Early life

Savage was born in Highland Park, Illinois, the son of Joanne and Lewis Savage, who was an industrial real estate broker and consultant. Fred grew up in Glencoe, Illinois, before moving out to California. His brother is actor Ben Savage, and his sister is actress/musician Kala Savage. His grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Poland, Ukraine, Germany, and Latvia. He was raised Reform Jewish.

Education

Savage was educated at Brentwood School, a private co-educational day school in Brentwood, in the Westside area of Los Angeles County in California. He graduated from Stanford University in 1999, with a bachelor's degree in English and as a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Career

Acting

Savage's first screen performance was in the television show Morningstar/Eveningstar, at age 9. He then appeared onscreen in The Boy Who Could Fly, Dinosaurs!, and several television shows, including The Twilight Zone and Crime Story before gaining national attention as the grandson in the 1987 film The Princess Bride opposite Peter Falk.

In 1988, Savage appeared as Kevin Arnold on The Wonder Years, the role for which he is best known, and for which he received two Golden Globe nominations and two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. At the age of thirteen he was the youngest actor ever to receive these honors. He remained on the show until it ended in 1993. During this period, he appeared in several films, most notably Vice Versa (1988), and also starred in Little Monsters. After The Wonder Years, Savage primarily did guest and supporting roles, such as the show Boy Meets World (which starred his younger brother Ben Savage) and in the film Austin Powers in Goldmember as The Mole.

Savage has lent his voice to several animated projects, including Star Warz], Kim Possible, Justice League Unlimited, Oswald, and Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen. His two lead roles since The Wonder Years were on the short-lived sitcoms Working and Crumbs.

Savage appeared as a serial rapist on a 2003 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and as a womanizing professor on Boy Meets World. He ranked at #27 on VH1's 100 Greatest Kid Stars.

In July 2008, Savage guest-starred in the web series The Rascal on Crackle.

In 2015, Savage returned to acting with the Fox series The Grinder. Producer Nick Stoller approached Savage about playing the role of Stewart on The Grinder. Savage was uninterested in acting at first but agreed to meet with the producers of the series because his children attended school with Stoller's children. Savage eventually agreed to take on the role.

Directing and Producing

In 1999, Savage began his directing career in which he helmed episodes of over a dozen television series. Savage's first directing credit was on the short-lived NBC sitcom Working which also starred Savage. Following Working, Savage began observing production on the Disney Channel show Even Stevens to further learn the craft of directing. Savage also learned by shadowing Amy Sherman-Palladino, Todd Holland, and James Burrows.

His credits include Boy Meets World, Drake & Josh and Ned's Declassified for Nickelodeon, as well as That's So Raven, Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place for Disney Channel. Additionally, Savage has directed for prime-time network sitcoms including Modern Family and 2 Broke Girls.

Besides directing several episodes, Savage co-produced the Disney Channel Original Series Phil of the Future. In 2007, he was nominated for a Directors Guild award for the Phil episode "Not-So-Great-Great Grandpa".

Savage has served as a producer for several episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Friends with Benefits, Party Down, Phil of the Future, The Crazy Ones, and Happy Endings.

In 2007, he made his feature film directing debut with the film Daddy Day Camp.

Personal life

Savage is married to his childhood friend Jennifer Lynn Stone. They have two sons and a daughter.

Filmography

As actor

Films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	The Boy Who Could Fly	Louis Michaelson	Young Artist Award for Best Supporting Young Actor - Motion Picture
1987	Dinosaurs! - A Fun-Filled Trip Back in Time!	Phillip
1987	The Princess Bride	the Grandson	Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor - Motion Picture
1988	Vice Versa	Charlie Seymour / Marshall Seymour	Saturn Award for Best Young Performer
1988	Runaway Ralph	Garfiel "Garf" Jerrniga
1989	Little Monsters	Brian Stevenson
1989	The Wizard	Corey Woods	Nominated- Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor - Motion Picture
1997	A Guy Walks Into a Bar	Josh Cohen	short
1998	Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story	Narrator
2002	The Rules of Attraction	"A Junkie Named Marc"
2002	Austin Powers in Goldmember	Number Three/Mole
2004	The Last Run	Steven Goodson
2004	Welcome to Mooseport	Bullard

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	The Twilight Zone	Jeff Mattingly
1986-1987	Morningstar/Eveningstar	Alan Bishop
1987	Convicted: A Mother's Story	Matthew Nickerson	TV film
1988	ABC Weekend Special: Runaway Ralph	Garfield
1988	Run Till You Fall	David Reuben	TV film
1988-1993	The Wonder Years	Kevin Arnold	Lead role; 115 episodes People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Performer (1989-90) Viewers for Quality Television Award Award for Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series (1989-90) Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor in a Television Series (1988-89) Nominated- Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy (1989-90) Nominated- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1989-90)
1990	When You Remember Me	Mike Mills	TV film
1990	Saturday Night Live	Himself	Host
1991	Christmas on Division Street	Trevor Atwood
1992	Seinfeld	Himself	Episode: "The Trip"
1996	No One Would Tell	Bobby Tennison	TV film
1996	How Do You Spell God?	Narrator
1997-1999	Working	Matt Peyser	Lead role; 39 episodes
1998	Boy Meets World	Stuart	Episode: "Everybody Loves Stuart"
2001-2003	Oswald	Oswald	Voice role
2003	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Michael Gardner	Episode: "Futility"
2004	Justice League Unlimited	Hawk
2006	Crumbs	Mitch Crumb
2006	Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen	Rusty	Voice role
2009	Family Guy	Himself	Voice role Episode: "Fox-y Lady"
2010	Big Time Rush	Director	Episode: "Big Time Christmas"
2010-2013	Generator Rex	Noah	Voice role
2011	Mr. Sunshine	Himself
2011	Happy Endings	Himself
2014-present	BoJack Horseman	Goober
2015-2016	The Grinder	Stewart Sanderson	Lead role Nominated-Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series

As director

Films

Year	Title	Notes
2007	Daddy Day Camp	Feature film directorial debut Nominated- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director

Television

Year	Title	Notes
1999	Working	1 episode
1999-2000	Boy Meets World	2 episodes
2001	All About Us	2 episodes
2001-2002	Even Stevens	2 episodes
2003-2005	That's So Raven	2 episodes
2004-2005	Unfabulous	5 episodes
2004-2006	Phil of the Future	9 episodes, also producer Nominated-Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Children's Program (Episode: "Not So Great Great Great Grandpa")
2004	Drake & Josh	1 episode
2004-2007	Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide	6 episodes
2005	Kitchen Confidential	1 episode
2005	Zoey 101	2 episodes
2005	What I Like About You	1 episode
2007	Cavemen	1 episode
2007	Hannah Montana	1 episode
2007-2008	Aliens in America	4 episodes
2007-2010	It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia	18 episodes, also producer
2007-2008	Wizards of Waverly Place	3 episodes Nominated- Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Children's Program (Episode "The Crazy 10 Minute Sale")
2008	Ugly Betty	1 episode
2008	Worst Week	1 episode
2009-2010	Party Down	9 episodes, also producer and supervising producer
2009	Zeke and Luther	pilot episode Nominated- Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Children's Program (Episode "Pilot")
2009	Ruby & The Rockits	1 episode
2009	Greek	2 episodes
2010	Sons of Tucson	1 episode
2010	Big Time Rush	1 episode
2010	Blue Mountain State	2 episodes
2010-present	Modern Family	7 episodes
2011	Gigantic	2 episodes
2011	Happy Endings	3 episodes
2011	How to Be a Gentleman	2 episodes
2011	Perfect Couples	2 episodes
2011	Breaking In	1 episode
2011	Franklin & Bash	1 episode
2011	Friends with Benefits	1 episode
2011-present	2 Broke Girls	18 episodes
2011	Mr. Sunshine	1 episode
2012	Whitney	1 episode
2012	Best Friends Forever	6 episodes
2013	The Crazy Ones	2 episodes
2014	Garfunkel and Oates (TV series)	8 episodes
2014	The Goldbergs	1 episode
2014	Playing House	2 episodes
2015	Sin City Saints	2 episodes
2015	Casual	2 episodes

[ Source: Wikipedia ]