two episodes at the end of Season 10. 

Sherilyn Fenn

As one of the breakout stars of Twin Peaks in the '90s, Sherilyn Fenn is no stranger to network TV. With over 100 credits to her name on IMDB, she's been on shows all over the dial over the last 30 years or so. One of those credits came in Season 1 of NCIS.

Josh Holloway

Josh Holloway's star shined the brightest when he starred as Sawyer in Lost starting in the fall of 2004. Just a few months before that, he played a local sheriff in Season 1 of NCIS. Since then, he's been a regular in shows like Yellowstone, Colony, and Intelligence. 

Frank Whaley

It's crazy to think that Frank Whaley's career goes all the way back to the '80s. IT's even crazier to realize he's over 60 years old now. The guy hasn't aged a day since Career Opportunities in 1991. Come to think of it, neither has his co-star in that movie, Jennifer Connelly. Connelly, however, hasn't been in an episode of NCIS and Whaley has, playing an escaped convict. 

Jim Rash

Jim Rash is most beloved for playing the hapless dean of the community college in Community, but he's been in tons of over shows. He's been in some quirky shows too, like a voice role in Mike Tyson's Mysteries and as a semi-regular on Reno 911!. He's a writer as well, co-writing the George Clooney movie The Descendants. He also found time to star in an episode of NCIS way back in it's first season. 

Julie Benz

Julie Benz's first big TV role was on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and later its spinoff Angel, playing Darla. Later she was a regular on Hawaii Five-O and Defiance. In Episode 22 of Season 1 of NCIS, Benz played the grieving wife of a soldier. 

Emilie De Ravin

It turns out that NCIS was a good place for cast members of Lost to star right before they all got super famous on the ABC show. Emilie de Ravin is one of those stars who appeared in a Season 1 episode of the show just like her fellow Lost cast members Josh Holloway and Terry O'Quinn. 

Bellamy Young

Before Bellamy Young became a regular on the hit show Scandal, she worked on a lot of shows on TV, including two early episodes of Law & Order, where she played two different roles, something it turns out a lot of actors did. Young played an undercover ATF agent in an episode in Season 1 of NCIS.

Daphne Zuniga

For anyone who grew up in the 1980s, Daphne Zuniga will always be Princess Vesper in Mel Brooks' classic Space Balls and Alison in The Sure Thing alongside John Cusack. In the 2020s she was still turning in great performances, like that of a Navy commander with very questionable motives in a Season 17 episode of NCIS.

Zoe Perry

In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon's mother was played by the great Laurie Metcalfe. When the spinoff Young Shelton hit the airwaves. Zoe Perry took over the role and played it perfectly. She had a lot of experience at that point, including a guest spot as a police officer in two episodes of NCIS during the show's 13th season.

Ray Wise

Ray Wise is one of the great character actors of his generation. He's most famous for playing Leland Palmer, the father-turned-murderer in Twin Peaks, but his career stretches back to the 1960s. On NCIS he plays the father of a guy who thinks he's a superhero, which as you can imagine, he has no patience for in Episode 15 of Season 9. 

Tyler Ritter

Actor Tyler Ritter, who is the son of the beloved John Ritter, seems to pop up all over the place. He's played a detective in Arrow, he was in Homecoming, and he played  Abby Sciuto's (Pauley Perrette) brother Luca in an NCIS crossover event with NCIS: New Orleans when the spinoff began. 

Don Lake

You might not know his name, but you know his face, especially if you are a fan of the Christopher Quest-verse. Don Lake was a cast member in Waiting for Guffman, Best In Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and even Mascots. Usually, he plays the straight man, but that doesn't mean he's not hilarious. Even in serious roles, like his in a Season 17 episode of NCIS, you can't help but crack a smile when he's on screen. 

The Wonder Years is truly one of the best sitcoms of all time, as it depicted the everyday challenges of growing up in the late 1960s. Since the final episode of the coming-of-age series aired back in 1993, the young stars that acted on the show have all grown up . So grown up that Jason Hervey, who played Kevin Arnold’s older brother Wayne on the dramedy, is now a grandfather. And his former co-star, Danica McKellar, feels just like we do.

Some can probably still vividly remember Jason Hervey’s Wayne messing with Fred Savage's Kevin and calling him "Butthead." (He's definitely a member of the Arnold Clan who you wouldn’t want to invite to Thanksgiving dinner.) Given those memories, it's kind of surreal to know that, at 52 years old, Hervey, who's also a TV producer, is a proud grandfather to his daughter’s baby boy. Needless to say, I’m getting all of the feels from Wonder Years co-star Danica McKellar’s Instagram post, which you can see below:

While The Wonder Years cast reunited a decade ago for the show’s DVD release and had another reunion at a Rangers hockey game, the latest get-together at the Fanboy Expo in Tennessee takes the cake. It was there that the cast of the ‘80s/’90s sitcom got to meet Jason Hervey’s grandson, Shia. While I can get around Mr. Hervey being a father of four children, it’s so hard to believe the former child star known for playing Kevin’s mischievous older brother is now a grandparent! My mind is clearly stuck in another place in time, and it make take me a little bit to wrap my head around this.

Little Shia was so lucky to get to meet the former cast members of his grandfather’s old show, including his “TV great-grandfather,” Dan Lauria, who played Wayne's father on The Wonder Years. But the most memorable pic from the Instagram carousel is the shot of Danica McKellar holding this little bundle of joy. In her caption, the Hallmark/GAC Family actress expressed her thoughts, which align with mine and probably yours as well:

Yes, he absolutely is. In her caption, the actress explained that Shia was originally crying when the actress/author held him in her arms. But the mother of one was a pro at getting him to stop crying, as shown in a video of her performing a little “U-bend” that she did for her own son when he was four weeks old. The skilled mathematician swayed Shia from side to side, giving him little pats on the back and chanting, “Babies need a little bit of rhythm.” Jason Hervey commented on Danica McKellar’s post that he was more than appreciative of what she provided for his grandson at that moment:

It’s still unbelievable that the older brother from The Wonder Years is now a grandfather but, like so many others seem to be, I'm happy for him. I also love that Jason Hervey and his co-stars are still so close. As Hervey told McKellar, “YOU are family,” and I'm living for the fact that little Shia apparently has so many people who love him.

You can relive the nostalgia of The Wonder Years by streaming all six seasons with a Hulu subscription. Make sure to also look at our 2024 TV schedule in case you're looking for some shows that are a bit more current.

Last month, Alexa PenaVega delivered the sad news that her daughter died during birth. Hallmark movie veterans like Candace Cameron Bure and others whom she and her husband, Carlos PenaVega, knew shared their grievances and offered words of comfort. After the Spy Kids alum posted a heartbreaking video speaking about the loss of her daughter, former Hallmark star Danica McKellar gave PenaVega a very touching response.

Alexa PenaVega was fighting back tears speaking to fans on Instagram about the pain she and her husband have gone through since she gave birth to her stillborn daughter, Indy. She mentioned the importance of letting God into her life (something she's spoken about many times before) to help her heal and that “she did not go without purpose” in strengthening her faith, marriage, and family. Danica McKellar, who used to work at Hallmark along with PenaVega, offered touching words of comfort to her friend, writing:

Danica McKellar really is an amazing friend for offering Alexa PenaVega kind words. The two used to work for Hallmark until McKellar left the network in 2021 to join Great American Family. 

For the family-family programming network, The Wonder Years actress has so far starred in The Winter Palace, Christmas at the Drive-In, Swing into Romance, and A Royal Date for Christmas. Her next upcoming movie with GAF, according to Deadline, will be A Royal Christmas Ball which will premiere in November as part of Great American Christmas 2024. However, despite being on different networks, it's clear that both women still support each other. 

It’s truly an inconceivable tragedy to go through a loss like Alexa PenaVega and her family went through. Danica McKellar makes an admirable point that the Sleepover actress was wise in sharing the concept of “pain with purpose.” While we never know why tragedies befall us, finding purpose is one step closer to healing. Based on one of PenaVega’s kids checking in on her while filming her Instagram video, it looks like she’s part of a close-knit clan with her husband and three children. 

In 2022, Alexa and Carlos PenaVega closed a multi-picture deal with Hallmark. But as many actors have been leaving Hallmark for GAF, it looks like the PenaVegas have found a home within this network too. Their first movie on Great American Family’s streaming platform Great American Pure Flix will be Mr. Manhattan -- which is about a lawyer who becomes responsible for the children of his brother and sister-in-law after they die in a car accident. According to Soaps, GAF CEO Bill Abbott said in a statement that the married pair plan to have “a number of additional projects in development” for the network.

The PenaVegas recently dealt with the devastating tragedy of the loss of their fourth child. But, one thing to be grateful for in tragedy is good friends like Danica McKellar and loving family around you to help you heal. Our hearts at CinemaBlend go out to the PenaVegas. 

Make sure to look at our 2024 TV schedule so you can follow Alexa and Carlos PenaVega’s upcoming projects.

There are many child actors still acting today, and it’s always amazing to see how much they have or haven’t changed. It’s also always great to see ‘90s stars hanging out together, even if they weren’t ever co-stars. Now, both these points have collided in the best way as Danica McKellar and Melissa Joan Hart got together and posted photos where they looked ageless.

McKellar is best known as Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years, and Hart is known for playing titular characters in both Clarissa Explains It All and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, all of which aired in the ‘90s. Fast forward 30 years, and the actresses are actually friends. McKellar shared some sweet photos of the two of them on Instagram, admitting that although they were both child actors in the ‘90s, they “didn’t become friends until about two years ago.” And honestly, they look like they haven’t aged a day:

Winnie Cooper and Sabrina Spellman would have definitely been best friends in another life, and it’s pretty great to see that these '90s stars are so close. It’s unknown just what brought them together, but considering the two have more than likely crossed paths at events like ‘90s Con and Christmas Con, it was likely just a matter of time before they became pals.

Despite the stories told in the explosive documentary that's been airing on the 2024 TV schedule, Quiet on Set, Melissa Joan Hart spoke about her experience working at Nickelodeon in the '90s, saying that she loved her time working there and that she "was surrounded by an amazing crew and incredible cast." However, she also made it very clear that she believes those who spoke out in the documentary. While the discourse surrounding those who worked on shows as kids has been turbulent recently, it's nice to see Hart reflect on her experience and post about how she's bonded with others who were child stars.

When it comes to what these two actresses have been doing lately, while they look ageless, they have been doing things that show just how long they've been gracing our screens. Hart recently played a grandmother in a Lifetime movie, which is pretty hard to believe and makes a whole generation feel old. Meanwhile, McKellar celebrated the 35th anniversary of The Wonder Years in early 2023, which is also enough to make anyone feel old.

Regardless, it seems this friendship between Danica McKellar and Melissa Joan Hart is one that has been long in the making and is a match made in heaven. Hopefully, they will take many more pictures together and maybe even unite their former co-stars so it can be like one big happy family. In the meantime, this might be one of the best nostalgic moments to come out recently, and I'll be smiling about it for the foreseeable future.

The phrase “former child star” is most often associated with someone who was famous when they were much younger, but is not quite as well-known — or, perhaps, does not even act anymore — as a grown-up. Yet, for every starlet who has risen and fallen, there are just as many who have beaten the odds and have gone onto bigger and better things as adults, like these beloved celebrities.

Macaulay Culkin

The first person you might think of when you think of “former child stars” could be Macaulay Culkin, who was on top of the world when he led the original Home Alone cast as Kevin McCallister. While his notoriety would slow in subsequent years, it is always a treat to see him show up in ensembles like the American Horror Story Season 10 cast or Kid Cudi’s Entergalactic cast.

Lukas Haas

Lukas Haas was one of the most acclaimed young actors of his time with leading roles in 1985’s Witness, opposite Harrison Ford, and the underrated ghost story, Lady in White, from 1988. He has since made a living taking smaller roles in otherwise big movies like Inception and Babylon, plus he's shown up on TV shows like The Righteous Gemstones and War of the Worlds.

Jurnee Smollett

With an Emmy nomination for HBO’s Lovecraft Country, a scene-stealing role in DC’s Birds of Prey, and a stellar turn in Amazon Prime’s The Burial, Jurnee Smollett has established herself as one of the strongest talents of her time. However, that was already clear with her recurring role in Full House and her astonishing performance in 1997’s acclaimed Black horror movie, Eve’s Bayou, when she was still a child.

Jason Bateman

From his debut role on Little House on the Prairie to his years on the sitcom Valerie (which would become The Hogan Family), Jason Bateman showed great versatility as a performer in his younger years. He has upheld that reputation ever since, as seen by his Emmy-nominated work leading the Arrested Development cast and, later, the Ozark cast. His ability to shift from starring in funny movies like Horrible Bosses to dramas like Air is remarkable.

Dakota Fanning

Racking up more than 20 credits before she turned 10, Dakota Fanning was everywhere in the early 2000s — catching the attention of filmmakers like Steven Spielberg for War of the Worlds and holding her own against actors like Robert DeNiro in Hide and Seek. Save her age, nothing much has changed for the actor, who appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood cast and reunited with her Man on Fire co-star, Denzel Washington, in 2023’s The Equalizer 3.

Ryan Gosling

A 13-year-old Ryan Gosling entered show business as a Mouseketeer, paving the way for him to star in back-to-back scary anthology TV shows for kids (Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Goosebumps), lead Young Hercules, and more. Leading 2004’s The Notebook cast paved the way for him to be an action hero in Drive and Blade Runner 2049. On top of all that, he also earned Oscar nominations for Half Nelson and La La Land, and made us laugh as part of the The Nice Guys ensemble and the Barbie cast as Ken.

Brie Larson

After some faux ads on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show marked her debut at 9, Brie Larson went on to star in a family sitcom with the late Bob Saget (Raising Dad), was in a YA novel adaptation (Hoot), and she even had a singing career in her teens. Now, she is a comic book movie star (for appearing in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and playing the MCU’s Captain Marvel), and she has an Oscar for Room from 2015.

Kenan Thompson

On All That — Nickelodeon’s answer to Saturday Night Live — one of the young cast’s most prominent breakouts was Kenan Thompson, who went on to co-lead his own kid-friendly sitcom with Kel Mitchell, aptly named Kenan & Kel. The Emmy winner went on to break the record for longest-running SNL actor and lead his own adult sitcom, Kenan.

David Krumholtz

After making his debut playing a child actor in 1993’s Life with Mikey, David Krumholtz became a prominent child actor with roles in Addams Family Values as Wednesday’s love interest and Tim Allen’s head elf, Bernard, in The Santa Clause. The crime procedural, Numb3rs, earned him greater recognition, leading to a career that includes lending his voice to Sausage Party, appearing in the Oppenheimer cast, and reprising Bernard on Disney+’s series, The Santa Clauses.

Neil Patrick Harris

Playing a kid genius on Doogie Howser M.D. made Neil Patrick Harris a household name, which he acknowledged when he later played himself in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Of course, the five-time Emmy winner is better known today as Barney Stinson from the How I Met Your Mother cast, Count Olaf on Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and so much more.

Josh Brolin

At 17, first-time actor Josh Brolin immediately made his mark on pop culture as part of the Goonies cast in the role of Brand Walsh. However, he really got heads turning at 39 when he starred in one of the best movies of the 2000s, No Country for Old Men. The son of Hollywood veteran James Brolin has an Oscar nomination for Milk and multiple comic book movie roles under his belt (Jonah Hex, MCU’s Thanos, and Cable in Deadpool 2), among other great achievements. 

Haley Joel Osment

After debuting in Forrest Gump and starring on The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Haley Joel Osment’s Oscar-nominated performance in, arguably, the best M. Night Shyamalan movie, 1999’s The Sixth Sense, made him a sensation. He went on to earn leading parts in Pay It Forward and Steven Spielberg’s A.I.: Artificial Intelligence. More recently, Osment has been known to pop up in the most unexpected places — Kevin Smith’s Tusk, a guest role on The Boys, Netflix's animated fantasy series Dogs in Space, to name a few — but always with grand results.

Ethan Hawke

After debuting in Joe Dante’s Explorers at 15, Ethan Hawke only grew in prominence in his later teens and throughout his 20s by starring in Dead Poets Society, Reality Bites, etc. He went on to earn Academy Award nominations for Training Day and Boyhood. He completed Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy with 2013’s Before Midnight, became a Scream King with great horror movies like Sinister, and he's done a fair amount of work behind the scenes, too.

Abigail Breslin

Just four years after M. Night Shyamalan gave 6-year-old Abigail Breslin her big break with Signs, her role in the Little Miss Sunshine cast made her one of the youngest Oscar nominees of all time. As she matured, so would her roles — such as a teenage murder suspect in Stillwater or a vigilante in the Accused cast for Fox.

Mayim Bialik

Mayim Bialik stole the show from the Big Bang Theory cast as Amy Farrah Fowler and later led Fox’s Call Me Kat in the title role. However, the Jeopardy! host’s status as sitcom royalty dates back to the ‘90s as the star of Blossom.

Brenda Song

Perhaps Brenda Song’s most iconic character is London Tipton from the Suite Life franchise — which is just one of the roles that made her a prominent Disney Channel star. Beyond the children’s cable giant, she was in one of the best David Fincher movies, The Social Network, led Netflix’s Secret Obsession, and had a main role in Hulu’s Dollface.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Despite being removed for disruptive behavior when making his show business debut on Romper Room at 3 years old (as he revealed to David Letterman), Leonardo DiCaprio went on to lead a winning child actor’s career that included a season on Growing Pains and an Academy Award nomination for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Things would only get better as he grew up, earning even more Oscar nominations — and one win for The Revenant — and becoming as important to Martin Scorsese’s filmography as his This Boy’s Life co-star, Robert DeNiro, whom he reunited with in 2023’s Killers of the Flower Moon.

Tyler James Williams

Tyler James Williams started out appearing on Sesame Street before landing the title role of Chris Rock’s autobiographical sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris. Following an acclaimed indie comedy (Dear White People) and a recurring role on the Walking Dead cast, the actor became sitcom royalty again when he joined the Abbott Elementary cast, which earned him multiple Emmy nods.

Kurt Russell

Former Disney star Kurt Russell made his feature debut in 1963’s It Happened at the World’s Fair alongside Elvis Presley, and he went on to play him in a made-for-TV biopic and Forrest Gump. Several great movie roles later, Russell is one of the top action heroes of all time, and now he's working with his family by joining the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters cast alongside his son, Wyatt, who is playing his younger self.

Jodie Foster

After getting her start on TV at a very young age (the first gig being The Doris Day Show), Jodie Foster got a head start on the more mature roles she would become known for when she appeared in Taxi Driver at 14. The two-time Academy Award winner (for The Accused and Best Picture Oscar winner The Silence of the Lambs) would continue to work from both in front of and behind the camera.

Johnny Galecki

In 1989, 14-year-old Johnny Galecki appeared as Rusty in the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation cast, and he also starred in another holiday classic, Prancer. I would not be surprised if many did not realize that Leonard from The Big Bang Theory was the same actor, but they were likely more hip to that fact by the time he reprised his role from Roseanne, David Healy, on The Conners.

Miranda Cosgrove

Even with Jack Black in the lead, Miranda Cosgrove stole the show in 2003’s School of Rock, and she went on to do the same thing as the evil Megan in the Nickelodeon sitcom, Drake & Josh. One of her most notable credits as an adult was a Paramount+ exclusive revival of iCarly — another Nickelodeon show she led as a teen.

Keke Palmer

Her bombastic debut role in Barbershop 2: Back in Business made it clear that then-9-year-old Keke Palmer was a powerhouse talent. The Emmy winner would continue to demonstrate her skill as the lead of Akeelah and the Bee and much later in life as part of Jordan Peele’s Nope cast.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar

While Zach Morris from the Saved by the Bell cast is still the role he is best known for — he even reprised it in a Peacock exclusive revival — Mark-Paul Gosselaar managed to prove his versatility in later years. He had a successful stint as a detective on NYPD Blue, played a rebellious lawyer on Franklin & Bash, and an abusive captor in NBC’s Found.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Before starring on the great ‘90s TV show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Joseph Gordon-Levitt made multiple TV appearances and starred in classic movies like Angels in the Outfield and A River Runs Through It. These days, he is best known for his many collaborations with Rian Johnson, his Golden Globe-nominated turns in (500) Days of Summer and 50/50, and running the creative collaboration platform HitRecord.

Sean Astin

Before playing the title role of Rudy and starring in the Lord of the Rings movies as Sam, Sean Astin was best known as Mikey in The Goonies. In addition to his accomplished voice acting career, one of his most celebrated roles as of late is Bob Newby from the Season 2 cast of Stranger Things — a show very much inspired by The Goonies.

Kirsten Dunst

After making her film debut in star-studded The Bonfire of the Vanities, Kirsten Dunst really made an impression at 12 playing a 70-year-old bloodsucker in Interview with the Vampire. Starring in the Spider-Man movies as Mary Jane Watson swung her right into the A-list and, in 2022, she received an Academy Award nomination for The Power of the Dog.

Kieran Culkin

With his roles in the Home Alone movies and in Steve Martin movies (both parts of Father of the Bride), it seemed like Kieran Culkin was on his way to the same level of stardom as his brother, Macaulay. However, it was not until later in life when he was thrice Emmy-nominated for starring in HBO’s Succession cast that he became the star he was destined to be.

Selena Gomez

Before leading Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place made Selena Gomez a star, she got her start on Barney in the early 2000s. She now has two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her performance on Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building cast and a Daytime Emmy nod for her Max original cooking show, Selena + Chef.

Elle Fanning

Before breaking out in the Super 8 cast, Elle Fanning’s claim to fame for a while was starring as a younger version of sister, Dakota, in I Am Sam and Taken. Now, she has an Emmy nomination for leading Hulu’s The Great, which is just one of the many Victorian-era roles she has played in more recent years.

Christina Ricci

For years, Christina Ricci’s performance in Barry Sonnenfeld’s Addams Family movies was the definitive iteration of young Wednesday Addams. The Yellowjackets cast member got to revisit those days with her supporting role on Netflix’s Wednesday cast, opposite Jenna Ortega in the lead this time.

Danica McKellar

Some of the most memorably endearing moments from the original Wonder Years involved Danica McKellar’s Winnie Cooper and her puppy love relationship with Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold. Romance is a big part of the actor’s career these days, primarily appearing in popular Hallmark movies like Christmas She Wrote and Swing into Romance.

Knowing the kind of career they would one day lead, I am sure these celebrities wear their “former child star” identities as a badge of honor.

The 2023 Christmas movie lineup is looking awfully good and, if they aren't already, people will soon be getting ready to just cuddle up with some hot chocolate and watch some pretty cheesy movies. Whether they're watching Hallmark, GAF or Lifetime, viewers have some great options. Like its competitors, GAF is prepping for the festive season, and the same is true of its stars. That's right, Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar -- along with a few others -- are as ready as ever. 

The two former Hallmark stars got together with Cameron Mathison and Lori Loughlin to film what appears to be a Christmas PSA for GAF in anticipation of the holiday season. The Full House star shared some fun photos from the shoot on Instagram while telling her followers that she’s always “smiling with this bunch." Check out the sweet snapshots down below:

This comes on the heels of Candace Cameron Bure dropping another festive post, which was just as delightful as this one. Right after Halloween ended, the actress shared a video of her immediately getting yuletide decorations up and dressed in holiday-appropriate clothes as well. One would think that promos would definitely get her into the mood even more. And if her latest update is anything to go off, she relished it all the more because she was alongside her colleagues. It’s hard to believe that Xmas is right around the corner but, like the stars, I'm more than ready and eager to check out the best Christmas movies networks have to offer.

The upcoming holiday movie slate is an exciting one for Candace Cameron Bure. She is set to star in and executive-produce My Christmas Hero, which premieres on November 24. Meanwhile, it was reported earlier this year that Danica McKellar was working on her next holiday film on GAF. She'll be starring in and executive producing Royal Christmas Ball and is also set to star in A Royal Date for Christmas. So these two are definitely going to be programming fixtures as the season continues.

Even though arguably Hallmark remains the top place for Christmas, with a whopping 40 films coming out, it looks like GAF is right on its tail. With plenty of stars and festive storylines, Great American Family is set to keep people entertained with heartwarming fare over the next month or so. And of course, the network is also sitting pretty because it has stars like Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar on board and promoting the lineup. Here's hoping the films manage to exude as much joy as Cameron Bure's photos do.

With so many movies premiering over the next several weeks, you'll definitely want to be sure that you're checking them out as they drop. So do yourself a favor and remain in the loop as the remainder of the 2023 TV schedule plays out. Trust me, anyone looking for warm and fuzzy and festive flicks will be well fed by the time the end of the holiday season rolls around.

Many who came of a certain age through the 1990s experienced puppy-dog crushes on two of TV’s neatest and sweetest teen queens, Boy Meets World star Danielle Fishel and The Wonder Years fave Danica McKellar. Given that the latter series was canceled just a few months before BMW’s TGIF debut (both on ABC), the two actresses never shared the screen as their characters Topanga Lawrence and Winnie Cooper, but fans can now finally experience the next best thing, albeit 30 years later, in the form of an adorable photo that could have feasibly been taken many years prior. 

Fishel spent the weekend with her former Boy Meets World co-stars and current Pod Meets World co-hosts Rider Strong and Will Friedle at the latest ‘90s Con, which was held in Tampa. Perhaps obviously, McKellar was also present at the throwback convention to meet up with The Wonder Years fans while promoting her line of informative and affirmational McKellar Math books. And at some point, the stars and heavens aligned for the two celebs to not only meet up, but also to document the occasion with a cutesy-wootsy pic.

Now I know I’m not the only one whose mind instantly flocked to lofty hypotheticals for how Danielle Fishel and Danica McKellar could bring their acting talents together on the small screen. The first idea, which would also be the least likely one, would be a double-headed revival in which Topanga and a time-traveling Winnie meet up, become BFFs, and probably take over the world, as inspired by the sage advice of Norma Arnold and George Feeny. If not that, though, any kind of completely unrelated project led by the duo would work as well. 

Given how synonymous McKellar has become with made-for-TV movies — she most recently co-wrote and executive-produced the GAF holiday movie Royal Christmas Ball — I’m sure fans would also love to see her team up with Fishel in that kind of context. But maybe one with more of a ‘90s vibe. Sign me up. 

To be expected, the Wonder Years vet responded to the picture post with some positivity. But what fans might not have expected is for her former co-star Jason Hervey to also chime in. Here’s what they had to say: 

• Danica McKellar: 😍😍😍
• Jason Hervey: Hello my friends!! What a pic!!

Beyond both being TV fixtures through the 1990s and beyond, there’s further connective tissue between the two actresses, which fans of their respective shows no doubt already thought of. McKellar starred opposite Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold (whom she totally crushed on during the early years), while Fishel’s on-screen romantic foil for the bulk of Boy Meets World and its sequel series Girl Meets World was Ben Savage. 

The former Cory Matthews portrayer is campaigning for California’s 30th congressional district, and reportedly isn’t one to hang out with his former co-stars, making him already something of a white whale guest for Pod Meets World. Maybe that’s the show that Fishel and McKellar can do together: two actresses trying to locate their former co-star that they haven’t spoken with in years, and he may or may not be a secret government agent. Extra points if Melissa Joan Hart can jump on board as a third lead.

There’s nothing like seeing a nice blast from the past, courtesy of a childhood favorite. The Wonder Years’ Danica McKellar stoked all the feels with such a photo. McKellar shared a throwback TV Guide cover featuring her and former co-star Fred Savage. The 48-year-old Hallmark also questioned her fashion, and I must agree that the pants she was wearing were something else.

The GAF star took to her Instagram to give Wonder Years fans a nostalgic treat while also providing a refresher on the the classic sitcom’s iconic 1960s style. McKellar posted the throwback TV Guide cover featuring her and Fred Savage to celebrate the second season of the reboot, which is currently airing. While it was a nice nod to ABC's revival, the Winnie Cooper actress spilled some behind-the-scenes tea about the pants she sported for the cover. Check out the sweet, vintage shot of the actors while also getting the latter’s take on her swirly pants:

Danica McKellar had to come to terms with those swirl-patterned capris, it seems. It's understandable that McKellar didn’t understand the vintage style, given she herself was a teenager growing up in the 1980s. Since the family comedy-drama was set in the 1960s, the looks she sported for the series and any photoshoots simply reflected the show’s setting. So with that in mind, the attire definitely makes sense.

However, I do agree that her pants were… "different." The swirl pattern featured a myriad of mixed colors that were clashing. The pattern effectively reflected the psychedelic feel of the 1960s, which is a design that can be hard on the eyes. Sure, it fits with the intended time period, but it's still a bit outrageous. The Young Justice alum's appearance definitely stood out compared to Fred Savage’s blue jeans and green-and-white New York Jets jacket. But at the very least, the capri’s colors were picked up in her long-sleeved shirt and vest.

All of that aside though, Danica McKellar and Fred Savage's photo is one for the books. It captures the innocence of the original series, which was partially conveyed through the puppy love between Winnie Cooper and Kevin Arnold. The TV Guide cover was released during The Wonder Years’ freshman season, which established their love story that would play out over six seasons. Interestingly enough, McKellar actually had a crush on Savage, and he apparently reciprocated those feelings at the time.

Their coming-of-age sitcom has endured long in the years since the series finale aired in 1993. The Wonder Years was a ratings and critical hit during its run, earning its first Emmy nominations and wins shortly after it hit the airwaves. It's wonderful to see the show get so much love to this day. And the icing on the cake is the fact that its presence is still felt through the ABC revival, which featured a huge Winnie Cooper connection. Danica McKellar -- who celebrated the sitcom’s 35th anniversary with a social media post earlier this year -- seems to still have a lot of affection for the dramedy. With that, one would think that she'll continue to post sweet throwback photos (which possibly have other questionable fashion choices).

If you want to check out The Wonder Years, just grab a Hulu subscription to stream all six seasons. And after screening the original series, stay on platform to watch the reboot series, which is a part of the 2023 TV schedule.

After being one of many Hallmark stars to exit for GAF, Danica McKellar has slowly been settling into her new home. To help with her new surroundings, she is actually going to be surrounded by two familiar faces in an upcoming movie. And it almost sounds like the beginning of a punchline. What do Winnie Cooper, a Hallmark star and a DWTS pro have in common? They’re all the stars of Great American Family’s upcoming film Swing Into Romance as part of the network’s Autumn Harvest program event. 

McKellar took to Instagram to share the news with her followers that Supernatural’s David Haydn-Jones, whom she starred alongside in 2016’s My Christmas Dream on Hallmark, and her mentor, friend, and Dancing with the Stars pro Gleb Savchenko will be her co-stars for the new GAF movie. From the looks of the photos and the video, the trio had a great time filming, as McKellar refers to it as “Art Camp” while filming in Canada since it was Dance Camp for her and Haydn-Jones and Acting Camp for Savchenko, as it is his acting debut:

It looks like the three had a fun time filming the movie, and it was probably even better that McKellar was able to film it with friends, reuniting with two people whom she hadn’t worked with in a while. Although Savchenko didn’t appear in Season 18 of DWTS when McKellar was on, that didn’t stop the two from still getting together, it seems like, and the video of them dancing is enough to get anyone to move their feet.

Per GAF, Swing Into Romance will follow Danica McKellar’s Christine Sims, a former dancer who returns to her hometown and just in time for the Fall Festival. After finding out her family’s General Store is in trouble, Christine has to not only dust off her dancing shoes, but she must do so with her ex-fiancé. And, of course, finally find true love. McKellar is also set to star in an upcoming Christmas movie on the network, meaning that the actress has all of her holiday bases covered for the remainder of the year.

Much like his co-star, David Haydn-Jones has starred in a number of Hallmark films, with his most recent being in 2021’s Five More Minutes. Starring in a movie on the network’s rival channel could mean that he is also making the switch, but it’s unknown if it will be a permanent thing. It is nice to see McKellar close to Hallmark stars, even if she's not on the network anymore. Aside from Hallmark, he may be best known as the British Men of Letters member you loved to hate, Arthur Ketch, (and later Alexander Ketch) on Supernatural for Seasons 12-15. His most recent role was in the film Good Side of Bad, which came out on June 22. 

Meanwhile, Gleb Savchenko is obviously no stranger to dance, first appearing as a pro on Australia’s DWTS in Season 12 before making the jump to the U.S. version for Seasons 16 and 17. He returned for Season 24, and has been on the dancing series since. He was paired up with drag queen Shangela and the duo came in fourth place for Season 31, and as of now, and will return to the ballroom for Julianne Hough's hosting debut on Season 32.

A set premiere date has yet to be announced for Swing Into Romance, but McKellar did reveal that it is going to come out sometime this fall as part of the 2023 TV schedule. So make sure to break out the dancing shoes, because you are going to need them for this film.

Lacey Chabert is often known for sharing BTS looks at her upcoming Hallmark movies and posting about her fashion line, but one other subject matter she excels at is sharing classic “life as a mom” posts. This Easter she shared a fun throwback with her young daughter Julia from a previous holiday, and her former network co-star Candace Cameron Bure current and previous Hallmark staples could not get enough. 

Taking to Instagram, Lacey Chabert shared the charming  – and yes a little bit embarrassing – look at her outing with Julia to see the Easter Bunny. The Hallmark star is laughing, her daughter refuses to make eye contact, and the poor bunny is a true professional and the only one who is camera ready here. This photo needs to be framed somewhere, because it's exactly the type of photo that should be pulled out the first time her kid brings a partner home. 

Not only is the post super amusing, it serves to show us a little bit about Julia's personality without sharing her face. This is a tactic other celebrities like Katherine Schwarzenegger have used to keep their kids' home lives separate from their personal fame. Here, fans still get a sense of the actress' life as a mom without sacrificing that privacy. And It's adorable to boot. 

I’m not the only to think so either. A slew of Hallmark stars and former network stars responded in the comments. Her frequent co-star Tyler Hynes, with whom she starred in Winter in Vail and Sweet Carolina with, sent a slew of emojis, writing, “😂👏🏻👑.” And fellow murder mystery series star Holly Robinson Peete also commented with her own emojis, “😂😂😂😂😂😂.”

To note, Peete and Chabert have yet to star in a Hallmark project together, though both are queens of mystery on the network, with the former starring in Morning Show Mysteries and the latter popularizing the Crossword Puzzle Mysteries. The actress has also spoken out in the past about it being on her bucket list to star in a project with Peete, telling E! they have “tried to put some stuff together” in the past and the timing hasn’t worked out. 

Meanwhile, some former co-stars Lacey Chabert previously worked with before their shift to GAF also commented on the post. Candace Cameron Bure – who herself is no stranger to sharing funny and embarrassing photos  – really seemed to get a kick out of her former network co-star’s post and she wasn’t the only one: 

• Candace Cameron Bure: “That’s SO cute 😂❤️”
• Jen Lilley: “#momlife❤️❤️❤️😂😂😂”
• Danica McKellar: "A classic!! ❤️"

While there has been a rivalry played up between GAF and Hallmark in recent months, it’s been nice to see some of the stars of both networks be supportive of one another via various social media posts. GAF stars reached out after Jodie Sweetin initially announced her engagement news. Current and former network friends were there for Chabert when she dealt with the anniversary of her sister’s death around a year ago as well. While Candace Cameron Bure’s “traditional marriage” comments caused a bit of a kerfuffle amidst these TV stars, it seems things have died down considerably.

After all, everyone can generally rally around a cute kid doing a funny thing.  

When it comes to fan-favorite TV couples from the ‘80s and ‘90s, many viewers would likely first mention such pairings as Friends’ Ross and Rachel, Cheers’ Sam and Diane, or Roseanne’s titular matriarch and Dan. But for the most nostalgic sector of the audience, The Wonder Years’ Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper are a paradigm for young, innocent love. And so it shall always be. And many within that audience would be especially pleased to hear that stars Danica McKellar and Fred Savage did fancy each other a bit early on in the the run, which the ever-youthful actress recently discussed at ‘90s Con while also sharing how a major real-life coincidence helped strengthen the characters’ big break-up episode.

Danica McKellar took the stage for ‘90s Con opposite former co-star Olivia D’Abo, who portrayed Kevin’s rebellious older sister Karen Arnold, and the two talked all about their years both on and after the ABC dramedy. After discussing the always-popular topic of Kevin and Winnie’s first kiss, and how many takes they filmed for it — six, with the sixth take being the one that was used in the episode — McKellar explained why it was a bit mortifying for her as a tween actress crushing on her co-star.

To which Olivia D'Abo was surprised, saying she wasn't even aware of that. Which is kind of wild, all things considered. In any case, McKellar continued, saying:

To note, the Hallmark-turned-GAF star had her mother in the crowd recording the panel. And after the love letter came up, the actress asked her mom if she still had the letter somewhere, and it was determined she didn't, but that it was likely in storage somewhere. And while it wasn't directly stated, I'm pretty sure it would scientifically be the cutest love letter to ever exist. 

Danica McKellar On Kevin And Winnie's Break-Up

During a later portion of the panel, a fan asked Danica McKellar about the process of being a teenager and coping with that while simultaneously portraying a teenager on TV who’s going through similar issues. And while she’s talked about this coincidence previously, the actress discussed filming Kevin and Winnie’s big break-up in Season 6 soon after ending a relationship with her off-screen boyfriend. In her words: 

Rewatching Kevin and Winnie’s break-up, like many on TV and otherwise, was all the more heart-shattering given the fact that we know they get together again not too far down the line, and was sparked by distance more so than genuine break-up-worthy reasons. And the genuine emotional discomfort from that awfulness can be attributed to how McKellar was truly feeling during the filming for Season 4’s “Heartbreak,” which she’s come to be somewhat grateful for in retrospect. She continued:

No matter where Danica McKellar’s career takes her in the future, her connection to The Wonder Years and millions of viewers’ hearts can never be reversed. Her appreciation for the Emmy-winning series has been evident even beyond ‘90s Con appearances, such as celebrating the show’s 35th anniversary last year and taking part in promoting the arrival of ABC’s second iteration of The Wonder Years, for which Winnie Cooper was referenced, which is set to return for Season 2 later this year.

Candace Cameron Bure and Hallmark are no longer synonymous. The popular Christmas movies actress left the cabler more than a year ago for a rival network and her first movie for GAF has already proven the move to the new network has come with positives, despite a little controversy. Her shift has paid off in the form of awards wins, and now her Full House and Fuller House co-star Dave Coulier and some other GAC stars have reached out.

In a new post, Bure shared how proud she’s been of the work she and her producing team put into A Christmas… Present. Her Instagram comments come after she landed an award for Best Family Television at the MovieGuide Awards, a ceremony that touts itself as celebrating projects that are “wholesome, spiritually uplifting, inspirational, redemptive and moral.” 

While she thanked her TV family for all the work they had put into the movie, it was her industry friends who really reached out and responded. A slew of the individuals who also have shifted from Hallmark to GAC reached out, as did her Full House uncle -- that would be Joey -- Dave Coulier. See some of their responses. 

• Dave Coulier: “Congratulations, Candace C Bure !!! So proud of you. Love you.”
• Danica McKellar: “Congratulations!!! 👏👏👏”
• Jen Lilley: “🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 so darn proud of you and honored to call you friend ❤”
• Claire Capek: “I am so happy for you specifically and for our entire cast and crew! Honestly working on this film was such a blessing all around. To be surrounded by this film community was a highlight of my life. Getting awards for this movie is just the icing on top! ❤️❤️❤”
• Natasha Bure: “🙌❤️
• Cameron Mathison: “ 👏👏👏👏👏”

It’s not a huge shock that Dave Coulier might have reached out, given he’s been supportive of the Full House cast in the past. It wasn’t just a big night for Bure either. It was also a good night for Lori Loughlin, who appeared onstage with Bure and who has found work on GAF since her role in the college admissions scandal landed her jail time. The event’s official page even commented about it being a “full house.”

Later in the post, the A Christmas… Present actress noted that she also won an award for her performance in the movie, noting that she is “full of gratitude and love” over the fact that her little cable Christmas movie, a movie she both produced and starred in, has landed so much attention. 

Candace Cameron Bure dealt with some backlash around the time of her 2022 Christmas movie release after she shared that GAC was hoping to focus more on “traditional marriage” storylines. While those comments seemingly didn’t sit well with her longtime co-star Jodie Sweetin and others in the industry, when the movie premiered, there were fans who spoke out on Twitter about enjoying how the movie focused on real marriage troubles, and how religion can help families to come together again.  

Her co-star Danica McKellar has contended that "Jesus loves and includes everyone," in a response to the backlash Bure faced. In her own reflection after she said GAF would be focusing on "traditional marriage," Bure blamed the media for seeking to divide people, also stating those who know her "know beyond question" that she has "great love and affection for all people." 

Meanwhile, other celebrities including LGBTQ+ star JoJo Siwa expressed not liking how the statement felt like exclusion. And Hilarie Burton referred to the "traditional marriage" comments as a "prejudice wave." Regardless, it seems like Bure has found an audience on her new network and she has made it clear that GAF is “continuing to grow” despite the controversy. She has also said she does believe cancel culture “is real,” and has noted that the response after her comments went widespread has been “difficult.”

Next up, Candace Cameron Bure will continue her overall deal with the network, as well as will continue her podcast. We'll keep you posted regarding her next project once it is announced.

Danica McKellar has had a big 12 months. After a long and storied career on the Hallmark network, the Crown for Christmas actress shifted to GAF, where she’s continued to focus on family fair. While the love and family stories the networks explore have sometimes gotten a bad rap, Danica McKellar says there’s a big reason she’s so invested in the type of content she’s been putting out in recent years. 

In an interview touching on a wide range of topics, including her Hallmark days and her shift to Great American Family, Danica McKellar says she loves making Hallmark movies. She’s really proud of roles she’s taken for the network, noting that her recent acting work “promotes women and women's stories.” It’s a far cry from roles she was offered earlier in her career. She told Insider: 

The actress  of course is historically known as the actress who played Winnie Cooper, the infamous love interest of Kevin Arnold, who himself was the protagonist of The Wonder Years. She said after the role made her famous, she was recognized for it everywhere, even though she was trying to find her way in the world of math. It took her a long time, as she put it to “find out how I was valuable outside of Winnie Cooper.” 

Danica McKellar ultimately took a break from acting for years before returning for Hallmark and other gigs and it sounds like those roles were empowering for her. Though to her point, historically a lot of projects have been like this for women, not just the ones offered to her. 

To note, Hallmark movies have gotten a bad rap in recent years. There is the criticism Hallmark movies are too predictable. Lacey Chabert recently pushed back on the idea they are too "formulaic" noting the strides the network has made "to leave the audience a little bit surprised." There's also been criticism the network hasn't been friendly enough to POC and LGBTQ+ storytelling, a narrative the cable channel has been working to change.

But Danica McKellar says she had only a positive experience during her time working at the network. She still is supportive of Hallmark projects, including her pals who did Three Wise Men and A Baby this holiday season. She only left, as she's noted prior, because GAC gave her new opportunities, like producing and taking more charge of her own projects. 

Danica McKellar was one of a rash of former Hallmark stars to leave for GAC, with some of the other big names including Jen Lilley and Candace Cameron Bure. While Bure landed some backlash for wanting to tell "traditional marriage" stories, there's seemingly been room for both networks to compete. Though, I will miss Danica McKellar in Matchmaker Mysteries in particular. 

Danica McKellar is gearing up to continue celebrating The Wonder Years’ 35th anniversary by reuniting with some of her former co-stars at the upcoming ‘90s Con, but she’s obviously focusing on more than just her past. To that end, the cable movie queen has lined up her next big holiday movie for her current home at Great American Family, and she’ll be more involved behind the scenes than ever. 

One of the first entries to be revealed for GAF’s upcoming Great American Christmas 2023 line of features, Danica McKellar’s newest holiday project will be Royal Christmas Ball. For the film, the DC Super Hero Girls vet will star as Chelsea Shaw, a dance instructor living in Chicago who longs for a familial connection again many years after the deaths of her adoptive parents. As a way to fulfill that missing part of her life, Chelsea utilizes her Christmas break and makes a trip across the globe to the small European country of Havenshire, according to Deadline. As you might have imagined, this bustling burg is where her lineage traces back to. 

Which is certainly a good thing for the handsome-though-reluctant prince that’s part of the local royal family. (Christmas movies love a royal family storyline like nobody’s business.) In order to learn more information about her family, Chelsea figures out the fam is her best bet, so she takes a gig teaching the aforementioned prince how to dance a very special Waltz going into the annual Royal Christmas Ball.

You gotta love how the synopsis for this story squarely points out that Chelsea is going to find love in Havenshire, on top of learning answers to many of her long-held questions. And you bet your fanciest crown she’s going to make new family connections. Whether or not those are everything she hoped, that’ll get figured out when the movie airs on Great American Family later this year.

Making Royal Christmas Ball a unique GAF project for Danica McKellar is that it’s her first for the network where she’s serving as not only an executive producer, but also a co-writer. She co-penned the story with Marcy Holland, who has carved out a sweet corner for herself in the TV movie world, having written for Picture Perfect Mysteries, Matchmaker Mysteries, the Time for You to Come Home for Christmas series, and many more. (Psycho Escort? She co-wrote that one, too.) 

While McKellar has been an EP on quite a few of her small screen features in recent years, this marks her first writing credit in that field since the second Inspector Mom movie in 2007. She also helped bring the educational web series Math Bites to life in 2014, but that’s on a wholly different plane. 

The actress shared the news via Instagram Stories, with the caption:

Outside of the TV movie world, McKellar kept busy in 2022 as one of the judges on Fox’s Domino Masters, as well as voicing Miss Martian in the now-canceled Young Justice series on HBO Max. She also made a second guest appearance on Topher Grace’s ABC sitcom Home Economics. Not to mention her character Winnie Cooper factoring into a universe-connecting reveal on ABC’s The Wonder Years. You wouldn’t think she’d left the acting world for years given how busy she currently is, but audiences are all the better for her return.

Now there's just that whole "getting through the huge chunk of 2023 between now and Christmas movie season" to contend with. Perhaps there's a dance instructor waiting to fall in love with me somewhere in the meantime. 

Danica McKellar has had a steady presence in the entertainment industry for decades now, and that’s due, in great part, to her breakthrough role on the classic coming-of-age series The Wonder Years. For six seasons, she played the role of Winnie Cooper, the object of young Kevin Arnold’s affections. McKellar nailed the part, and many still recognize her for it years later. While the actress is busy with her commitments to the Great American Family network these days, she hasn’t forgotten about the TV show that made her a star. To that point, she celebrated the dramedy’s 35th anniversary with some adorable throwback pics and even managed to include a GAF shoutout. 

For some, it may be crazy to think that it’s been over three decades since audiences were introduced to The Wonder Years. I admittedly wasn’t born when it debuted on ABC in January 1988 but, like many others, I discovered it through syndication. (And I still get chills any time I hear Joe Cocker’s version of “With a Little Help from My Friends.”) Danica McKellar’s Instagram post definitely gives one the feeling that she knows just how special the show is for so many. While her message is sweet, it’s the snapshots – which feature co-stars Fred Savage, Josh Saviano and more – that can really melt one’s heart. Take a look, and try not to get too overwhelmed by the nostalgia:

This is such a sweet way to commemorate the anniversary of what’s considered to be one of the greatest shows in TV history. In some cases, actors don’t look back too fondly on their early work, so it’s lovely to see the actress, who recently celebrated her 48th birthday, show this level of affection here. In her warm message, she shared her feelings about the show while plugging her more recent work: 

The Young Justice alum went on to mention that she loves hearing fans talk about their personal experiences with the series. That prompted her to ask her followers to share their remembrances in the comments section. The user remarks vary, with some opening up about favorite episodes and others quoting the sitcom. But what all of the sentiments seem to have in common is a genuine love and respect for Neal Marlens and Carol Black’s classic show. 

Over three decades after The Wonder Years’ cancellation in 1993, its legacy lives on through a reboot that’s currently airing on ABC. The new series centers on an African American family living in Montgomery, Alabama during the late 1960s. The show has received positive reviews and has been lauded for staying true to the feel of the vintage TV franchise while also forging its own path. While the revamp doesn’t lean too heavily on its roots, it’s since been confirmed to exist within the continuity of its predecessor. This was confirmed when Season 1 featured a huge Winnie Cooper connection, which Danica McKellar was supportive of. 

Danica McKellar quit acting for years following her stint on the program, and explained that this was due to her desire to find out how she could be “valuable outside of Winnie Cooper.” That journey led her down an academic path, on which she earned a degree in mathematics from UCLA. Of course, after that, she’d eventually become a Hallmark staple before leaving the network for GAF in 2021. So far, she’s starred in The Winter Palace and Christmas at the Drive-In for the latter, and she has plenty of other productions on the way. Though she continues to tackle new projects, it’s good to know that she holds a special place in her heart for the series that made her a star decades ago.

Those who want to connect with the veteran actress, and some of her former co-stars, can do so by attending this year’s ‘90s Con which will take place from March 17-19 in Hartford, Connecticut. Fans feeling nostalgic right now can use a Hulu subscription to stream The Wonder Years as well as the reboot, which will return this summer as part of the 2023 TV schedule.

It’s hard to believe, but Danica McKellar has been winning over audiences’ hearts for three and a half decades now, starting in the late 1980s as Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years. You’d certainly never guess by looking at her that it’s been that long. The Great American Family actress celebrated her 48th birthday on January 3, and marked the occasion by sharing a makeup-free, no-filter selfie on social media. For anyone hoping to glean some advice on how to maintain that same youthful glow, McKellar offered up a couple pieces of sage wisdom.

Danica McKellar wasn’t peddling any makeup products or letting us into her skin care routine when she shared the secret to staying so fresh-faced — though I wouldn't be the only one interested in her recommendations on those as well. We already know that good genes run in the McKellar family, and in addition to that, the Christmas at the Drive-In actress expressed on Instagram that she believes beauty truly does come from within, with a healthy lifestyle and attitude. She shared: 

The GAF star — who was one of several actors who left Hallmark to join the competing network — said the mind and body are so connected that eating well, getting exercise and staying positive have kept her feeling good and looking great. She also cautioned against doomscrolling, and if there was ever a better endorsement for a good night’s sleep than her au naturel snap, I’d love to see it. 

Danica McKellar’s advice didn’t stop there. She went on to share another secret:

The former child star seems to be basking in the philosophy of getting out of life what you put into it, and it all sounds like a win-win situation if that inner joy serves as a fountain of youth as well. Take a look at her birthday post: 

The actress seemed to take steps to instill more happiness in her life last year, when Danica McKellar and her family left Hollywood in order to connect more with nature in rural Tennessee. She also got some practice in spreading positivity when she was roped into fellow GAF star Candace Cameron Bure’s “traditional marriage” comment controversy.

The Winter Palace star “set the record straight,” about her views, supporting LGBTQ+ representation following Candace Cameron Bure’s comment that she thinks Great American Family “will keep traditional marriage at the core.” However, after Danica McKellar’s co-star Neal Bledsoe chose to step away from the network over the statement, McKellar showed grace for the Full House alum, saying she’d interpreted Bure’s comments differently than Bledsoe had.

Whether it’s staying away from the negative headlines, spreading joy or just simply good genes, Danica McKellar seems to be drinking from the fountain of youth and feeling great about it. Now that Christmas movie season has passed, be sure to check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what premieres are coming soon. 

There are few things that can instantly up the quality of any movie quicker than a group dance sequence, at least in my humble opinion. That certainly seemed to be the case for one movie on the 2022 Christmas movie schedule, as the leading characters of Three Wise Men and a Baby showed off more than their childcare skills. Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes and Andrew W. Walker apparently treated a ChristmasCon crowd in New Jersey to an encore performance of the epic routine, drawing reactions from fellow Christmas movie star Danica McKellar and more.

The three popular Hallmark actors play brothers in Three Wise Men and a Baby, and in the movie, they treat their loved ones — as well as the titular baby — to a reprisal of a dance they made up as kids to the tune of The Nutcracker’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy." The scene in the movie was wonderful, and the ChristmasCon audience also seemed to think so when they did the dance again live on stage. Check out the video, shared by That’s4Entertainment: 

I don’t think watching that dance could ever get old. From the moment they first strike that pose, you know you’re in for something special. Andrew W. Walker, Paul Campbell and Tyler Hynes don’t disappoint, with elements of ballet (bad ballet, but still), The Robot, dolphin jumps and more. Pure Christmas magic if I’ve ever seen it. 

I’m not the only one to think so, either, because the comments on the Instagram post include positive reactions from fellow TV movie stars like Great American Family’s Danica McKellar — who was one of several actors who left Hallmark for GAF. She added to the comments a simple: 

Jen Lilley, another GAF actress, showed her approval for the live re-enactment mostly through laughing emojis, commenting: 

Cameron Mathison also added laughing emojis, while Hallmark actress Erin Cahill showed love for the actors by exclaiming: 

Three Wise Men and a Baby stars three of Hallmark’s most well-known men — Paul Campbell, Andrew W. Walker and Tyler Hynes — as the Brenner brothers, along with Margaret Colin (of Three Men and a Baby fame) as their mother Barbara. Brotherly antics ensue after an infant is left at the fire station where Luke (Walker) works, and Barbara is called away on a family emergency, leaving the boys to discover the joys of “single” parenthood. 

If you want to check out the dance number as it was intended to be seen, Three Wise Men and a Baby will re-air on Hallmark Channel at 4 p.m. ET Thursday, December 15, and at other select times throughout the holiday season as part of the upcoming Hallmark schedule. You can also watch several Hallmark offerings with a Peacock subscription, after the network struck a deal this year with the streamer. 

Candace Cameron Bure has caused quite a stir this holiday season with her comments about keeping “traditional marriage” at the core of the programming at Great American Family. A number of celebrities fired back at the network’s chief creative officer — who was among several celebrities to jump ship from Hallmark and join GAF — calling Bure out for intentionally excluding LGBTQ+ relationships and saying she is a “bigot.” Amidst all the blowback, GAF actor Neal Bledsoe said he was severing his relationship with the network, and his Christmas at the Drive-In co-star Danica McKellar has shared her opinion on his decision.

Danica McKellar also spoke out in the aftermath of Candace Cameron Bure’s comments, saying she wanted to “set the record straight” regarding her own views on LGBTQ+ representation and where that fit into her faith. However, in regards to her GAF Christmas movie co-star, McKellar told Fox News Digital: 

In Neal Bledsoe’s emotional statement, he said he took issue with the comments made by Great American Family’s “leadership,” which seemingly included both Candace Cameron Bure and GAF CEO Bill Abbott, who said in regards to inclusive content that the network is “aware of the trends.” Bledsoe said he couldn’t continue a relationship with “someone in an executive position speaking about deliberate exclusion on behalf of an entire network.”

However, Danica McKellar found more leniency in Candace Cameron Bure’s statement to the Wall Street Journal, in which she said, “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.” McKellar explained: 

While Danica McKellar indicated that she didn’t find Candace Cameron Bure’s statement as definitive as her Christmas at the Drive-In co-star did, Neal Bledsoe wasn’t alone in how he interpreted Bure’s words. GLAAD called her comment “irresponsible and hurtful,” arguing that she was using tradition as a guise for exclusion. The situation also may have caused some friction between the Full House actress and her TV sister Jodie Sweetin, as Bure reportedly unfollowed the Stephanie Tanner portrayer on Instagram after she publicly disagreed with the “traditional marriage” comment. 

Candace Cameron Bure hasn’t been without her defenders, though. Hallmark actor Paul Greene seemed to agree with Danica McKellar, as he said her critics “left out important parts of what she said” to the Wall Street Journal. Bure’s fellow Great American Family star Trevor Donovan opined that people are entitled to their own beliefs, and through mutual respect and acceptance, “coexistence is possible.”

See where you can catch your favorite holiday movie actors this season with our 2022 Christmas Movie Schedule. 

Lots of celebrities have weighed in over the past couple of weeks on Candace Cameron Bure’s comments about “traditional marriage” and LGBTQ+ representation in holiday movies. Stars from both Hallmark and Great American Family have shared their thoughts, and the actress has been called everything from a “bigot” to “the most amazing person” in the aftermath. Now, Danica McKellar — who, like Bure, left Hallmark for GAF — has set the record straight on her own views about Christianity and representation.

Candace Cameron Bure received backlash for saying that she thinks “Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core,” when asked by the Wall Street Journal about featuring same-sex couples as leads in the network’s Christmas movies. But fellow Christian and GAF star Danica McKellar took to Instagram to share a less one-sided stance on things, saying in part: 

The topic of holiday movie inclusion was addressed as Hallmark’s upcoming schedule will see the debut of Jonathan Bennett's The Holiday Sitter, which will be the network’s first Christmas movie to feature a leading LGBTQ+ couple when it premieres December 11. Danica McKellar admitted to being fairly new to Christianity, but said she believed inclusion was a big part of what it’s all about, continuing: 

Candace Cameron Bure’s comments drew the ire of several people, as JoJo Siwa called the Full House alum “rude” (again) for wanting to exclude the LGBTQ+ community, and she was called a bigot by Holly Robinson Peete and Hilarie Burton. Even her TV sister Jodie Sweetin took Siwa and Peete’s side, apparently resulting in Bure unfollowing her Fuller House co-star on social media.

Still, several of the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries star’s current and former colleagues spoke in her defense, with Hallmark actor Paul Greene saying the Wall Street Journal left out important parts of what Candace Cameron Bure said, such as her saying she's loving to all people. Great American Family actor Trevor Donovan also weighed in, saying people of differing beliefs are able to coexist, as long as there is mutual respect, andthat in the few months he’s known the actress, he’s found her to be “kind, and passionate about her faith.” 

Faith was key to Danica McKellar’s take on the situation as well, and you can read her full post below:

Both Candace Cameron Bure and Danica McKellar made their GAF Christmas debuts on Thanksgiving weekend, with Bure starring in A Christmas… Present, and McKellar appearing in Christmas at the Drive-in. See what other new movies are available this holiday season on TV and streaming with our full 2022 Christmas movie schedule. 

If anyone knows what it’s like to grow up in the limelight, it’s Danica McKellar. Having been working in the industry since she was just a little girl, the Wonder Years alum called Los Angeles her home for quite some time. However, the actress is not only now part of the list of celebrities who've left Hollywood, but her new home is incredibly on brand given her status as a Hallmark alum.

Danica McKellar gushed about her new home during an interview with People, in which she explained that she and her family moved from sunny California to rural Tennessee. Moving across the country can be hard, but the notion of living in a big city before settling down in a small town is a situation that McKellar is all too familiar with. The former Hallmark star opened up about the move and how it tracks with her body of work:

Hallmark fans undoubtedly know that there have been a number of TV movies on the network that have seen characters pick and leave their busy lives in the city in favor of something more simple in the south. Danica McKellar has more than a dozen Hallmark films under her belt, and some of her own productions have featured such a premise. The fact that this is now her life is somewhat ironic but also incredibly sweet. Now, I'm just curious as to whether she'll star in such a movie at her new network home on GAF.

She is just one of the latest celebrities to leave Hollywood for a more grounded life. Fellow Hallmark star Alexa PenaVega has been living in Hawaii with her husband, Carlos PenaVega, and their kids for several years now. Ariel Winter moved to Virginia, while James Van Der Beek, Matthew McConaughey, and Chris Hemsworth, among others, have also left the City of Angels for different reasons.

For Danica McKellar, a move to Tennessee is only the latest change to happen this year. The actress was also one of the first stars to leave Hallmark for its rival channel and is preparing to release her first Great American Family movie, which is slated to premiere this month.

One can't help but wonder if the actress might consider filming a movie in her new home state. I'm sure the folks at GAF would do what they could to accommodate her if she desired that. But regardless of whether such a thing happens, it's just nice to see that she's enjoying her new southern surroundings.

Don’t miss Danica McKellar’s next holiday adventure when Christmas at the Drive-In premieres on Friday, November 25 on GAF!

It wasn't so long ago when fans of warm and feel-goody TV movies only had one or two places to seek out content, but times have absolutely changed, as Great American Family is poised to make some huge strides alongside the competition as 2022 rounds out. The cable channel is building up a stable of top-tier talent, which includes former Hallmark staples such as Danica McKellar, Lori Loughlin, and Candace Cameron Bure. While we'd already known what Bure's first GAF project will be, details have now been announced regarding McKellar and Loughlin’s first winter wonderland films for the former music network. So let’s take a closer look at what to expect from each.

Danica McKellar's First GAF Christmas Movie

The Wonder Years vet Danica McKellar will kick off her Great American Family Christmas filmography with a familiar co-star in Neal Bledsoe, for a new movie titled Christmas at the Drive-In, which is currently set for a non-specific “holiday season” premiere window. The two leads previously starred together in the snowy pic The Winter Palace, which aired on GAC back in January, as well as 2017’s Hallmark flick Coming Home for Christmas, so they should have little problem bringing that chemistry back for the new project.

Christmas at the Drive-In will star McKellar as Sadie Walker, who is back in her hometown of Chesterfield, New York in the aftermath of multiple life implosions, including her engagement ending and losing the biggest case of her law career, which resulted in her exiting her firm. Having taken a new college gig as a law professor, Sadie unwittingly finds herself back in a legal battle while trying to save Chesterfield’s drive-in theater. 

But her efforts will face surprising resistance from the late theater owner’s son, Holden (Bledsoe), who just so happens to be Sadie’s former love from childhood. Sounds like some feisty sparks will be flying long before the romantic ones do, but I’m sure all the surrounding snow will put out any wildfires that spring up. 

Having previously taken a step away from the acting world, Danica McKellar will also have a bigger role behind the scenes for Christmas at the Drive-In, as she’ll also be an executive producer for the TV movie. Whether or not this will be the actress’ lone holiday film this year is anyone’s guess, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she finds a way to get something else on the table for the cable network’s Great American Christmas programming block, which starts up on October 21 and runs through the end of the year.  

Lori Loughlin's First GAF Movie

Like Danica McKellar, Lori Loughlin had a working relationship with Great American Family prior to these announcements going public. The Full House and Fuller House vet appeared in the When Calls the Heart spinoff When Hope Calls for its swan song, reprising her former role of Abigail Stanton, a part she’d previously lost due to the college admissions scandal that landed her in all kinds of legal hot water. 

Now, Loughlin will take on a starring role for GAF in the new movie Fall Into Winter, which won’t be a Christmas movie proper, despite its seasonal setting. The romantic comedy will center on the actress’ character Keely, who shares co-ownership of their family’s candy shop business with her brother. Keely is confounded by her bro’s decision to sell his half of the business to his former BFF, and her arch rival. She’s forced to quickly find ways to work with her new partner, Brooks, and comes to realize they may have more in common than just their icy exteriors.

Fall Into Winter is set to air on Great American Family in January 2023, just after the Christmas block has concluded. And now that we know what Loughlin is working on next, we just need to find out what her former co-star Andrea Barber is working on, following the actresses joining Candace Cameron Bure in a GAF-friendly post recently.

Even though the Matchmaker Mysteries franchise is done now, fans can thankfully look forward to seeing Danica McKellar soon, so keep an eye out for release date news coming in the future. And head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what other projects are coming soon. 

Danica McKellar’s career has gone through many changes since scoring her breakthrough role as Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years. While viewers have come to know her for her Hallmark output, there was a period when McKellar set aside her acting career to pursue other interests outside of Hollywood. Years after she disappeared from TV, the former Hallmark star gave a thoughtful answer after her son asked her why she quit acting for so long.

The Wonder Years alum opened up about why she took a break from acting after starring in the ABC hit. As the source of teen crushes in the 1980s and 1990s, Danica McKellar left many hearts wondering what happened to her before she re-emerged in the 2000s. Of course, only her son Draco could get a straight answer from her as he interviewed his mom for ET. McKellar revealed how her love for education (especially math) led to her pursuing a college degree for a few years.

Taking herself out of the Hollywood rat race was possibly the best decision she could do for herself. Having been on TV since she was a tween, Danica McKellar felt like she didn’t have an identity outside of being Winnie from The Wonder Years. Her whole being had been warped to think her value was nothing more than her looks and appeal to TV audiences. The Winnie Cooper connection appeared to harm McKellar’s sense of self as a teenage girl growing up on TV.

For her, math was her way to let other UCLA students (and viewers) know she was more than just Winnie Cooper. During her time at the school, she did just that. Her work in the mathematics field lead to Danica McKellar gaining a place in science with Chayes–McKellar–Winn theorem after co-authoring a research paper alongside UCLA professor Lincoln Chayes and fellow student Brandy Winn. After college, the GAC Family star penned 11 best-selling math-oriented books geared toward teens.

Of course, McKellar didn’t give up on acting as she had starred in multiple TV shows and movies, including Hallmark projects. She did make waves last year for leaving the network for rival GAC Family with her first project The Winter Palace airing earlier this year. Outside of her work with her new network home, Danica McKellar has experienced mixed results from celebrating her ageless father’s 72nd birthday to opening up about an unexpected death in her family. But it appeared the 47-year-old actress has kept things moving despite life’s difficulties.

Right now, McKellar’s new network home GAC Family Is gearing up for its Thanksgiving and Christmas programming. So, viewers will have to see what projects Danica McKellar pops up in next. Keep updated by checking out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule to see what new TV shows and movies are set to premiere.

Hallmark has been known for way more than greeting cards and keepsake ornaments for many years now, with the company, arguably, being much more beloved for the Hallmark Channel and the dozens upon dozens (upon dozens) of seasonal made for TV romantic movies it produces every year. The Countdown to Christmas lineup is particularly popular when it comes to upcoming Hallmark movies, with the number of movies growing yearly, along with viewing numbers, as those films begin to air earlier and earlier into the holiday season. 

But, if you’ve been paying attention to Hallmark news as of late, you’ll know that the network has been making headlines for a very different reason, as several well-known stars who’ve been working in Hallmark movies for years have now decided to decamp for its burgeoning competitor, GAF (Great American Family). Well, if you’ve been trying to keep track of everyone who’s left Hallmark behind but are having trouble, we’re here for you. Below, we have a list of every Hallmark actor who’s no longer working with the network, and those we know are staying. Let’s go!

Leaving: Candace Cameron Bure

While not the first of Hallmark’s former movie stars to take a hike (we’ll get to someone else who departed much earlier in a bit), it’s possible that Candace Cameron Bure leaving the channel has been the most shocking of all the recent departures. Seen by many as essentially the face of Hallmark’s lineup, with 29 films under her belt, Cameron Bure signed a deal with GAF’s parent company, Great American Media, in mid-April 2022, according to Variety. 

Cameron Bure’s GAF deal allows the star to develop, produce, and star in movies and other content across GAF, and its sister channel, Great American Living. She will have a large part in the annual Great American Christmas celebration for GAF (which will only be in its second year in 2022) going forward, along with having an executive role at the networks that allow her to help “curate” content for both channels. While it was thought at first that Cameron Bure would still be seen on Hallmark for her long-running Aurora Teagarden Mysteries series of films, that was cancelled soon after the original announcement.

Leaving: Danica McKellar

Another massive name in Hallmark movies, Danica McKellar, was the first big name to leave back in late October of 2021, when Deadline reported that she signed her own deal with GA Media. McKellar’s contract calls for her to executive produce and star in four original movies for GAF and GA Living (though it’s not clear if that’s four total films or four for each channel). McKellar has 16 Hallmark titles to her name (including the Matchmaker Mysteries franchise), and her first GAF film, The Winter Palace, aired in January 2022.

Leaving: Jen Lilley

Jen Lilley might not be well-known to those who don’t watch Hallmark movies, but the actress has made over a dozen of the films since 2017, with her most recent one (Where Your Heart Belongs) airing in early 2022. But, in January, just a few days after that movie premiered, it was announced that Lilley had made a deal with GAC Media to star in four original films for the company over the next two years, with Lilley later having to defend the GAC Family move to fans.

Leaving: Trevor Donovan

With eight movies making him yet another recognizable face for Hallmark and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Trevor Donovan began the exodus in mid-October 2021, when he signed with GAF to star in and executive produce both movies and series for its channels.

Leaving: Jessica Lowndes

While likely best-known for her work on The CW’s reboot of 90210, Jessica Lowndes has a little over a handful of recognizable Hallmark titles, like Christmas at Pemberley Manor, to her name. But, mid-February of 2022 saw the actress ink a deal to write, produce, star in, and direct four movies for GAC Family, shortly after her Harmony from the Heart premiered there.

Staying: Lacey Chabert

All is far from lost when it comes to Hallmark favorites staying put. Lacey Chabert, who’s nearly as well known for her almost 30 Hallmark films as for her role in Mean Girls, signed an exclusive deal in late February 2022 to star in and executive produce movies and other content for Hallmark Channel and its other platforms over the next two years, per Variety. Chabert has been very open about adoring the network’s happy endings, so this is a definite boon for fans.

Staying: Jonathan Bennett

Another Mean Girls cast alum, Jonathan Bennett, also decided to stay put, after becoming the star of Hallmark’s first Christmas film with a major LGBTQ+ storyline, The Christmas House, in 2020. Bennett’s deal (which was made official in early April 2022) will see the recently married actor in an exclusive, multi-picture deal with Hallmark, though it’s unknown how many movies he’ll be making or for how long the deal lasts.

Staying: Holly Robinson Peete

Holly Robinson Peete started with Hallmark in 2015, and has gone on to star in 12 movies (including the Morning Show Mystery franchise) and her Meet the Peetes reality series for the channel, so fans were surely excited in late March when Deadline announced that she’d also signed a deal with the network. Peete’s deal is also of the multi-picture variety, and will lock her down exclusively for the holiday TV movie season.

Staying: Andrew Walker

Andrew Walker, who’s starred in a couple of handfuls of Hallmark movies, including The 27-Hour Day and My Christmas Family Tree, since making his debut there in 2012, also agreed to an exclusive, multi-picture overall deal in the spring of 2022, as reported by Deadline.

Staying: Heather Hemmens

Heather Hemmens is one of the newer stars on Hallmark (she was also part of the Dad, Stop Embarrassing Me cast), with only three titles so far (the recently released Caribbean Summer, last year’s Christmas in My Heart, and 2019’ Love, Take Two). Early March 2022 saw Hemmens sign on with the channel for her own exclusive, multi-picture deal.

Staying: Brennan Elliott

The veteran of 16 Hallmark titles, including the Flower Shop Mystery and Crossword Mystery franchises, Deadline reported in March 2022 that Brennan Elliott inked his own exclusive, multi-picture overall deal, after having begun working with Hallmark and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries back in 2013, with his part on the series, Cedar Cove.

Staying: Taylor Cole

April 2022 also saw Taylor Cole, who’s starred in over a dozen Hallmark titles like South Beach Love and the One Winter Weekend series of films, sign an exclusive multi-picture deal to continue with the network, as reported by Deadline.

Staying: Aimeé Teegarden

Deadline also got the scoop on former Friday Night Lights cast member Aimeé Teegarden’s exclusive multi-picture deal with Hallmark back in late April 2022. Teegarden is also a newer face to the network, appearing in four movies for the company, with Heart of the Matter having premiered on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on May 15.

Staying: Luke Macfarlane

Luke Macfarlane, who’ll soon be seen on the big screen in Billy Eichner’s Bros, is another well-known face around Hallmark, with over a dozen titles like the recently released Moriah’s Lighthouse on his resume. Word of Macfarlane’s multi-picture deal with Hallmark was revealed in early May 2022.

Staying… Maybe: Tamera Mowry-Housley

Tamera Mowry-Housley is best known for acting opposite her twin sister in the popular series, Sister, Sister, and for co-hosting the talk show, The Real, for several years, but she’s also made a few Hallmark movies (like 2020’s sweetly watchable Christmas Comes Twice) over the years. In mid-November of 2020, Deadline noted that Mowry-Housley signed up to star in and executive produce movies for the channel, however there’s been no word amid all of the Hallmark comings and goings about whether or not that deal is still active or, if it’s not, whether or not Mowry-Housley and Hallmark are expected to ink a new pact.

As you can see, while a number of stars have decided to leave Hallmark for what they likely see as the greener pastures at GAF, there are still plenty of big names with recognizable faces to look forward to in Hallmark’s new movies.

Former Hallmark star Danica McKellar may be keeping busy with her new gig at the GAC Family network, but lately, things have been a bit tough for her. The Wonder Years alum recently opened up about a “sudden and unexpected death” in the family, and another former Hallmark star, among others, reached out with support. 

While McKellar didn’t go into full details on what happened, she did share a lengthy Instagram post to let her followers know to reach out if they need help and to always breathe. Her picture involves her looking up, and she ends her message with lots of love:

Fans and friends alike were quick to show their support for the actress. Among those was Benjamin Ayres (who starred in a number of Hallmark movies including 2021’s You, Me & the Christmas Trees with McKellar) responded with a short but sweet message. A picture may say a thousand words, but emojis can say even more:

Ayres has starred in various movies on the network beginning in 2016, including the Chronicles Mysteries trilogy on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel. It’s nice to see him reaching out to her after they starred in a movie together. It also gives fans hope that perhaps the two can star in a GAC movie together.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Ayres wasn’t the only one to show his support. Danica McKellar’s new network family, GAC, sent their condolences:

Lindsay Maxwell, who has also starred in numerous Hallmark movies (including Coming Home for Christmas alongside McKellar), gave her support as well. The actress sent her regards and prayers to her co-star, plus a sweet white heart:

Another mainstay for Hallmark’s Christmas movies, Alicia Witt, sent her a sweet message of love and support, and also praised everything she said:

It’s definitely not easy losing someone so close to you, but it seems like Danica McKellar has plenty of love from those who care about her. (She also isn’t the first Hallmark star to lose someone and receive an outpouring of support.) The actress seems to have found a way to process, with her goal of greeting "the new week with excitement and a sense of adventure." 

Having great support always helps getting through a tough loss, so it's encouraging to see all of the comments to her. Plus, the message in her Instagram post that resulted in so many loving comments is proof that she can still find valuable moments of joy even in difficult times like she has experienced lately.

Given the slew of Hallmark stars who have defected to rival network GAC Family recently, it makes sense that some of the movie franchises the network and its sister channel Movies & Mysteries would be seeing some changes to some of its longer-running franchises. But I didn’t realize how many of these had been canceled until I was doing some sleuthing related to Candace Cameron Bure’s shift to GAC Family and her Aurora Teagarden movies. As it turns out, its probable demise comes after Hallmark canceled three other long-running mystery franchises. 

Here’s the gist, over the last year, Hallmark canceled Hailey Dean Mysteries starring Kellie Martin, Matchmaker Mysteries starring Danica McKellar and Victor Webster, and the Picture Perfect mysteries starring the husband-wife duo of Alexa PenaVega and Carlos PenaVega. No announcement was made but each was quietly confirmed, so quietly that I’m only realizing it months later. 

With nine movies under its belt, Hailey Dean Mysteries was one of the most prolific mystery franchises at Hallmark, despite only running between 2016 and 2019. It wasn’t until the holiday season last year that Kellie Martin learned she wouldn’t get to bring the character back to the small screen for more TV movies. She noted in a tweet:

Looking at the second franchise, the loss of Matchmaker Mysteries actually makes a ton of sense, as Danica McKellar is one of the major names who has shifted to GAC. However, it’s worth noting that McKellar only signed a four-picture deal with GAC Family and seems to still be a fan of her work in Matchmaker Mysteries so its not like the series had to end. Regardless, her first GAC Family movie aired in January of 2022, and that same month, Danica McKeller told a fan on social media the network had “decided to stop making [Matchmaker] last summer” – well before she left in October. 

Of the three, Picture Perfect mysteries was probably my least favorite, though Alexa PenaVega and Carlos PenaVega obviously have chemistry. Similarly in the case of that franchise (which only had three movies), Alexa PenaVega was the one to reveal the cabler had canceled her mystery projects, noting on Instagram Stories “sadly no” when one fan asked if Hallmark Movies & Mysteries would be making any more. Given the context in Danica McKellar’s previous comment, it may have been one of the summer casualties as well, but we only heard about it months later. 

To note, we also saw Candace Cameron Bure’s exit happen recently, and while she is not under an overall deal with GAC Family, after early reports indicated she might keep her Aurora Teagarden series, it seems that long-running Hallmark franchise is probably over as well. That one I knew already, but given this large swathe of projects shifting and changing, it’s enough to make you wonder if Hallmark has been trimming the fat and in doing so spurred some of these exits or spurred some of the most ardent Hallmark regulars to at least try out the other network. 

The good news? Lacey Chabert just signed a new overall Hallmark deal, so the beloved Crossword Mysteries are (hopefully) safe for now. And the cabler just debuted a new franchise starring Nikki DeLoach and Andrew W. Walker that frankly has a goofy title -- Dying for Chocolate: A Curious Caterer Mystery -- but was among the more likable of the newer ones of these the network has debuted. So there’s hopefully good news on the horizon, even if some fan-favorites have been let go. 

Tis the season to be poaching, falalalalalala. At least that’s true if you’re rival Hallmark network GAC Family, which has nabbed Danica McKellar, Candace Cameron Bure and some of the other cabler’s biggest names in recent months. However, Hallmark has begun to sign some of its names to new and extended contracts, as well. We’ve learned one fan-favorite has now signed an extended deal in time for this year’s holiday season. That actor would be none other than Ryan Paevey. 

The new deal the actor has signed will be for multiple pictures and will kick off well before people start planning out the holiday season. Per Deadline, Paevey’s next movie will hit the schedule in June as part of Hallmark’s summer lineup. That movie will be called Two Tickets To Paradise, but again with multiple pictures, it’s likely we’ll see Paevey on the Christmas movie schedule this year. 

Where Have You Seen Ryan Paevey On Hallmark Before? 

You may know Ryan Paevey for such Hallmark flicks as Unleashing Mr. Darcy, but he also has a Christmas movie or five under his belt. There is, of course, the new classic  Hallmark movie A Timeless Christmas, in which the actor plays a business mogul from the American Industrialist era who time travels to the present. He’s also starred in Christmas at the Plaza, Coyote Creek Christmas and more during the holiday season. 

Plus, it’s worth noting Paevey was one of the notable faces highlighting Covid safety protocols early on during the pandemic as Hallmark became one of the first entertainment companies to get back to work. 

What’s Going On With These Hallmark Deals? 

In the same report, Hallmark head honcho Lisa Hamilton Daly also admitted that she is making plans to lock down more stars now that there is increased competition on the Christmas movies front. She noted to the outlet that “overall deals” is a strategy the channel is aggressively pursuing right now, also stating:

The network  has locked other stars, including the likes of Lacey Chabert and Taylor Cole down for multiple picture deals in recent weeks, with Cole noting she’s “proud” to have signed a Hallmark deal. Aimee Teegarden also recently signed an exclusive, multiple movie contract. These deals started happening after GAC Family began to poach some of the Christmas cabler’s major names for its own, often similar, content. 

As previously noted, both Danica McKellar and Candace Cameron Bure are doing work for the rival network, now. They aren’t the only ones. Jen Lilley and more have also signed deals with GAC Family. Clearly, from what Hallmark’s head honcho has to say, these deals may just be the tip of the iceberg, but I’m happy to hear Ryan Paevey will keep rolling with Hallmark in 2022. Now, can we please find another time travel-oriented storyline and make A Timeless Christmas 2? 

Following the likes of Danica McKellar and others leaving Hallmark, Candace Cameron Bure became one of the latest stars to shift to new network GAC Family, and now she’s hyping one of her other major projects at the network. That would be none other than Full House, the TGIF series that really kicked Bure’s career into gear and led to even more popularity later when Netflix picked up its sequel Fuller House. Now, she’s hyping up these projects as she preps to make her debut on a new network. 

In a post just a few days after news broke that Bure would be shifting to the new network, Candace Cameron Bure opened up about Full House and even Fuller House re-runs available on her new network too. She topped off her sweet post with a quote reference that ardent fans will absolutely recognize and identify with. Take a look at her fun Instagram post: 

Episodes of Full House and Fuller House actually hit GAC Family earlier this year, but the shift to the new cabler is more significant now that the channel has actually landed Candace Cameron Bure. We know the popular Christmas movie star will be doing holiday content at GAC Family. In addition, a recent report revealed that one of Bure’s first new projects will be a “Thanksgiving Programming Event” that will have her hosting in what seems like it may be similar to what the actress has done in the past on Hallmark during the holiday season with its "Countdown to Christmas" slate. 

Why is this significant? Well, if she doesn’t end up filming a ton for GAC Family in the meantime, it could be a while before the cabler has built up a library of Bure titles in the same way that Hallmark has. Ergo, the Full House and Fuller House reruns are actually kind of an important tie-in here. 

It's not uncommon for cablers to fill out network rosters with syndicated shows. Hallmark does something similar with Golden Girls and other syndicated programs. Assumedly the TGIF series and its spinoff should be a good fit for GAC Family as well, given the network focuses on content that is "relentlessly family-friendly," as noted in a previous interview head honcho Bill Abbott gave on Up Next with John Contratti.

Of course, you don't need GAC family to catch D.J. Tanner and the gang. You can always watch Fuller House on Netflix streaming, as well. Also worth pointing out: the Fuller House gang has talked about another potential reunion at some point, as well, even following the tragic loss of Bob Saget earlier this year.  

Regardless, once Bure is on the network in full force, expect plenty of fun content from the star. Even though Candace Cameron Bure has spoken about "the pressure" that comes with making holiday films, those are expected to be a major part of her output.

Hallmark’s been making original movies and TV programs for years, but more recently it’s become a holiday staple in many households thanks to its robust Christmas programming schedule. Only in the last year, a rival network has made some major moves and coaxed some heavy hitters over at Hallmark to its own slate. This includes the likes of Danica McKellar and Candace Cameron Bure, who have signed new deals with GAC Family. But not so fast, as Hallmark recently re-upped the deals for some other major names on the network. 

This week, Hallmark announced a new deal with one of its more popular faces, Taylor Cole. Cole has starred in classic Hallmark Christmas movies like Christmas Festival of Ice and last year’s Making Spirits Bright. She’s also a mainstay in regular romantic programming (would recommend 2018’s Falling for You) and has her own series of movies on Movies and Mysteries as well, A Ruby Herring Mystery. Thanks to the new overall deal, she’ll be creating multiple more movies for the cable network, though it’s currently unclear how many more pictures she’s signed on for. 

Cole confirmed the news via a post on her Instagram, commenting about the decision: 

Normally, Taylor Cole signing a new contract would be happy news for her fans, but wouldn’t have the significance that this contract has. That’s because GAC Family has seemingly been on a mission to poach Hallmark stars for its own very similar programming. Danica McKeller and Jen Lilley had both exited the Hallmark family already when Candace Cameron Bure dropped the bombshell news she had signed a new deal with GAC too. (Though her deal is non-exclusive.)  

Meanwhile, given the defections from the network, Hallmark has been working out multi-picture deals for a lot of its staple actors and actresses. Most notable among these have been deals for Lacey Chabert, Brennan Elliott and Holly Robinson-Peete, who all have starred in a wide variety of programming on the cable channel in the past.  Chabert is even branching out with the network and doing more creative  work of late, including the three-movie extravaganza The Wedding Veil, her "longtime dream." Andrew Walker and Heather Hemmens have also signed new deals. 

Meanwhile, while there’s a lot of back-and-forth happening between the networks right now, the Hallmark family has always seemed to be fairly close-knit, with the actors starring in the programming often commenting on one another’s social media posts. This was true when Candace Cameron Bure announced her exit and her Hallmark co-stars reached out, but it’s also true of Taylor Cole re-upping, as co-stars including Jonathan Bennett sent their “congrats.” 

Taylor Cole’s last project was the holiday movie she filmed for the network in 2021, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated when her next project is lined up. With any luck, maybe it’ll be a Ruby Herring Mystery. A girl can hope! 

Over the last several months, a slew of Hallmark stars have transitioned to taking on roles or even overall deals at rival network GAC Family. Bill Abbott, who formerly ran Hallmark Channel’s parent company Crown Media Family Networks, has coaxed some of the network’s biggest names like Danica McKellar over to the new channel. But it seems the ladies on both networks are still super supportive of one another, after Hallmark star Lacey Chabert and more reached out to Candace Cameron Bure following her own big news. 

In a post, Candace Cameron Bure confirmed that she has signed a new overall deal with GAC Family. Intriguingly, this won’t necessarily mean she’ll completely exit Hallmark. Reports indicate her deal with GAC Family is for Christmas movies and more, but she may be able to continue with Aurora Teagarden movies on Hallmark’s sister channel Movies and Mysteries. On her Instagram, Bure simply confirmed reports, writing: 

Generally, Candace Cameron Bure is all over Instagram Stories when there is big news, so this was a surprisingly short response about her big career shift. Regardless, she received a lot of support from some of her Hallmark and formerly Hallmark co-stars, including the aforementioned Chabert, who actually just signed a new deal with Hallmark. Thus it seems there are not hard feelings over the actress’ choice to try holiday movies elsewhere.

In fact, two of the stars of Hallmark’s recent trio of films The Wedding Veil reached out, with Lacey Chabert noting “congratulations” and her co-star Alison Sweeney sending the abbreviated “congrats.” Intriguingly, some Hallmark defectors also commented, with Danica McKellar giving Candace Cameron Bure a warm welcome to the GAC fold, writing, “Yayayay!!!! Welcome to the family, my friend!!” And Jen Lilley sent some emojis along with the excited exclamation, “Ah!!!!!!” 

So, it seems that even if there are a bunch of people leaving Hallmark For GAC (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg as Cindy Busby --who also commented with emojis -- has done a GAC movie, Cameron Mathison shifted over after his Hallmark show was canceled and so on and so forth), there’s still positivity even coming from the stars who are sticking with the original network. After all, if some of the mainstays leave Hallmark that should give some new names the chance to shine. 

Meanwhile, a statement from Bure when the news was announced spoke about the “faith-based” programming the actress is hoping to produce for the network. 

Hallmark has seen a number of stars leave for the new channel, but the shift in talent is not the only shift Hallmark has seen recently. The network has also pushed to include LGBTQ+ friendly movies and characters and more diverse romances over the past couple of years, following its first foray into LGBTQ+ characters in Wedding Every Weekend in 2020. 

After growing more and more popular in recent years, Hallmark has seen a lot of shakeups in recent months. First, network mainstay Danica McKellar left the channel for a new deal with GAC Family. She was followed by others; however, Hallmark is now seeing possibly its #1 star take on a big new opportunity with GAC Family. Yes, I’m talking about Candace Cameron Bure. 

News broke Tuesday that Bure will be the latest addition to the GAC Family following the exits of Danica McKellar and Jen Lilley. The move to GAC for some projects will give Candace Cameron Bure the opportunity to “develop, produce and star” in her own movies at the channel, but unlike some of the other stars who are exiting Hallmark, it seems fans may still be able to find her popular characters on both networks. But how would that work? 

To note, the actress’ work has never strictly been at Hallmark. She also headlined Fuller House for Netflix before it ended in 2020 and more. TV Line reports Candace Cameron Bure’s deal at GAC family is for “rom-coms” and “holiday fare.” Really though, the series that fans potentially care the most about is Aurora Teagarden, which just aired its 18th movie on the channel back in February after wrapping on the film late last year. Theoretically, she could continue on with her Hallmark Movies and Mysteries roles outside of her work at GAC Family. 

I’ll certainly be missing Candace Cameron Bure on Hallmark around the holidays, though it sounds like she'll still have opportunities to create holiday fare. She is often the spokesperson or one of the spokespeople advertising the Hallmark Christmas movies season for fans, though Bure's been open about the "pressure" that comes with the gig. She’s been synonymous with Hallmark for almost 15 years, but it's also worth pointing out she’s not the only popular personality on the network.

Some may say Lacey Chabert is the #1 star on the network. Her holiday movies over the past several seasons have been extremely popular, particularly her film The Christmas Waltz. She also recently produced a new concept for Hallmark, The Wedding Veil Trilogy, which united three Hallmark stars together for a series of three movies. Chabert also inked a large overall deal to stick with the popular Christmas cabler back in February. 

Meanwhile, Hallmark still has a slew of big names. If Bure cuts back or cuts out of the network completely, her fans may follow her elsewhere -- or potentially in this case, watch her on multiple channels. Still, if you're more of a Hallmark person overall, Alison Sweeney, Nikki DeLoach, Taylor Cole, Autumn Reeser and more are still some favorites on the network... provided they aren't swayed to leave. 

Spoilers below for the latest episode of The Wonder Years, so be warned if you haven’t watched!

Even before The Wonder Years made its debut on ABC with its current iteration, fans were already pondering whether or not the Dulé Hill-starring dramedy would feature any direct connections to the original ‘90s series. At least, beyond having former lead Fred Savage as an executive producer and frequent episode director. Well, that answer came in a huge way during the episode “Love & War,” which delivered a meaningful and somewhat heartbreaking callback to the very first episode of The Wonder Years that aired 34 years ago. And to be expected, Savage and former co-star Danica McKellar had thoughts about this newly introduced connective tissue.

For those who didn’t watch, “Love & War” was a big episode for Spencer Moore II’s Bruce, who returned home to recover from injuries sustained in combat in Vietnam, for which he earned a Bronze Star. Bruce was initially keeping a secret from the rest of the family, in that he’s dating a single mom divorcée named Tammy, as portrayed by Yvonne Orji. But the bigger bombshell for audience members came late in the ep, as the character emotionally shared that his survivor’s guilt was inspired by the tragic death of his friend and fellow soldier Brian, who was revealed to be none other than Winnie Cooper’s older brother. The same brother whose whose death gave The Wonder Years’ original pilot episode its emotional heft. 

The current iternation’s creator and showrunner Saladin K. Patterson talked to Deadline about linking the two worlds so directly, and how Brian Cooper was part of the original pitch to ABC as part of Bruce’s narrative evolution. When asked if the creative team reached out to Danica McKellar, whose Winnie Cooper was devastated to learn of her brother’s death, he said they definitely gave her notice, saying:

It’s awesome to hear that Danica McKellar was so enthusiastic and encouraging about the way Saladin K. Patterson & Co. wanted to use Brian Cooper as a means to dovetail the two series without falling back on guest stars and less logical crossover moments. And for those who didn’t watch, the episode ended on the pic of Winnie and Brian seen below.

Obviously, Fred Savage was fully aware that The Wonder Years was going to take on that heavy link to his original series, and it probably would have been strange if he’d been adamantly against doing it. Thankfully, Patterson said Savage was very much behind the idea, in part because it wasn’t glaring and hackneyed. In the showrunner’s words:

It’s unclear whether or not viewers can look forward to other nods of the sort, the showrunner did confirm that Bruce’s girlfriend Tammy would not be returning this season, due to scheduling conflicts during filming. Though she will get mentioned, and the character isn’t necessarily gone from the show altogether.

While fans shouldn’t expect to see O.G. stars in the new series, ABC did feature a full Wonder Years-flavored night earlier in the season, with Dan Lauria guesting on The Goldbergs, Fred Savage making a return to The Conners, and Danica McKellar popping by Home Economics. Those who want to see McKellar more frequently can catch her on GAC, where she signed an exclusive deal after leaving Hallmark.

The Wonder Years airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET, in between new episodes of The Goldbergs and new episodes of The Conners, which has featured callbacks to its own origin series this season. While waiting for more, remember new episodes of the ‘60s-set dramedy are available next-day for Hulu subscribers, and our 2022 TV schedule will keep you up to date with all the new and returning shows popping up soon.

Beauty in Hollywood can be a fleeting thing. Some stars need a little help to keep up appearances, while others are just genetically blessed. Former Hallmark star Danica McKellar falls into the latter category. She hasn’t aged a day since being introduced as everyone’s crush Winnie Cooper on the classic sitcom The Wonder Years. It seems like McKellar’s youthful looks aren’t just a fluke, as her dad won the genetic lottery as well.

Fans got a look at The Wonder Years alum’s youthful father when she posted a father-daughter photo on her Instagram to celebrate the elder McKellar’s 72nd birthday. Danica McKellar was a proud daughter as she posted the image a week before his big day. You can look at what great genes can do in the sweet post below.

This is what having good genes can do for you. Chris McKellar doesn’t look a day over 50 despite a few wrinkles here and there. He looks more like his daughter’s older brother rather than her father. Even Danica McKellar couldn’t believe her dad was in his 70s. Seeing how blessed she is, the actress expressed gratitude for partaking “in some of your genes." Adding that he doesn’t even dye his hair proved just how strong that McKellar DNA is.

Of course, Danica McKellar wasn’t the only one in awe of her ageless father. Her former Hallmark co-star Benjamin Ayres couldn’t fathom that her father was in his 70s, as he responded:

While Ayres questioned the older McKellar’s hair as much as his daughter, Peacemaker’s Antonio Cupo was taken aback by his good looks. He replied to the birthday message:

Cupo wasn’t the only one who admired Danica McKellar’s handsome face. One fan couldn’t believe her eyes, commenting:

While everyone was admiring her dada’s looks, Danica McKellar’s new network home GAC kept things to a minimum. The channel posted a simple message in McKellar’s comments.

Seeing the older McKellar was a peek into the future of what the younger McKellar might look like in her 70s. At least, Danica McKellar knows how incredibly blessed she is to be his daughter. But it wasn’t just his genetics she was grateful for, as she thanked him for being an “amazing dad.”

This moment was just the latest bright spot for Danica McKellar as it was announced that the Hallmark staple would be leaving the channel after inking a deal with GAC. She was soon followed by fellow Hallmark star Jen Tilley, who signed with the rival network earlier this year. That doesn’t mean she cut off contact with her Hallmark family completely, as she joined Candace Cameron Bure and others in congratulating Jodie Sweetin on her recent engagement.

After leaving Hallmark, fans got to see Danica McKellar in her first GAC movie, The Winter Palace, earlier this year. If you want to see where Danica McKellar will pop up next, you can peek at our 2022 TV schedule.     

Although 2021 hasn’t been full of good news when it comes to the Full House family, Jodie Sweetin has officially delivered some exciting news! The actress, best known for playing Stephanie Tanner on Full House and then reprising the role for Netflix’s Fuller House, is now engaged to fiancé Mescal Wasilewski, and she made the announcement just days before her 40th birthday. She was all smiles in her post to spread the happy news, and fellow Full House alums, Hallmark stars, and more hit the comments to send their love. 

Jodie Sweetin’s announcement of her engagement was very sweet, quoting Maya Angelou, including a sweet message to her now-fiancé, and noting that she’s going to like turning 40 soon. Before getting into all the congratulations from fellow stars, take a look at her Instagram post:

Candace Cameron Bure, who has played Jodie Sweetin’s on-screen sister D.J. off and on for decades, wasted no time in congratulating Sweetin on the good news. The actress has been open about her own relationship with her husband over the years (to mixed reactions), and Bure busted out some heart emojis to express her joy at the engagement news:

Jodie Sweetin responded to Bure’s comment with a comment of her own that is sure to make any Full House and Fuller House fans smile: “love you!!” And Bure wasn’t the only Full House alum who congratulated the newly-engaged actress. Although neither of the Olsen twins (who rarely release statements) have commented at the time of writing, Andrea Barber – whose Kimmy character was basically an honorary Tanner sister on Full House – had a message as well:

Full House alums weren’t the only ones full of congratulations for Sweetin, either. Prolific voice actress and fellow Hallmark movie alum Danica McKellar also busted out a heart emoji, and her message was short and sweet:

Another person to weigh in was another actress who found success at a relatively young age: Christy Carlson Romano. Known for her work on Even Stevens and voice role as Kim Possible in her animated series, also had some kind words for Jodie Sweetin. Romano, who actually hosted Sweetin on her YouTube cooking series back in 2020, wrote: 

Based on the “Ahhhhhhh!” I think it’s safe to say that Christy Carlson Romano is excited for Sweetin! Another person who didn’t hold back with his congrats to Sweetin is Dancing with the Stars pro dancer Keo Motsepe, who partnered with the actress on the ABC show back in Season 22 (and more recently made headlines for dating DWTS celeb dancer Chrishell Stause), wrote:

All things considered, Jodie Sweetin has already gotten to celebrate something huge even before turning 40 on January 19, and there’s no shortage of people who are happy to celebrate with her. In addition to the various stars who posted messages in response to her engagement announcement, her photo has already gotten more than 286,000 “likes” on Instagram in less than 24 hours, and plenty of comments from fans as well as friends. 

Only time will tell how quickly Sweetin moves forward with wedding plans, but you can always revisit her work as Stephanie Tanner over the years with the full run of Full House streaming on HBO Max and all five seasons of Fuller House streaming on Netflix, among plenty of other current and upcoming options.

Dealing with the death of a loved one is never easy, but that’s especially true when you lose someone during a time of year that’s supposed to bring families and friends closer together so that they can celebrate. Unfortunately, Hallmark movies and Mean Girls cast member Lacey Chabert and her family are now dealing with such a loss, after the star’s older sister, Wendy, died suddenly. Now, Candace Cameron Bure and more Hallmark movie stars are sending love to Chabert after the announcement.

Lacey Chabert took to her Instagram page recently to share the sad news that her sister had passed away. Let’s take a look at Chabert’s post in remembrance of her sibling, and then see what some of her fellow Hallmark stars had to say.

While we don’t have any clear details right now on what happened to Chabert’s sister Wendy, it’s pretty obvious that her family, which included her two sons, were completely unprepared for it. Chabert asked for prayers, and it seems like she’s going to get plenty of them. Here’s how former Fuller House star Candace Cameron Bure responded:

A number of stars that the actress has either worked with or befriended during her long career flooded the comments on Chabert’s post, as well as other Hallmark movie stars, including former The Real co-host and star of the recent movie The Santa Stakeout, Tamera Mowry-Housley, who said:

Chabert also got a response from one of her Hallmark movie co-stars, Will Kemp, who worked with her in the network’s Love, Romance & Chocolate in 2019, and last year’s holiday film, Christmas Waltz.

As anyone who’s lost a loved one, under any circumstances, probably knows, “heartbreaking” is almost not even a strong enough word to describe how people feel after such a sad and surprising event. It will take Chabert and her family a long time to heal, but well-wishes like the ones above and those from others, like Hallmark’s former star Danica McKeller, will probably help lighten the load a tiny bit. McKellar noted:

Nikki DeLoach, star of Hallmark movies like The Perfect Catch and the recently released Hallmark Movies & Mysteries title, Five More Minutes, summed many of the comments up nicely by saying: 

Lacey Chabert and her family are in our thoughts as they deal with this troubling time. 

The Hallmark Channel (as well as Hallmark Movies & Mysteries) has become very well-known for their many seasonal, made-for-TV romantic (but still family-friendly) films and television shows. This includes their increasingly popular lineup of holiday movies, a slate that grows with each passing year. But, Hallmark star Danica McKellar has now left for another network, which begs the question of whether or not other exits could be coming soon.

While Danica McKellar got her big break as a child on the ABC hit The Wonder Years, many of her recent efforts have seen her star in a number of films for Hallmark. Because of this, she’s easily one of the most recognizable faces the company has, but Deadline reports that she’s now signed an exclusive deal with GAC Media, which runs Hallmark competitors GAC Family and GAC Living. McKellar is set to executive produce and star in four movies for the outlet, starting with The Winter Palace, which will premiere in January 2022 on GAC Family. 

Since 2015, McKellar has starred in 15 of Hallmark’s original titles, including Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ Matchmaker Mysteries franchise and the recently released Hallmark Christmas movie, You, Me & The Christmas Trees. That film will now be her last for the network, at least through 2023, when her current deal with GAC Media ends. 

With the company, which was just formed earlier this year, clearly setting itself up to offer very similar programming to what Hallmark has offered fans for two decades, the question now is whether or not other big stars will follow McKellar’s path and leave the channel behind. Recently, Trevor Donovan, another of the consistent Hallmark movie stars, also jumped ship and signed an exclusive deal with GAC Media. On top of that, the group will also be working with Lori Loughlin, who’s bringing her When Calls the Heart character to its spinoff, When Hope Calls, which is moving from Hallmark Movies Now to GAC Family for Season 2.

And, that’s not where the seeming exodus ends. There are no other exclusive deals tying Hallmark stars to GAC Media right now, but their upcoming holiday film slate (the first for GAC Family) stars nothing but beloved Hallmark actors like the aforementioned Donovan, as well as Sam Page, Chad Michael Murray, Rukiya Bernard, Jessica Lowndes, Jennie Garth, Dewshane Williams, Cameron Mathison (who recently led Welcome to the Great American Christmas on the new network with his fellow former host of Hallmark’s Home & Family, Debbie Matenopoulos), and Daniel Lissing, who also famously starred on When Calls the Heart and will be joining Loughlin on the spinoff later this year. 

One has to admit that this seems like a troubling trend. It’s worth noting that the new channel (which was Great American Country before being sold a few months ago) is being run by Bill Abbott, a former Hallmark executive who left his post in January 2020, after a lot of controversy over a same-sex kiss in a commercial. It’s clear that he knows who worked well in Hallmark’s programming over the years, and by setting up deals with some of their top talent he could lure more away on a permanent basis. 

Even though viewers will see several talented stars appear in multiple Hallmark movies each year, the network hasn’t been in the habit of signing them to deals (exclusive or otherwise) for holiday films or its many rom-coms. The only exception so far has been Tamera Mowry-Housley, who inked a deal in November 2020 to star in and exec produce movies for them, as well as joining Home & Family as a contributor. 

If anything, GAC Media’s actions might see that start to change, and Hallmark’s leaders make moves to lock down talent before even more take their leave of the channel.

ABC has never been one to shy away from nostalgia, and audiences will get a big dose of it in the Fall TV season. As a way to promote the upcoming premiere of The Wonder Years reboot with Dulé Hill, the network is bringing some OG Wonder Years stars back for guest spots across a small variety of its original comedies, including The Conners.

While The Wonder Years 2.0 will make its debut on Wednesday, September 22, ABC is setting up its midweek throwback for October 13, as not to disrupt other season premieres with the guest spots. First up that evening will be The Goldbergs, which will feature a guest appearance from the always excellent Dan Lauria. As Wonder Years fans will no doubt agree, Lauria is second to none at delivering performances that made his character Jack Arnold appear to be the most put-upon and eternally defeated character on TV. (Not unlike a grown-up Charlie Brown.) Considering The Goldbergs is set in the '80s, which is when TWY first debuted, it should be interesting to see how Lauria is utilized within that episode.

Following that evening's installment of the reimagined Wonder Years, ABC's The Conners will welcome Fred Savage back to Lanford, presumably still as Darlene's therapist Dr. Harding. Judging how things went with Ben at the end of Season 3, I'm guessing it'll take more than a couple of episodes to resolve all that, so she'll probably need another therapist visit that viewers can bear witness too. Landing Savage as a Season 3 guest star was a perfect fit for The Conners, which also stocked its cast with Married with Children's Katey Sagal and Murphy Brown's Candice Bergen (among other sitcom vets), with Seinfeld's Jason Alexander joining the ensemble in a recurring capacity in Season 4.

However it goes, that Conners ep will be followed up by a new episode of Topher Grace's Home Economics, with Danica McKellar set to guest star. As girl-next-door Winnie Cooper, McKellar won the hearts of tons of younger Wonder Years fans during those golden years, but what will she be up to on Home Economics? As it went with Dan Lauria, no character details were given, so we obviously don't know just yet, but perhaps she'll play into the publishing company or the parent of a child that gets mixed up with one of Tom and Marina's kids.

Interestingly enough, even before making his on-screen debut for The Conners, Fred Savage had already worked on six prior episodes as a director, with the sixth episode being his first. No telling whether or not he'll be helming the episode he appears in but he'll almost definitely be behind the camera for a few Season 4 installments. (Fun fact: Savage also directed two episodes of The Goldbergs.)

So remember to mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 13, for that evening's episodes of The Goldbergs, The Wonder Years, The Conners and Home Economics, with the comedy block kicking off on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Over the last few weeks, Hallmark has started getting some of its Canadian productions back to work, even working in “pods” to keep things safe. Although there may ultimately be fewer movies around the holidays than the fans of the cabler have gotten used to in recent years, Hallmark does seem to be recovering from the shutdown and Hallmark regular Danica McKellar recently revealed some details about the shutdown, as well as when she’ll be back to work.

In a recent interview, Danica McKellar revealed she was just about to get started on a new Hallmark flick back in the spring when the shutdown first happened. She noted to Purewow that obviously everything took way longer to get restarted than she initially thought it might. So said we all.

So, unlike some programming like Aurora Teagarden or When Calls The Heart, not all of Hallmark’s movies or mysteries have gotten off of the ground yet. (Though the casts of those projects that have gone back to work have also shared their experiences in quarantine and more.) In fact, Hallmark seems to have employing plenty of safety precautions on the sets of the company's movies and TV shows to keep people safe over the long haul.

Luckily, if you are a fan of Danica McKellar’s work on the channel – particularly with her popular series of Matchmaker movies, you should be in luck sometime hopefully later this year. She also noted,

Two other Matchmaker Mysteries already exist. Both star Danica McKellar and Victor Webster and the most recent one A Fatal Romance, just hit Hallmark back in April. So the channel has been able to churn ‘em out fairly quickly on its second Movies and Mysteries network.

While she waits to get back to work, Danica McKellar has been entertaining her fanbase with some “Motivational Mondays” videos, science experiments, and every now and again a throwback post to her days on The Wonder Years. Hopefully, she’ll also alert us as soon as filming on her Christmas movie is underway. Meanwhile, you can catch McKellar often on the channel in such Hallmark classics such as Perfect Match and Campfire Kiss.

Very mild spoilers ahead for Knives Out.

It was a surprise to Danica McKellar to hear her name invoked twice as part of the plot of Knives Out. Rian Johnson's new movie just opened before Thanksgiving and it turns out The Wonder Years alum is referenced a couple of times -- for her Hallmark movies.

Yes, after achieving fame in the early '90s as Winnie Cooper, Danica McKellar is currently known for her many Hallmark Channel movies. That became a joke in the movie when two characters talked about "this Hallmark movie, called Deadly by Surprise, with Danica McKellar..." Danica McKellar and the (fake) Hallmark movie were referenced again near the end of the movie.

Danica McKellar has never been in a movie called Deadly by Surprise, but she just recently played a crime-solving matchmaker in Matchmaker Mysteries: A Killer Engagement. Before that, she had a string of Hallmark movies called Love and Sunshine, Christmas at Grand Valley, Love in Design, Coming Home for Christmas, Campfire Kiss, My Christmas Dream, and more.

Danica McKellar was tipped off about her inclusion in Knives Out and told IBT it was "awesome" and flattering and she had to go check it out. Once she did she the movie, she went on social media to praise Knives Out and talk about the surreal experience of being referenced as part of the plot:

Rian Johnson wrote and directed Knives Out, so he was the one who added Danica McKellar to the movie -- twice. He replied to and shared her excited post:

Knives Out has more fans than just Winnie Cooper (OK, Danica McKellar). It's getting rave reviews from fans and critics. And it's expecting to make a lot more money in this opening weekend than originally thought.

10 New Hallmark Christmas Movies That Are Perfect For The Holidays

Keep up with everything still headed to the big screen this year with our 2019 movie release date schedule. If you're into murder mysteries, here are a few more whodunit movies to watch. As for Danica McKellar? She has another Christmas movie lined up, Christmas at Dollywood, which will air at 8 p.m. Sunday, December 8 on the Hallmark Channel.

The Wonder Years: The Complete Series is now available on DVD for the first time ever. To celebrate the gloriousness that is 26 discs of Winnie Cooper and Kevin Arnold, Starvista Entertainment recently reassembled members from the original cast to talk about some of the key moments and behind-the-scenes stories that occurred on the set over the years. During the conference, Danica McKellar, who played Winnie Cooper for the duration of the show’s run, spoke out about how her character paralleled her real-life growing up experience.

McKellar tells Collider that the dialogue the writers created for herself and Fred Savage was inspired by their real-life friendship, with the writers on the show literally taking their catchphrases and mannerisms and recreating them for the small screen.

She also brings up an example from her friendship with Savage where the two would chat about some boy she totally wanted to date.

I think I would personally feel a little violated if writers began picking up my catchphrases and throwing them into the script of a wildly popular TV show, but McKellar actually seems really flattered that this happened, calling the parallels “fascinating.” Honestly, it is details like listening to the two young leads that probably helped The Wonders Years to feel fresh and astute for all of the years it was on the air.

The Wonder Years was groundbreaking when it aired in the 1980s, changing the landscape of TV storytelling by introducing us to Kevin Arnold, a young boy dealing with the pains, trials and beauty of growing up. It took a frustrating amount of time for The Wonder Years to begin streaming on Netflix, and even longer for The Complete Series to head onto DVD. Now that the release is finally here, it’s nice to take a nostalgic look back at the drama.

If you would like to order The Wonder Years: The Complete Series, you can head over to the Time Life site.

The Wonder Years' Danica McKellar really likes math. She found the niche after ending her stint on the popular coming-of-age show, eventually even publishing several math books. Her most recent title, Girls Get Curves: Geometry Takes Shape, was written to help young women get pumped about shapes and numbers. Now a new mommy, McKeller is hoping to inspire a love for math in her own child.

McKellar recently came out to talk about her 23-month-old boy’s current math abilities. Apparently, little Draco likes to name geometric shapes and count the number of toes on his feet, although McKellar recently told People, his numbers don’t always add up.

Next on her list, however, the mom plans to work with Draco until he has some formulas down pat. If she manages what she is attempting, her little tyke will be way ahead of the linear curve.

McKeller most recently made headlines when she filed for divorce from her longterm partner, Mike Verta. Despite the recent stressors, it is good to see the 37-year-old mom so keenly devoted to her little one. Pop Blend would like to wish her the best in her quadratic equation efforts. A mom with brains and the willingness to put in time certainly deserves it.