7 Shocking Things You Probably Didn’t Know About ‘The Wonder Years’: Revelations About the Show

Fred Savage Was Eyed for the Role From the Start

When the show was in development, producers eyed Fred for the role of Kevin Arnold almost immediately.

“By the time we actually settled on a casting director, we had already resolved that we should see Fred,” series creator Neal Marlens told The Philadelphia Inquirer in 1988. “Knowing nothing about him, we arranged to screen some unedited footage of a film he was making at the time, Vice Versa … [We saw] a marvelous actor with a natural quality, which essentially means he has no quality at all except being a kid. It sounds funny, but it’s a rare thing to find in a child actor. It’s the same thing we looked for and discovered in Josh Saviano and Danica McKellar.”

That Punch Was Real

The Wonder Years had several famous faces who made cameos on the show over the years, including David Schwimmer and Alicia Silverstone. During a scene with John Corbett, Fred ended up punching him for real.

“We did a scene that was a fantasy scene where Kevin punches him,” Fred told Esquire in October 2014. “We had it all choreographed and one of the early takes I really punched him. He was so cool about it. I thought he was awesome because he could take a punch.”

Winnie Cooper Was Only Supposed to Be a Cameo

Danica revealed that her role of Winnie was not supposed to last for as long as it did.

“So, as it turns out, the role of Winnie Cooper was supposed to just be a one-time guest role on the first episode, which is the only reason that I was even allowed to audition for it,” she told GAC.

The First Kiss

In the pilot episode, Fred and Danica shared a kiss, which also happened to be the first kiss for both of them in their real lives.

“I remember reading the script and seeing that I was gonna have a kiss and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! I’m about to have my first kiss,'” she said. “I was totally nervous.”

Danica’s Sister Also Auditioned for Winnie Cooper

There was another strong candidate for the role of Winnie — Danica’s sister

“My sister and I both auditioned for the role of Winnie Cooper,” Danica revealed. “Now, they had been auditioning all sorts of little girls who had lots of experience, had been acting for years. My sister and I were pretty new at it, and I guess they were looking for something, looking for that newness, the non-actory thing, I don’t know.”

There Was No Laugh Track

The Wonder Years was particularly unique because it was one of the first shows of its kind to not use a laugh track.

“The Wonder Years [showed the television industry] that it’s OK to create a show like that — to take out the laugh track, to try different camera styles — to take a risk,” Josh told Salon in 2013.

Danica’s Sister Landed a Different Role

While the role of Winnie obviously went to Danica, her sister did end up making a cameo in the show. Crystal McKellar was brought on to portray Becky Slater, Kevin’s other love interest.