At 50, Danica McKellar is entering a new chapter, one filled with purpose, perspective and profound gratitude. The beloved Wonder Years star recently sat down with Closer Weekly to reflect on life’s twists and triumphs, sharing what she calls her “most faithful message” to date.
“The way we experience our lives is exactly because of what we choose to focus on,” she shares. “We all get dealt a hand. Some parts are good, some are challenging. But the story we tell ourselves about that hand, that’s what defines our life.”
It’s a truth she’s learned over time, through both joy and pain. Danica shared that, for much of her life, she lived in a state of constant worry. “I used to be a really stressed-out kid,” she admits. “I thought if I didn’t work really hard all the time, I’d fail.”
But over the years, Danica’s mindset shifted, thanks in part to a spiritual awakening that began in college when she was dating someone in recovery and started attending Al-Anon. “That’s when I heard things like ‘Let go and let God’ for the first time,” she recalls. “It opened something in me. I started to realize I didn’t have to control everything.”
Danica’s strength lies in what she’s let go of, especially the expectations of Hollywood. After The Wonder Years, she walked away from acting to pursue a degree in mathematics at UCLA, a move that surprised many. “I needed to know who I was without all the glamor and superficiality,” she explains.
Pursuing a math degree at UCLA gave her that chance, and she describes it as “empowering” and “grounding.” But when she finished school and began thinking about returning to acting, the fear crept in. “I worried I made a mistake. I felt like I was behind and had to catch up. What if I couldn’t go back?”
She began taking roles in indie films, unsure if her career would regain momentum, until she landed a role on The West Wing, which she appeared on for two seasons. “That show was a turning point. It reminded me that I still had something to offer in the industry,” she says.
Danica McKellar
Still, even with her successes, the doubts lingered. “You second-guess yourself,” she admits. But now, with 12 math books and millions of copies in print, Danica realizes the move was exactly what she needed, she recalls, “Looking back, I know everything unfolded the way it needed to. I had to step away from Hollywood to come back on my own terms and that made all the difference.”
As she looks ahead to the next decade, Danica’s vision is simple: more movies, more books and more time with her family. “Turning 50 is a blessing,” she shares. “It’s made me more committed to my health, my work and my peace.”
More recently, a deeper relationship with her faith helped ease the anxiety she once felt every day. “Three years ago, I came into my faith fully. I used to have a lot of biases about religion, but I’ve realized it’s not about rules, it’s about relationship. That changed everything.”
That message she shares daily with her 14-year-old son, Draco. She and her ex-husband, Mike Verta, coparent with care and mutual respect,“We really work as a team. And that means putting ego aside and focusing on what’s best for him,” she says.
Now starring in and producing films for Great American Family Channel and authoring math books for kids, Danica has transitioned from teen stardom to educator and inspiring mother. Her latest book, I Love You 100: A Counting Book Full of Love (available for preorder), marks her 12th math title, teaching little ones to count while reminding them they are loved unconditionally. “It’s about loving your child through every emotion,” she says. “Happy, sad, angry, it doesn’t matter. I love you no matter what.”
Danica stays true to herself, “I can’t think of another article that was so faithful to my message,” the Wonder Years alum tells Closer of her interview, “Faith, health, family, coparenting, all the projects I wanted to promote, everything.”