-> 

v

"Looking back at the Wonder Years, I see things I did well, and I see things I did very, very badly." Fred Savage rose to fame as a child actor in the show, The Wonder Years. Ever since he stole the hearts of America as the quirky Kevin Arnold, Savage has transitioned into one of the most successful entertainers in Hollywood. While Savage has notably slowed his acting output, he has since become one of the most in-demand television producers and directors in Hollywood.

 -> 

v

Savage has starred in 50+ projects throughout his career with work spanning from television (The Wonder Years) to Hollywood blockbusters (Deadpool 2). Despite his success on camera, Savage has become a master behind the camera. Savage has produced or directed hit shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2008), Modern Family (2011), and Party Down (2009). As one of the few child stars to 'make it' as an adult, Savage definitely has a story worth reading about.

Becoming a Child Star

Frederick Aaron Savage was born on July 9, 1976, in Chicago, Illinois. Savage was the son of Lewis and Joanne Savage. Lewis worked as a real estate broker and consultant for the industrial real estate industry while Joane worked as a homemaker. While Savage was born in Chicago he was raised in Glencoe, IL, before making the move to California. Savage has a younger brother named Ben and a younger sister named Kala.

 -> 

v

After relocating to California, Savage would begin to attend Brentwood School on the West Side of L.A. County. Brentwood School was a private co-educational day school established for students who didn't have traditional schedules. After attending Brentwood, Savage would go on to attend Stanford University where he would graduate in 1999. Savage would leave Stanford with his Bachelor's Degree in English. During his collegiate career, Savage also was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Of course, Savage's childhood was far more than just moving and going to school. Savage would begin performing as an actor at the age of nine before turning toward the career full-time as the 12-year-old star of The Wonder Years.

 -> 

v

Acclaim Behind the Camera

Fred Savage would begin his acting career with a performance on the TV show, Morningstar/Eveningstar (1986) at the young age of nine. From there, Savage would score roles in The Boy Who Could Fly (1986), The New Twilight Zone (1986), and The Princess Bride (1987). In 1988, Savage would land the career that would put his name in the history books.

When casting began for The Wonder Years, Savage would end up at the front of the line for Kevin Arnold, star of the show. Savage would score the leading role in The Wonder Years before performing full-time from 1988 to 1993, recording 114 episodes for the program. En route to his meteoric Hollywood rise, Savage would land a pair of Golden Globe nominations as well as two Emmy nominations for his efforts. Savage was just thirteen when he received those honors, thus making him the youngest actor to ever score nominations.

 -> 

v

While Savage was an out-and-out star thanks to his work on The Wonder Years, he still had some trouble transitioning into the film industry. Savage would appear in films like The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story (1998), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), and The Rules of Attraction (2002). Savage had a brief three-year run as the lead on the TV series, Working (1997) though the series failed to garner the same enthusiasm as Savage's earlier work.

Savage would struggle to gain mainstream appeal as an actor, though he would lend his voice to several high-profile animated products like Family Guy, Justice League Unlimited, Kim Possible, and Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen. As Savage began to carve a place for himself as a voiceover artist, he began to spread his wings as a performer behind the camera. Before we get into that aspect of his career, we should highlight Savage's most recent starring work on television. In 2015, Savage would land a co-starring role in the Rob Lowe-led series, The Grinder. He would follow that project up with work on BoJack Horseman (2014), Super Troopers 2 (2018), Friends From College (2017) and Deadpool 2 (2018).

 -> 

v

In 1999, Savage would find himself behind the camera as a director for the first time. Following his entrance into that aspect of his career, Savage would quickly rise to become one of the most sought after TV directors in the industry. Throughout his career, Savage has been attached to some of the most notable television series of all time. Savage would direct or produce projects like Boy Meets World, That's So Raven, Modern Family, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Happy Endings, and Daddy Day Camp. Savage is currently attached to a Kerry Washington/Leslie Odom collaboration that is set to release at some point in 2020 or 2021.

Fred Savage has had a successful career both on and off camera. In his personal life, Savage has been married to his childhood friend, Jennifer Lynn Stone, since 2004. Jennifer and Savage have two children together, a son named Philp and a daughter named Lily.