Danica McKellar Danica McKellar isn't your typical star. On TV since age 12, when she appeared in "The Twilight Zone," McKellar has continued to act into adulthood while also pursuing her other love: mathematics. She graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a degree in the subject and is now the national spokesperson for Math-A-Thon, a program designed to make math fun for kids while raising money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. McKellar's acting credits include everything from a recurring role as Elsie Snuffin on NBC's "The West Wing" to her long-running stint as Winnie Cooper on the Emmy® Award-winning hit television show "The Wonder Years." She has also guest-starred on such popular series as "How I Met Your Mother," "NCIS," "Eve," "NYPD Blue" and Lifetime's "Strong Medicine." And McKellar has on multiple occasions lent her voice to animated characters on the WB's "Static Shock" and the Cartoon Network's "Justice League." In addition to television, she enjoys performing on the live stage, appearing in such productions as "Proof" and "Grease." Although McKellar is used to being on camera, this leading lady recently jumped to the other side of the lens, directing the short "Broken" and serving not only as the heroine of "Inspector Mom" but as executive producer and a writer too.

Drew Waters "Inspector Mom" star Drew Waters was born in Akron in 1978. He began his film career as a model, doing print work for high-profile designers like Ralph Lauren, Prada, Versace, Hugo Boss, and Abercrombie & Fitch. After doing cover shoots and ads for GQ, Vogue, Esquire and Men's Fitness, Waters decided to pursue an acting career. He has appeared in numerous commercials for big-name clients like Ford and Dell, has guest-starred on the NBC series "Surface" and has had leading roles in the independent films "Foreign Soil," "The Plan" and "They Feed." In "Inspector Mom," Waters portrays Danica McKellar's husband and an airline pilot, a role perfect for him, since in real life he served in the Navy as an aviation mechanic and was responsible for more than 85 jet fighter planes.

Danica McKellar Can Do It All

by Dayna Gross

She acts, writes, produces and can tackle the hardest math proofs, yoga poses and dance moves too. Here, the "Inspector Mom" star dishes about all this and more.

Lifetime: Who are your favorite TV detectives, besides Inspector Mom, of course?

McKellar: Gosh, I'm a fan of Jessica Fletcher, and Veronica Mars is a lot of fun. And I've always liked Columbo too. He's a funny guy.

Lifetime: Did you add personal touches to make this supersleuth like you?

McKellar: I put myself into my character, Maddie, in many quirky ways. There's a vulnerability and mischievousness to Maddie that are my own. And I love to dance, so that got integrated into the second "Inspector Mom" movie. Also, there's a little scene in the second movie where I'm helping my daughter with her math homework. As a math geek, I really got off on putting that in there.

Lifetime: As a well-respected mathematician, do you see a connection between solving mysteries and mathematics?

McKellar: Certainly, that's part of what I like about mystery writing. You use the same problem-solving part of your brain that gets so well exercised when you're doing mathematics. Solving puzzles is part of what's fun about math, and solving puzzles is all that Maddie does.

Lifetime: Are you still dedicated to your cause of making math fun for young girls?

McKellar: Yes, but it's not even that it's so important to me that girls think math is fun; it's that I don't want them to think of it as scary. Girls are often intimidated by math, especially because they just aren't encouraged as much as boys are in this subject. A lot of them have an innate ability but are turned off by the idea of math, so they don't pursue it.

Lifetime: Is that what inspired you to write the book "Math Doesn't Suck" for middle-school girls?

McKellar: Yes. It'll come out next August, and its aim is to make math accessible and relevant to girls. In the book, I talk about shopping, makeup and boys — stuff that girls are thinking about at that age. And I integrate math into those subjects.

Lifetime: What do you hope girls get out of reading it?

McKellar: I just want to see girls be empowered. I believe that growing into a fabulous woman requires smarts. With the media and Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton, girls haven't been developing their brains as much as they could. I would like to put forth an alternate role model and way of thinking about being fabulous.

Lifetime: OK, back to the movie: How does it feel to have moved into playing more mature roles, like a soccer mom?

McKellar: Well, I'd be really sad if I was still playing high school roles! But I don't think being a mother inherently means you're more mature. The kind of mom that I'm playing gets into more trouble than her kids do. Maddie is smart but not particularly mature, because she doesn't know how to control herself when she's eager to solve a crime. Perhaps a more mature decision would be to let the cops handle it and go take care of her family. But that's not what Maddie does.

Lifetime: What about your role on "The West Wing"?

McKellar: I feel like that was a more grown-up role. [Elsie] was reserved and professional. She was smart and sassy too, but in a mature kind of way. Maddie is a much more mischievous, spirited kind of character.

Lifetime: What was one of the most memorable moments of filming for you?

McKellar: Doing the tango with a champion ballroom dancer. I was training with him and his wife for two weeks while we were shooting. The tango scene was my "Dancing With the Stars" moment. I'm hooked on ballroom dancing now, and I'd like to pursue other projects that involve dancing.

Lifetime: Was it challenging working as star, cowriter and executive producer of the "Inspector Mom" movies and webisodes?

McKellar: Well, I've had very little time for relaxation! I have tried to take some time to do yoga when I can, because it's really important. Yoga and meditation help you to center yourself and chill out.

Lifetime: Any good yoga poses viewers can do while watching "Inspector Mom"?

McKellar: Most yoga positions require a little more focus than that, but there's one you can do where you lay on your back with your legs up against the wall. Keep them as straight as you can for two minutes while breathing deeply. It's one of those great poses where gravity is doing the work for you. Although, it is better to do yoga while you're not watching TV. It's better to go within. But if you're not going to take that time, do it while watching "Inspector Mom."

Fast Facts about Danica McKellar
Set to repeat on her iPod: Fergie
Last movie seen: "The Devil Wears Prada"
Favorite Lifetime star: Joanna Kerns — I love her!
Snack food of choice: LäraBars, all-natural energy bars
Dream role: Cleopatra or a mermaid