For decades, Danica McKellar was known to millions as the sweet and relatable Winnie Cooper from the beloved television series The Wonder Years. Today, however, the actress says the most meaningful change in her life has happened far from the spotlight.

After embracing Christianity about three-and-a-half years ago, McKellar says trusting God has brought a new sense of peace that now shapes both her personal life and her work in entertainment.

“From the outside, it might not look that different,” the 51-year-old actress told The Christian Post while attending the red carpet at the Movieguide Awards. “But it’s all those moments in between.”

McKellar was nominated for her role in the holiday film Have We Met This Christmas, which also marked her debut as a screenwriter. The film tells the story of a successful real estate executive who loses her memory after a car accident and finds refuge at a cozy small-town inn, where she begins to fall in love with the innkeeper’s son—unaware of their complicated past.

“It’s such an honor. It really is,” McKellar said of the nomination. “I love doing these movies for Great American Family Channel and Pure Flix. It’s an opportunity to help lift human nature. Let’s lift people up. Let’s lift up our audience members and show them that, you know what? You can do this. Be resilient. Try your best.”

McKellar first rose to fame at just 12 years old when she landed the role of Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years, which premiered in 1988 and ran for six seasons on ABC. Over the years, she built a diverse career as an actress, author and mathematician. A UCLA graduate, McKellar has also written bestselling books aimed at helping young girls build confidence in math and pursue careers in STEM fields.

But in recent years, her professional focus has increasingly shifted toward faith-based and family-friendly entertainment—a move she says is closely tied to her spiritual journey.

“My faith journey is relatively new, only three-and-a-half years old,” she explained. “Because I wrote the movie that I got nominated for tonight, I’m getting this opportunity. God is saying, ‘Hey, all these new discoveries you’re making in our new relationship — let’s use those in your movies. Let’s spread the word. Let’s use those on your social media. Use these things to help make the world a better place.'”

“And I’m listening to Him for guidance on the specific ways to do that,” she added.

McKellar believes the growing popularity of faith-based and family-friendly films reflects a broader cultural desire for uplifting storytelling.

“I think there’s a whole audience that’s desperate for this content,” she said. “I think the rest of entertainment has gone in such a different direction that there are a lot of people saying, ‘I want to watch something for my family that’s going to make us feel good afterwards and not have bad memories in our head.’ And so, we can provide that.”

Platforms like Great American Family and Pure Flix have seen increasing success in recent years as viewers seek content that reflects their values and offers encouragement rather than controversy.

Yet for McKellar, the most profound change isn’t in her career but in her inner life. Before her conversion, she said she often felt pressure to control every detail of her plans—a mindset that frequently led to stress and anxiety.

“What I discovered is trusting God doesn’t mean that you don’t still work hard and do all the things and plan,” she said. “But it’s trusting God and not worrying about all those details that you’ve planned.”

“When you try to figure out what you’re doing, there’s this stress, like, ‘Oh my gosh, what if that doesn’t work?'” she continued. “It’s like, no, no. I’m going to plan these things, and then I’m going to turn it over to God.”

Surrendering control, she admits, is not always easy.

“Surrender is easier said than done,” McKellar said.

Still, the actress says following God’s lead has brought the greatest transformation in her life—one that may not always be visible on the outside but is deeply felt within.

“That is the biggest difference that I’ve noticed,” she said. “I have a lot more peace in between all the things. It’s what it feels like inside of my head and inside my body. That’s what’s changed the most.”