The Older Brother On The Wonder Years Is A Grandpa, And Danica McKellar Feels The Same Way As The Rest Of Us
The Wonder Years is truly one of the best sitcoms of all time, as it depicted the everyday challenges of growing up in the late 1960s. Since the final episode of the coming-of-age series aired back in 1993, the young stars that acted on the show have all grown up . So grown up that Jason Hervey, who played Kevin Arnold’s older brother Wayne on the dramedy, is now a grandfather. And his former co-star, Danica McKellar, feels just like we do.
Some can probably still vividly remember Jason Hervey’s Wayne messing with Fred Savage's Kevin and calling him "Butthead." (He's definitely a member of the Arnold Clan who you wouldn’t want to invite to Thanksgiving dinner.) Given those memories, it's kind of surreal to know that, at 52 years old, Hervey, who's also a TV producer, is a proud grandfather to his daughter’s baby boy. Needless to say, I’m getting all of the feels from Wonder Years co-star Danica McKellar’s Instagram post, which you can see below:
While The Wonder Years cast reunited a decade ago for the show’s DVD release and had another reunion at a Rangers hockey game, the latest get-together at the Fanboy Expo in Tennessee takes the cake. It was there that the cast of the ‘80s/’90s sitcom got to meet Jason Hervey’s grandson, Shia. While I can get around Mr. Hervey being a father of four children, it’s so hard to believe the former child star known for playing Kevin’s mischievous older brother is now a grandparent! My mind is clearly stuck in another place in time, and it make take me a little bit to wrap my head around this.
Little Shia was so lucky to get to meet the former cast members of his grandfather’s old show, including his “TV great-grandfather,” Dan Lauria, who played Wayne's father on The Wonder Years. But the most memorable pic from the Instagram carousel is the shot of Danica McKellar holding this little bundle of joy. In her caption, the Hallmark/GAC Family actress expressed her thoughts, which align with mine and probably yours as well:
Wanna feel old? My Wonder Years co-star @jason.hervey (Wayne Arnold) is a GRANDPA! ?? And ooooh my goodness his grandson Shia is BEYOND precious!!
Yes, he absolutely is. In her caption, the actress explained that Shia was originally crying when the actress/author held him in her arms. But the mother of one was a pro at getting him to stop crying, as shown in a video of her performing a little “U-bend” that she did for her own son when he was four weeks old. The skilled mathematician swayed Shia from side to side, giving him little pats on the back and chanting, “Babies need a little bit of rhythm.” Jason Hervey commented on Danica McKellar’s post that he was more than appreciative of what she provided for his grandson at that moment:
Here’s two facts (among many) that make you so special…first and foremost my protective new mother daughter [Shaina Torres] let you actually hold Shia (I assure you not everybody gets to lol) AND second of all you put him literally right sleep…he felt the love and knows your family!
It’s still unbelievable that the older brother from The Wonder Years is now a grandfather but, like so many others seem to be, I'm happy for him. I also love that Jason Hervey and his co-stars are still so close. As Hervey told McKellar, “YOU are family,” and I'm living for the fact that little Shia apparently has so many people who love him.
You can relive the nostalgia of The Wonder Years by streaming all six seasons with a Hulu subscription. Make sure to also look at our 2024 TV schedule in case you're looking for some shows that are a bit more current.