Fred Savage Bio
Frederick Aaron Savage, known professionally as Fred Savage, is an American actor and director born on July 9, 1976, in Chicago, Illinois. He first gained national attention as a child actor in the 1987 fantasy film The Princess Bride and went on to become one of the most recognizable young performers in television history. Over the course of his career, Savage has built a parallel reputation as a director of family-oriented comedies and prime-time sitcoms.
While he remains best known for playing Kevin Arnold on The Wonder Years, Savage has continued to act in projects such as Crumbs, The Grinder, and the Netflix series Friends from College. As a director, he has helmed episodes of Modern Family, 2 Broke Girls, Hannah Montana, and Wizards of Waverly Place, among many other shows.
Early Life and Background
Frederick Aaron Savage was born on July 9, 1976, in Chicago, Illinois, to Joanne Savage and Lewis Savage, an industrial real estate broker and consultant. His family later settled in Glencoe, Illinois, before relocating to Southern California during his childhood. He grew up alongside his younger brother, actor Ben Savage, and his younger sister, Kala Savage, who went on to become an actress and musician.
His grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Poland, Ukraine, Germany, and Latvia, and Savage was raised in the Reform Jewish tradition. He attended Brentwood School, a private school in Los Angeles where he began landing small television and film roles while still a student.
Savage later enrolled at Stanford University and graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in English. He was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity during his college years, balancing his studies with a return to acting and a growing interest in working behind the camera.
Path to Acting
Savage entered the entertainment industry at a young age, making his first screen appearance in the television show Morningstar/Eveningstar when he was nine. He quickly booked guest spots on series including The Twilight Zone, Crime Story, and Dinosaurs!, while also appearing in the 1986 film The Boy Who Could Fly. These early performances helped him develop the on-screen confidence that would define his career.
His first major breakout came in 1987, when he was cast as the Grandson in Rob Reiner’s beloved fantasy film The Princess Bride, starring opposite Peter Falk. The film gave Savage a much broader audience and positioned him for his next, even larger role on television.
The following year, in 1988, Savage was cast as the lead in the coming-of-age comedy-drama The Wonder Years, a decision that would define both his public identity and his professional path. The show, which ran until 1993, made him a household name and remains the role for which he is most widely remembered.
Fred Savage Career
Early Career (1985–1987)
Savage’s earliest screen work in the mid-1980s included appearances in Morningstar/Eveningstar, The Boy Who Could Fly, and guest spots on The Twilight Zone and Crime Story. These early projects gave him steady on-set experience and helped him transition from local auditions to studio productions.
His most prominent early credit came with the 1987 release of The Princess Bride, in which he played the Grandson listening to a story told by his grandfather, played by Peter Falk. The film’s enduring popularity cemented Savage’s status as a promising young performer heading into his teenage years.
Breakthrough (1988–1993)
In 1988, Savage took on the role of Kevin Arnold on The Wonder Years, a family comedy-drama that followed a young boy growing up in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The performance earned him two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy, along with two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. At the age of thirteen, he became the youngest actor ever to receive those honors.
During his run on The Wonder Years, which lasted until 1993, Savage also appeared in films such as Vice Versa (1988), Little Monsters, and The Wizard. After the series ended, he stepped back from full-time acting to finish high school at age seventeen, eventually enrolling at Stanford University.
His first television role after returning to the industry was the NBC sitcom Working, in which he starred for the show’s two-season run. He later took on guest and supporting parts on series including Boy Meets World, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and The Legend of Prince Valiant, while also appearing in the comedy film Austin Powers in Goldmember as The Mole.
Notable Works and Milestones
Beyond The Wonder Years and The Princess Bride, Savage voiced animated characters in projects such as Oswald, Family Guy, Kim Possible, Justice League Unlimited, and Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn’t Happen. He took lead roles on the short-lived sitcoms Working and Crumbs, and ranked at number 27 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Kid Stars list.
Fred Savage Directing Career
Savage began his directing career in 1999 on the NBC sitcom Working, the same show that starred him as an actor. He built his directing résumé by shadowing established directors including Amy Sherman-Palladino, Todd Holland, and James Burrows, and by observing production on the Disney Channel series Even Stevens.
He went on to direct episodes of Nickelodeon series such as Zoey 101, Drake & Josh, Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, and Big Time Rush, as well as Disney Channel shows including That’s So Raven, Hannah Montana, and Wizards of Waverly Place. He also directed episodes of prime-time network comedies such as Modern Family and 2 Broke Girls.
Savage co-produced the Disney Channel Original Series Phil of the Future and earned a Directors Guild nomination in 2007 for the episode Not-So-Great-Great Grandpa. In 2007, he made his feature film directorial debut with the children’s comedy Daddy Day Camp, a role that also earned him a nomination for Worst Director at the 28th Golden Raspberry Awards. He has additionally served as a producer on projects including It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Party Down, Friends with Benefits, The Crazy Ones, and Happy Endings.
Fred Savage Award Nominations
Across his career, Fred Savage has earned a series of award nominations reflecting both his acting and his directing work. His early Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for The Wonder Years established him as one of the most recognized young actors of his era, while his later Directors Guild nomination recognized his transition into behind-the-camera roles.
Fred Savage Awards Won
The Wonder Years also brought Savage several People’s Choice Awards and Young Artist Awards during its original run. These honors reflected the show’s strong audience following and his standing as a leading young performer in American television.
Fred Savage Family
Fred Savage is the son of Joanne Savage and Lewis Savage, the latter of whom worked as an industrial real estate broker and consultant. His younger brother, Ben Savage, is also an actor, best known for his role as Cory Matthews on Boy Meets World, while his younger sister, Kala Savage, has worked as an actress and musician.
Personal Life
Fred Savage married his childhood friend Jennifer Lynn Stone on August 7, 2004. The couple has three children together. Savage has continued to balance his acting and directing work with his family life in Los Angeles.