Many people are excited because Fred Savage has returned to weekly television.
The thing is, though, that he never really left.
Since he was a little kid, Savage has continuously been involved in television and movies, only taking time off to earn his degree in English at Stanford University. Otherwise, he’s been around.
The difference is that for much of his adult life, he’s been behind the camera working steadily as a director and producer. The Grinder, though, marks his reappearance as an actor.
“I love that people are excited that I’m back in front of the camera. I love that they’re enthusiastic. I love that there is an appetite to see me do more acting,” says Savage.
Savage stars with Rob Lowe in FOX-TV’s new sitcom The Grinder. The premise is that Dean Sanderson (Rob Lowe) has acted as a lawyer in a popular television series called The Grinder. When the show ends after eight seasons, Dean returns home to Boise, Idaho, to figure out what he wants to do next.
Back in Boise, his brother, Stewart (Fred Savage), and his father, Dean Sanderson Sr. (William Devane) work as real lawyers. When Dean Jr. decides that he could do the job of a real lawyer, it seems that everyone in town is OK with it—except for Stewart.
“There is an element to Stewart that I really love and that I can identify with. I think most people can identify with it. At one point or another, I feel like we’ve all felt like we’re the last sane person in the room,” says Savage. “That everyone around you has gone mad, and you’re the only one who can see the world for what it really is. I think we’ve all felt that at one time or another, and that’s definitely where Stewart finds himself in the show.
“He can’t believe that he’s the only person who thinks that this is a terrible idea—for Dean to come and practice law. But everyone seems to be in on it, so it’s just kind of him fighting against the world to put some sense to it.”
In real life, Savage has known Mary Elizabeth Ellis, who plays his wife, Debbie, for over a decade. “My wife’s only advice to me before we shot the first episode was ‘Just talk to her like you talk to me.’ For better or worse, you have a real insight into what our married life is like,” quips Savage.
Even though he was in many movies as a child, such as The Princess Bride, The Boy Who Could Fly and Little Monsters, Savage is best known for his iconic role playing Kevin Arnold in the TV series The Wonder Years. Savage is OK with that.
“We all want to try and do something that leaves a mark, that’s remembered, and that’s important to people. And the fact that I was able to do that when I was a young kid, I appreciate how special that is,” Savage says. “I’m so proud of being a part of that show, and it changes my life in every way for the better. I feel very lucky and fortunate to have been a part of something like that so early in my career.”
As an adult, Savage is glad to be back on the small screen and in comedy. “It’s fun to come to work and try and make people laugh. And it’s fun to come to work where people try to make you laugh,” says Savage. “There can be a real science to comedy, but at the end of the day, you really just want to make the people you work with laugh.”
The Grinder airs at 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays on FOX.
To see clips from The Grinder and some highlights from early Fred Savage, including a 1983 Pac-Man Vitamin commercial, click “NEXT” below.
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