The Wonder Years star Fred Savage celebrated a huge milestone of a birthday on July 9.
The '80s sitcom actor turned the big 5-0, however, he maintains not only a youthful appearance, but a child at heart mindset.
Fred began his career in 1986, when he landed his role in The Boy Who Could Fly.
He got his breakthrough role only two years later, when he became the face of The Wonder Years, which was a hit sitcom show that ran for six seasons.
Fred went on to appear in Vice Versa, The Wizard and Little Monsters.
A new era
© Getty ImagesDespite becoming a household name as a child actor, he made the bold decision to part ways with Hollywood.
He consciously put a pause on his acting career and decided to return to high school as a full-time student.
After graduating, he majored in English while attending Stanford University.
© Getty ImagesAlthough he was no longer involved in acting, he saw the similarities between that world and his new career path.
He revealed to the L.A. Times: "I knew I wanted to stay in the entertainment industry, but I didn't want to study drama – I had been doing that. Entertainment is largely about storytelling. I wanted to expose myself to the best stories by the best authors."
© Getty ImagesFred found himself during that phase of his life, and he enjoyed his newfound autonomy that came with that "palate-cleansing period."
He expressed: "It was a chance to be with people my own age, to let myself go and enjoy life. I fell in with a pocket of students who weren't all about studying."
Full circle
© Getty ImagesTurns out that distance made the heart grow fonder, and it reinvigorated his love for acting, but he approached it differently the second time around.
Fred explained to the outlet: "I soured on acting for a while, but now I've fallen in love with it again. When I was young, it was something fun, something that came easily to me. Now, I don't want to get too heady, but I'm more self-aware. I'm trying to approach it from a more cerebral standpoint, as a craft."
© Getty ImagesHe later appeared in Crumbs, Friends from College, Oswald and more.
The star also went on to give directing a go, and he oversaw shows such as Phil of the Future, Modern Family, Wizards of Waverly Place, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and more.
Fred has been married to Jennifer Lynn Stone since 2004 and the two welcomed their children Oliver, born in 2006, Lily, born in 2008 and August "Auggie," born in 2012.
