TV ACRES: Television Character Bios - Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold (The Wonder Years)

ARNOLD, Kevin
(The Wonder Years)
Number 516
Anytown, USA (1968-74)

Kevin is 12-years-old. Born 3/18/56, he lives in the suburbs with his family that includes Jack, his grumpy, domineering father [born 11/6/27]; Norma, his ever-patient mother; Wayne, his obnoxious teenage brother; [he’s a bully and calls Kevin “Butthead”]; Karen, his 16-year-old sister [she’s a hippy/flower child]; and Buster the family dog. Kevin attended Hillcrest Grammar School and transferred to Robert F. Kennedy Junior High and William McKinley High School.

Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold - Photo courtesy of the ABC series 'The Wonder Years'
Kevin at School

Kevin hangs out at the Pizza Barn with his best friends Gwendolyn “Winnie” Copper [his off/on girlfriend who lives across the street]; Becky Slater, Kevin’s backup girlfriend and “steady date”; and his nerdy best friend Paul Pfeiffer. To make money Kevin worked as a caddy, a store clerk at Harris and Sons Hardware, and a delivery boy and waiter at Chong’s Chinese Restaurant [where Paul works] and as a busboy at Cascades Resort and Tennis Court [where Winnie worked as a lifeguard].

The Cast of the 'Wonder Years' - Photo courtesy of the ABC Network

(L-R) Wayne, Karen, Kevin, Jack, Norma, Paul and Winnie
(Photo courtesy of ABC series The Wonder Years)

As Kevin entered the 1970s his father left his distribution and product support job at Norcom Enterprises to open a furniture-making business [Kevin worked as his clerk for a time]; Karen married a guy named Michael in an outdoor “hippie” Hindu wedding and then moved to Alaska and had a baby boy; Wayne went to work with his father and took over his dad’s furniture business after he died; Norma was a businesswomen, board chairman and grandmother; Paul went to Harvard and became a lawyer; and Winnie, the love of Kevin’s life, went to Paris to study art history. When she returned from Europe eight years later Kevin was married and the father of a baby boy.

Reminiscing over his younger days, Kevin fondly recalls. “Growing up happens in a heartbeat...One day you’re in diapers, the next day your gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town; a house like a lot of houses; a yard like a lot of other yards on a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back...with wonder.”

Kevin holding and his dog Buster - THE WONDER YEARS

Kevin and Paul hanging out - Photo courtesy of the ABC series 'The Wonder Years'

Kevin & his dog Buster

Kevin & Paul Hanging Out

Kevin and Winnie (Standing) - Photo courtesy of the ABC series 'The Wonder Years'

Winnie:	Knock, Knock.
Kevin:	Who's there?
Winnie:	Sam and Janet.
Kevin:	Sam and Janet who?
Winnie:	Some enchanted evening...

"Once upon a time...life was simple. Cars were big...gas was cheap...front lawns were green. And everybody...liked Ike. The good guys were good...and the bad guys were bad. You knew where you stood. Then...in nineteen sixty-eight...something happened. Something...big. I turned twelve years old. I entered junior high school. That was me. And these were my times."

Some Trivia: Kevin plays the piano ("Canon in D Major"). He later joins a Rock 'n' Roll band - The Electric Shoes and plays at a friend's party. Kevin also belongs to a glee club. They sing "Spring Sing - Stout Hearted Men." Kevin tries to learn about sex from a school textbook entitled "Everything you Always Wanted to Know about Sex But Were Afraid to Ask" that Paul steals, but Kevin's mom confiscates the book before they can look at it. Winnie and Kevin have their first kiss in Harpers Woods (The woods get torn down a couple years later). Besides, Winnie, Kevin's other love interest included Lisa Berlini, Sandy, Madeline, Julie Addam, "Terri with an RI" from a holiday trip, Susan Fisher, Cara from the Lake, Denise the Grease, and Cindy. Kevin nicknamed Peter Arbuster, the fat kid at school "Oink! Oink!" but regrets being so cruel. Kevin's grandfather sells him his car for $1. Kevin wrestles the state champion and doesn't get pinned. Kevin's SAT score is 1240. Winnie's boyfriends included Kirk McCray, and Roger. Winnie gets the major role in the school play - "Our Town." Kevin is the lights man. Winnie survives a car crash (borken leg and cuts). Winnie's SAT score is 1482. Winnie's brother Brien died fighting in Vietnam in 1968. In 1970 Winnie's family moves four miles away and she enrolls in Lincoln Junior High but eventually reunites with Kevin when she transfers to William McKinley in 1971. Paul is Jewish and allergic to everything. Paul has a sister named Debbie who had a crush Kevin. Paul's romantic interests included a girl named Carla. The series theme song is "With A Little Help From My Friends" by Joe Cocker. See also SIGNOFFS and DOGS - "Buster"

Kevin:	Dad, have you ever thought about your life?
Jack:	Huh?
Kevin:	Uh, well...it's for school. I mean, if you had to write about it, what would you say?
Jack:	I get up at five in the morning. I fight traffic. I bust my hump all day, I fight traffic again. Then I pay my taxes - "The End ".

*****************

Paul:	She dumped me. She dumped me!
Kevin:	Paul, snap out of it!
Paul:	She dumped me.
Kevin:	Wanna talk about it?
Paul:	She said she needed more time with her friends. She said I was suffocating her. I thought she wanted to be suffocated!

******************
Winnie:	You must really hate me!
Kevin:	What?
Winnie:	For making you go to that party!
Kevin:	Well...
Winnie:	I hated being in there with you.
Kevin:	I know.
Winnie:	It was awful.
Kevin:	Then why'd you go with me? Look, Winnie, let's just make it easy on ourselves. I mean there's no sense in...
Winnie:	I really hated it.
Kevin:	Winnie, why are you saying this?
Winnie:	Because you're my boyfriend.
Kevin:	Oh!
Winnie:	Who else am I gonna say it to?
Kevin:	So I'm your boyfriend. Except...you hated being there with me. Do I have that right? (Winnie nods. Kevin frowns and gestures.) And you hated being there with me, because you didn't want to kiss me. Do I have that right? (Winnie nods again...Kevin sighs and looks away.)
Winnie:	I did want to kiss you. (She shrugs slightly.) Just not then.
Kevin:	Well then when?! (She kisses him.)

********************

Cindy:	(At a picnic.) Kevin, if you were an animal, what animal would you like to be? You can be any animal you want.
Kevin:	What animal?
Cindy:	I bet you'd make a good bird - I can see you flying around...(twirls)...and looking at everything...
Kevin:	Yeah, I guess, uh...a bird...sounds OK.
Cindy:	Look there's some swings over there - you want to try 'em out? Lets go try 'em out?!
Kevin:	Uh, you...go ahead. I'll be right over.
Cindy:	OK, neat. See you soon, "Mr. Bird"...Bye!

THE WONDER YEARS/ABC/1988-93

Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold

Daniel Stern as Kevin's Grown-up Voiceover

Eric Lloyd as Young Kevin Arnold

Alley Mills as Norma Arnold

Olivia d'Abo as Karen Arnold

Jason Hervey as Wayne Arnold

Dan Lauria as Jack Arnold

Danica McKellar as Gwendolyn "Winnie" Cooper

Josh Saviano as Paul Pfeiffer

Juliette Lewis as Delores

Andy Berman as Chuck Coleman

Paula Marshall as Bonnie Douglas

Giovanni Ribisi as Jeff Billings

Lindsay Sloane as Alice Pedermeir