Danica McKellar Who Played Winnie Cooper on the Wonder Years Now Has a Passion for Jesus

New to the Christian faith, Danica McKellar, who played Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years, is sharing her testimony and opening up about how Christianity isn't at all what she thought it was!

Many people may recognize Danica McKellar from her role as Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years, a popular TV show that aired from 1988 to 1993. Or, from her more recent roles in Great American Family and Hallmark Channel films.

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But what many may not realize is that the longtime actress only recently invited Jesus into her heart.

Danica McKellar didn't have a very positive view of Christians for most of her life. She felt Christianity had been used to champion evil throughout history. 

“That was really my kind of awareness of Christianity before,” she explained.

However, all of that changed when Christian celebrity Candace Cameron Bure invited Danica McKellar to church!

Danica McKellar Christian Testimony

One of the best ways to share the Good News of Jesus is to invite someone to church. But this can sometimes feel intimidating, especially is the person is not already Christian.

Thankfully, Candace Cameron Bure is a bold, outspoken Christian celebrity and she had no problem asking her co-star, Danica Mckellar, to come with her to church. Danica accepted and that one Sunday had a huge impact!

"It was Palm Sunday of 2022. And it was a Passion Play," she recalled. "And it just hit me like a wave. It was immediate. It was, like, the Holy Spirit just flooded me."

From that point on, the actress continued exploring Christianity. And what Danica McKellar discovered was her previous assumptions and perceptions about Christians were wrong.

“It's about your relationship with God, you get to have a personal relationship with God. And that was like such a revelation,” she said. Danica went on to say later, "Christianity is not what I thought it was."

At the end of the day, Christians are just people. And people are flawed -- they mess up and make mistakes. Though we strive to be made more perfect through Christ, we'll never obtain perfection on this side of Heaven.

RELATED: Kirk Cameron Asks Sister Candace Cameron Bure to Share Her Christian Testimony

But this can be a huge stumbling block for those who haven't accepted Christ on their own yet. They often confuse the missteps of Christians (or those claiming to be Christians) with the nature of Jesus Himself.

But Danica McKellar has learned not to equate Jesus with those who misuse His name. And that realization opened her eyes and her heart to the love and grace God had waiting for her.

“Those aren't authentic Christians. And so just realizing that -- it just opened the whole thing up," she said.

A Passion For Christ

Since discovering who Jesus is and what Christianity is really about, Danica McKellar has realized her need for the Lord.

"This is what I've been looking for my whole life and didn't realize it," she confessed.

The Christian celebrity has spent her time diving into Scripture and exploring her new relationship with Christ.

"It's been a wonderful gift," she explained. "I've been reading the Bible all the way through this year. And I will be done by the end of the year. I'm on track."

WATCH: Danica McKellar Opens Up About Becoming Christian

Some of Danica McKellar's latest work with the Great American Family Channel includes the movie, A Royal Date for Christmas. It follows the story of a boutique owner (portrayed by Danica) who must help a royal Duke find a new wardrobe after his luggage is lost. She also agrees to be his platonic plus one at an event.

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Danica enjoys starring in romantic comedies because she believes they promote hope and kindness.

"I believe we can put out really positive things to help people live better lives,” she explained. “It's not just about an escape, it's about seeing what human nature can be. And hopefully, inspiring the audience to strive for that."

WATCH: A Royal Date For Christmas Promo

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h/t: Christian Headlines

Featured Image Credit: Youtube/Great American Family

Mel is the senior writer for GodUpdates, finding, writing and sharing Christian, uplifting, and health-related stories from around the world. Mel has a passion for writing and graduated with a degree in English from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia. When she’s not researching and writing stories, Mel is very active in her church. You can usually find Mel playing board games with her husband and two young girls, giving someone a hug, or hunting down a good cup of coffee!