Danica McKellar Explains Why She Stopped Acting to Be a Mathematician (Exclusive)

Danica McKellar is opening up to her 11-year-old son Draco about her life as a child actress, and her unexpected career path.

Danica recently sat down with her adorably precocious young son, who served as a hard-hitting interviewer for ET, questioning his mom about her time on The Wonder Yearsand her decision to pursue a career in mathematics.

"You were about my age when you acted in The Wonder Years. What do you remember most about those years?" Draco asked.

"What I remember the most is juggling being an actress and doing my schoolwork," Danica reflected. "It was a lot of going back and forth to the school trailer."

When asked how she would react if he wanted to follow in her acting footsteps and seek out a career in show business, Danica shared, "Draco, I will support you whatever you wanna do. I would put you in acting classes and I would help guide you through it."

The proud mom added, "I'm not gonna ever push you in that direction [though], because it’s a tough life."

Draco turned 12 next month, and he's already appeared in several of Danica's Hallmark movies. However, when it comes to The Wonder Years, Draco's only seen a single episode.

While Danica still acts, the talented entertainer is also an acclaimed mathematician and has penned 11 children's books about math.

"When and why did you decide to take a break from acting and become a mathematician?" Draco asked.

"I went to UCLA, but when I got to school, everywhere I went, people all over campus would shout across campus, you know, 'Hey Winnie!' [or] 'Hey, loved you on The Wonder Years!" Danica recalled, referring to her character on the show, Winnie Cooper. "I couldn’t get away from it."

"So I needed to find out how I was valuable outside of Winnie Cooper, and math was challenging and I did well at it," she continued. "And I love this feeling that my value, the important stuff had nothing to do with how I looked or television."

Danica's most recent children's, Double Puppy Trouble, is available now.

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