Danica McKellar

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Danica McKellar
DanicaMcKellar-2007-10-01.jpg
At a book signing, October 2007
Born Danica Mae McKellar
(1975-01-03) January 3, 1975 (age 38)
La Jolla, California, U.S.
Education Bachelor's degree (summa cum laude)
Alma mater UCLA
Occupation Actress, author, education advocate and director
Years active 1985–present
Spouse(s) Mike Verta (2009-2012)
Website
www.danicamckellar.com

Danica Mae McKellar (born January 3, 1975) is an American actress, film director, academic, book author and education advocate. She is best known for her role as Winnie Cooper in the television show The Wonder Years,[1] and later as the New York Times bestselling author[2] of four popular[2][3] non-fiction books: Math Doesn't Suck, Kiss My Math, Hot X: Algebra Exposed and Girls Get Curves: Geometry Takes Shape, which encourage middle-school and high-school girls to have confidence and succeed in mathematics.[4]

Contents

Early life [edit]

Born in La Jolla, California, McKellar moved with her family to Los Angeles when she was eight. Her mother Mahalia is a homemaker; her father Christopher is a real estate developer.[5] Her family is "a big mix of Western Europe":[6] Her mother's ancestry is Portuguese (via the Azores and Madeira islands); her father's ancestry is Scottish, Irish, French, German and Dutch.[6] McKellar and her sister Crystal McKellar both maintained professional acting careers as children, but with a strong emphasis on education as a priority. As a result, Crystal became a corporate lawyer, while Danica majored in mathematics. Danica and Crystal also have two half-brothers, Chris Junior and Connor McKellar.

Acting career [edit]

The Wonder Years and early acting career [edit]

McKellar had a leading role in The Wonder Years, an American television comedy-drama that ran for six seasons on ABC, from 1988 to 1993.[1] She played Gwendolyn "Winnie" Cooper,[1] the main love interest of Kevin Arnold (played by Fred Savage) on the show. Her first kiss was with Fred Savage in an episode of The Wonder Years.[7] She later said, "My first kiss was a pretty nerve-wracking experience! But we never kissed off screen, and pretty quickly our feelings turned into brother/sister, and stayed that way."[8] McKellar also had a role in the film Sidekicks, directed by Aaron Norris.

Later career [edit]

McKellar has admitted the transition from "child actor to adult actor was a little bumpy."[8] Since leaving The Wonder Years, McKellar has had several guest roles in television series (including one with former co-star Fred Savage on Working), and has written and directed two short films. She appeared in two Lifetime TV movies in the Moment of Truth series, playing Kristin Guthrie in 1994's Cradle of Conspiracy and Annie Mills Carman in 1996's Justice For Annie.[9] She briefly returned to regular television with a recurring role in the 2002–03 season of The West Wing, portraying Elsie Snuffin, the stepsister and assistant of Deputy White House Communications Director Will Bailey.[10]

McKellar appeared in lingerie in the July 2005 edition of Stuff magazine[11] after readers voted her the 1990s star they would most like to see in lingerie. McKellar explained that she agreed to the shoot in part to obtain "grittier roles".[8]

In June 2006, Lifetime Television announced that McKellar would star in a Lifetime movie and web-based series titled Inspector Mom about a mother who solves mysteries.[12] In an interview in the November 17, 2006 issue of TV Guide, McKellar said that two TV movies and ten webisodes of Inspector Mom were being produced.[13]

On the August 1, 2007, edition of the Don and Mike Show, a WJFK-FM radio program out of Washington, D.C., McKellar announced plans that the producers of How I Met Your Mother were planning to bring her back for a recurring role (she guest-starred on the show in late 2005 in "The Pineapple Incident" and again in early 2007 in "Third Wheel"). She also made an appearance on the show The Big Bang Theory, in the episode "The Psychic Vortex".[14]

In 2008, she starred in Heatstroke, a Sci-Fi Channel original movie about searching for alien life on Earth.[15]

McKellar, as of June 23, 2008 (2008-06-23), is one of the stars commenting on the occurrences of the new millennium in VH1's I Love the New Millennium, and as of 2009 is the math correspondent for Brink, a program by the Science Channel about upcoming technology.[10]

McKellar has also found work as a voice actress. She is the voice of Miss Martian in Young Justice. She has also provided the voices for two characters in three video games: Jubilee in X-Men Legends (2004), and Invisible Woman in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006) and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009).[citation needed]

Mathematics [edit]

McKellar studied mathematics at UCLA, graduating summa cum laude in 1998. As an undergraduate, she coauthored a scientific paper[16] with Professor Lincoln Chayes and fellow student Brandy Winn. Their results are termed the 'Chayes–McKellar–Winn theorem'.[17][18] Referring to the mathematical abilities of his student coauthors, Chayes was quoted in The New York Times[19] as saying, "I thought that the two were really, really first-rate." McKellar's Erdős number is four.[20] She is one of the few people with an Erdős-Bacon number, which combines an Erdős number with a Bacon Number (as in the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon) since she also has a Bacon number of 2,[21] making her Erdos-Bacon number a 6.

Books [edit]

 This article appears to be written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by rewriting promotional content from a neutral point of view and removing any inappropriate external links. (August 2012)

McKellar is the author of The New York Times[2] bestselling book Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle-School Math without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail,[22] that encourages girls in middle school to enjoy and succeed at mathematics.[23] The book has been favorably reviewed by Tara C. Smith, the founder of Iowa Citizens for Science and a professor of epidemiology at the University of Iowa.[24] In an interview with Smith, McKellar said that she wrote the book "to show girls that math is accessible and relevant, and even a little glamorous" and to counteract "damaging social messages telling young girls that math and science aren't for them".[25]

McKellar was named Person of the Week[26] on World News with Charles Gibson for the week ending August 10, 2007. The news segment highlighted her book Math Doesn't Suck and her efforts to help girls develop an interest in mathematics, especially during the middle school years.

McKellar's second book, Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss,[27] was released on August 5, 2008. The book's target audience is girls in the 7th through 9th grades. Her third book, Hot X: Algebra Exposed![28][29][30] was published on August 3, 2010, and is aimed at girls in the 8th-10th grade, or even adults who want to learn algebra. Her fourth book Girls Get Curves - Geometry Takes Shape,[31] shows her readers how to feel confident, get in the driver's seat, and master the core concepts of high school geometry.

Three of McKellar's books made it to The New York Times children's bestseller list.[3][32]

Personal life [edit]

She married composer Mike Verta on March 22, 2009, in La Jolla, California; the couple had dated since 2001.[33] They had their first child on September 7, 2010, a boy they named Draco.[34][35] McKellar filed for divorce from Verta in June 2012, with the dissolution becoming final in February 2013.[36]

Filmography [edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1985 The Twilight Zone Nola Segment: "Her Pilgrim Soul"
1987 The Twilight Zone Deidre Dobbs Episode: "Shelter Skelter"
1988 The Wonder Years Winnie Cooper 88 episodes (1988–1993)
1989 The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Patty Episode: "Day of the Orphan/King Mario of Cramalot"
1990 Camp Cucamonga Lindsey Scott TV movie
1992 Captain Planet and the Planeteers Lisa (voice) Episode: "A Formula for Hate"
Sidekicks Lauren
1994 Babylon 5 Aria Tensus Episode: "The War Prayer"
Moment of Truth: Cradle of Conspiracy Kristin Guthrie TV movie
Walker, Texas Ranger Laurie Maston Episode: "Stolen Lullaby"
Sirens Allison Trent Episode: "Victims"
1996 Justice for Annie: A Moment of Truth Movie[9] Annie Mills Carman TV movie
1998 The Love Boat: The Next Wave Mary Dutton Episode: "How Long Has This Been Going On?"
Working Jolie Episode: "As Bad as It Gets"
1999 Episode: "She Loves Me Yeah, Yeah, Yeah"
Random Play Daughter Episode: 1.4
2000 Static Shock Freida Goren (voice) 14 episodes (2000–2004)
2001 Good Neighbor Molly Wright
The Division Wendy Episode: "Don't Ask"
XCU: Extreme Close Up Sarah
Speechless... Dana Woodman
Even Stevens Sandrine Episode: "Sibling Rivalry"
2002 Black Hole Rachael
Sex and the Teenage Mind Debbie
Reality School Sexy Sally
Jane White Is Sick & Twisted Tiffany
The Year That Trembled Pam Hatch
Hip, Edgy, Sexy, Cool Sissie
Justice League Sapphire Stagg (voice) Episode: "Metamorphosis: Part 1"
Episode: "Metamorphosis: Part 2"
The West Wing Elsie Snuffin 8 episodes (2002–2003)
2004 King of the Hill Sharona (voice) Episode: "My Hair Lady"
Misty (voice) Episode: "Cheer Factor"
Raising Genius Lacy Baldwin
Game Over Elsa / Renee (voice) TV series
Century City Sally Episode: "Without a Tracer"
Intermission Sleepwalker
Quiet Kill Pet Shop Girl
Eve Claudia Episode: "Friend or Foe?"
X-Men Legends Jubilee/Jubilation Lee Video game
EverQuest II Lolla Cotgrove / Pona Video game
2005 NCIS Erin Kendall Episode: "Witness"
Jack & Bobby Keirsten Episode: "And Justice for All"
NYPD Blue Rosemary Wyatt Episode: "Moving Day"
Strong Medicine Natalie Pascal Episode: "Feeling No Pain"
Path of Destruction Katherine Stern TV movie
How I Met Your Mother Trudy Episode: "The Pineapple Incident"
2006 Cyberchase Wanda Episode: "Designing Mr. Perfect"
Bongee Bear and the Kingdom of Rhythm' Brittany (The Flower Shop Lady)
Inspector Mom Maddie Monroe 10 episodes (2006–2007) + TV movie
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Invisible Woman/Susan Storm Richards Video game
Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams Additional Voices Video game
2007 Inspector Mom: Kidnapped in Ten Easy Steps Maddie Monroe TV movie
Random! Cartoons Katerina "Kat" Metropoulos (voice) Episode: "Girls on the Go!"
How I Met Your Mother Trudy Episode: "Third Wheel"
Hack! Emily
2008 Heatstroke[15] Caroline
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 Invinsible Woman/Susan Storm Richards Video game
2009 21 and a Wake-Up Jenny Valentine
2010 The Big Bang Theory Abby Episode: "The Psychic Vortex"
Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo Madelyn Dinkley (voice) Video
Young Justice Miss Martian/M'Gann M'orzz/Megan Morse Voice
Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam Sally Video
2011 G.I. Joe: Renegades Sister Leah Episode: "Brothers of Light"
2011-2012 Generator Rex Claire Bowman 4 episodes
2012 Mancation Rebecca
2012 Love at the Christmas Table Kat Patton TV movie
2013 Tazmanian Devils Alex TV movie
Young Justice: Legacy Miss Martian/M'Gann M'orzz/Megan Morse Video game
The Secret Life of the American Teenager Herself Episode: "Interference"

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c "The Wonder Years (1988–1993)". IMDB. Retrieved August 23, 2012. 
  2. ^ a b c "Children's Books". The New York Times. September 28, 2008. Retrieved August 23, 2012. 
  3. ^ a b "Children's Chapter Books". The New York Times. August 22, 2010. Retrieved August 23, 2012. 
  4. ^ "Math Books". Retrieved August 23, 2012.  Text " Danicamckellar.com " ignored (help)
  5. ^ Danica McKellar Biography (1975-)
  6. ^ a b danicamckellar.com
  7. ^ Danica McKellar - Celebrity Girls - Maxim Magazine
  8. ^ a b c Where are they now? – Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years[dead link]
  9. ^ a b Justice for Annie: A Moment of Truth Movie (TV 1996) at the Internet Movie Database
  10. ^ a b Danica McKellar at the Internet Movie Database
  11. ^ Danica McKellar pictures and bio on STUFF MAGAZINE DOT COM:
  12. ^ "Winnie Cooper Goes Digital:McKellar to star in movies, webisodes for Lifetime". Zap2it. 2006-06-12. Retrieved 2007-07-26. 
  13. ^ [1]
  14. ^ "The Psychic Vortex" episode, air date 2010-11-01
  15. ^ a b Heatstroke (2008) at the Internet Movie Database
  16. ^ Chayes, L; McKellar, D; Winn, B (1998). "Percolation and Gibbs states multiplicity for ferromagnetic Ashkin-Teller models on \mathbb{Z}^2". Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General 31 (45): 9055–9063. Bibcode:1998JPhA...31.9055C. doi:10.1088/0305-4470/31/45/005. 
  17. ^ "USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2006: College Flashback: Danica McKellar". U.S.News & World Report. Archived from the original on 2008-03-14. Retrieved 2010-02-03. 
  18. ^ Blog post by mathematician Terence Tao, a former instructor of McKellar's, complimenting her book and explaining the theorem.
  19. ^ Kenneth Chang, "Between Series, an Actress Became a Superstar (in Math)", The New York Times, July 19, 2005.
  20. ^ McKellar's coauthor L. Chayes published a paper with E.H. Lieb, who in turn coauthored a paper with D.J. Kleitman, a coauthor of Paul Erdős.
  21. ^ Danica McKellar was in "The Year That Trembled" (2002) with James Kisicki, who was in "Telling Lies in America" (1997) with Kevin Bacon.
  22. ^ Danica McKellar (2007). Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle-School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail. Hudson Street Press. ISBN 978-1-59463-039-2. 
  23. ^ September 21, 2007, Hour Two: Women, Girls, and Math
  24. ^ Smith, Tara (2007-07-24). "Aetiology:Danica McKellar's "Math Doesn't Suck"". Aetiology. ScienceBlogs. Retrieved 2007-07-26. 
  25. ^ Smith, Tara (2007-07-25). "Interview with math whiz, author, and actress Danica McKellar". Aetiology. ScienceBlogs. Retrieved 2007-07-26. 
  26. ^ "ABC News: Person of the Week: Danica McKellar". Retrieved 2007-08-10. 
  27. ^ Danica McKellar (2008). Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss. Hudson Street Press. ISBN 978-1-59463-049-1. 
  28. ^ Danica McKellar (2010). Hot X: Algebra Exposed. Hudson Street Press. ISBN 978-1-59463-070-5. 
  29. ^ "Actress Danica McKellar Solves For 'X'". NPR. August 6, 2010.
  30. ^ Hot X: Algebra Exposed! - Extras
  31. ^ Danica McKellar (2012). Girls Get Curves - Geometry Takes Shape. Hudson Street Press. ISBN 978-1-59463-094-1. 
  32. ^ "Best Sellers: Children's Books". The New York Times. September 28, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-10. 
  33. ^ Danica McKellar is Married! People, March 22, 2009
  34. ^ Danica McKellar is Pregnant! People, March 17, 2010
  35. ^ "Danica McKellar Files for Divorce". People. 2012-06-06. Retrieved 2012-06-06. 
  36. ^ "‘Wonder Years’ actress Danica McKellar files for divorce". suntimes.com. 2012-06-12. Retrieved 9 June 2012. 

Further reading [edit]

External links [edit]

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