The Wonder Years star Fred Savage looks dashing as he celebrates 50th birthday — see his transformation through the years

Despite becoming a household name as a child actor, he made the bold decision to part ways with Hollywood.

He consciously put a pause on his acting career and decided to return to high school as a full-time student.

After graduating, he majored in English while attending Stanford University.

Although he was no longer involved in acting, he saw the similarities between that world and his new career path.

He revealed to the L.A. Times: “I knew I wanted to stay in the entertainment industry, but I didn’t want to study drama – I had been doing that. Entertainment is largely about storytelling. I wanted to expose myself to the best stories by the best authors.”

Fred found himself during that phase of his life, and he enjoyed his newfound autonomy that came with that “palate-cleansing period.”

He expressed: “It was a chance to be with people my own age, to let myself go and enjoy life. I fell in with a pocket of students who weren’t all about studying.”

Turns out that distance made the heart grow fonder, and it reinvigorated his love for acting, but he approached it differently the second time around.

Fred explained to the outlet: “I soured on acting for a while, but now I’ve fallen in love with it again. When I was young, it was something fun, something that came easily to me. Now, I don’t want to get too heady, but I’m more self-aware. I’m trying to approach it from a more cerebral standpoint, as a craft.”

He later appeared in Crumbs, Friends from College, Oswald and more.

The star also went on to give directing a go, and he oversaw shows such as Phil of the Future, Modern Family, Wizards of Waverly Place, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and more.

Fred has been married to Jennifer Lynn Stone since 2004 and the two welcomed their children Oliver, born in 2006, Lily, born in 2008 and August “Auggie,” born in 2012.