By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Wednesday, March 04, 2026

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — For much of her life, Danica McKellar was known as the girl-next-door Winnie Cooper on "The Wonder Years." Today, she says, the most significant transformation in her life has happened off-screen.

Since embracing Christianity three-and-a-half years ago, the 51-year-old wife, mother, actress and author told The Christian Post she has discovered a peace that has reshaped both her personal life and her work in entertainment.

“From the outside, it might not look that different,” McKellar said on the red carpet at the Movieguide Awards. “But it’s all those moments in between.”

The actress was nominated for her role in “Have We Met This Christmas,” her 12th holiday film and her debut as a screenwriter. The film follows a high-powered real estate executive who loses her memory after a car accident and seeks refuge at a small-town inn, only to fall in love with the innkeeper’s son, unaware of their complicated history and the fact that she once told him she never wanted to see him again.

“It’s such an honor. It really is,” McKellar said of the nomination. “I love doing these movies for Great American Family Channel and Pure Flix. It’s an opportunity to help lift human nature. Let’s lift people up. Let’s lift up our audience members and show them that, you know what? You can do this. Be resilient. Try your best.”

McKellar first rose to fame at age 12, when she was cast as Winnie Cooper in “The Wonder Years,” which premiered in 1988 and ran for six seasons on ABC before ending in 1993. In the decades since, the actress, who attended UCLA, has built a career that spans television, film and bestselling math books aimed at encouraging young girls to embrace STEM education.

But in recent years, her professional focus has shifted toward faith-based and family-friendly content, a change she attributes, in part, to her spiritual journey.

“My faith journey is relatively new, only three-and-a-half years old,” she said. “Because I wrote the movie that I got nominated for tonight, I’m getting this opportunity. God is saying, ‘Hey, all these new discoveries you’re making in our new relationship — let’s use those in your movies. Let’s spread the word. Let’s use those in your social media. Use these things to help make the world a better place. ... And I’m listening to Him for guidance on the specific ways to do that.”

McKellar, who is behind a slew of films on Great American Pure Flix, said she believes the growing popularity of faith-based films and series reflects a deeper cultural hunger.

“I think there’s a whole audience that’s desperate for this content,” she said. “I think the rest of entertainment has gone in such a different direction that there are a lot of people saying, ‘I want to watch something for my family that’s going to make us feel good afterwards and not have bad memories in our head.’ And so, we can provide that.”

The success of outlets such as Great American Family and Pure Flix, along with strong box office showings for faith-centered films in recent years, signals what many in the industry describe as a renewed appetite for uplifting storytelling.

For McKellar, however, the most profound changes have been internal. She revealed that prior to her conversion, the pressure to control outcomes often led to stress and anxiety.

“What I discovered is trusting God doesn’t mean that you don’t still work hard and do all the things and plan,” she said. “But it’s trusting God and not worrying about all those details that you’ve planned.”

“When you try to figure out what you’re doing, there’s this stress, like, ‘Oh my gosh, what if that doesn’t work? What if that doesn’t work?’” she said. “It’s like, no, no. I’m going to plan these things, and then I’m going to turn it over to God.”

Surrender, she added, is “easier said than done,” but following God's lead has led to the biggest, most significant shift in her life, even though that peace is not necessarily visible to the public. As she steps into a new year, coming off what she described as a “hugely successful year," McKellar said she sees her creative platform as an extension of her faith.

“That is the biggest difference that I’ve noticed,” she said. “I have a lot more peace in between all the things. ... It’s what it feels like inside of my head and inside my body. That’s what’s changed the most.”

The 33rd annual Movieguide Awards is set to air on Great American Family on March 5 at 8 p.m. ET. 

News Source : https://www.christianpost.com/news/danica-mckellar-says-trusting-god-as-an-adult-changed-her-life.html