“Are you in a position to write a story?”
Danica McKellar, with her one-mile-wide smile, sat in front of her Zoom screen and addressed the audience extremely cheerfully. The faces on the screens gave him back his smile. Some were hit by the stars. Others talked about birthday gifts, trucks sold and what it looked like as “a princess.”
McKellar’s hearing is usually primary school age. Children with chronic or life-threatening diseases. All were combined through Lollipop Theatre Network.
Since the launch of its first show at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Care in 2002, Lollipop Theatre Network has featured tons and lots of movies to young people in hospitals in more than 26 states and across Canada. The concept is to deliver the magic of cinema to young people in hospitals who suffer from severe ailments and who go to the cinema. They have the opportunity to watch the latest movies, eat popcorn and meet stars.
Even with the pandemic, The Lollipop Theatre Network remained unstoppable and continued its programming. Since March, more than 70 actors, animators, musicians and magicians have visited virtually pediatric patients and their families. With their Storytime program, celebrities such as Eva Chen, Zoe Saldana, Zendaya and McKellar have read stories to young people in hospitals and at home.
“It’s a wonderful gift for those little kids who have a lot to do,” says McKellar, who read one of his e-books, Ten Magic Butterflies, about flowers they aspire to fly. “But one of the many glorious things of the young is that they must be at the right time. I read them an e-book and they’re excited about turning flowers into butterflies. They’re not thinking about the next medication or the next procedure. I’m in the moment with me. I can be with them in the moment. And it’s a beautiful thing to see. Adults may be very knowledgeable. »
McKellar is an exceptional multiphenate. She is the actress who is about to shoot her fourteenth distinctive film and is also the mathematician Obi Wan Kenobi. McKellar not only co-wrote a mathematical physics theorem (Chayes-McKellar-Winn’s theorem) at UCLA, but spoke to a congressional committee to inspire women to examine STEM issues and the importance of women in mathematics. In a sense, he does what Lin-Manuel Miranda did for the history of America in Hamilton. McKellar’s project to seamlessly share the joy of math with young people of all ages and familiarize them with the subject in a fun and engaging way.
The best-selling McKellar wrote his first book, Math Doesn’t Suck, in 2006 and published his tenth, The Times Machine!, last June. “One of the most productive tactics for having a sharp brain is to become intelligent in mathematics … Your long career will thank you,” he told the children. “You’ll be better prepared for better-paying jobs. Mathematics is your friends and will help you be tougher and make your dreams come true, whatever they may be. She later explained that in college, women are very likely to get discouraged through math. When you encounter an obstacle, such as a complicated check or a complicated teacher, you can completely lose your passion. “Girls are convinced they have no position in math,” she explains.
During the session, the youth and McKellar teamed up on topics such as Project Mc2, where McKellar played the stern quail, his favorite dish (almond butter and grape jam sandwiches) and his son’s excessive pastime for garbage trucks when he was little. (She and her son, Draco, used to stick to them so he could see the garbage emptied in the truck.)
After hearing Ten Magic Butterflies, a little woman told how a week she put a butterfly bandage on her clothes. One way or another, the message of hope from Ten Magic Butterflies seemed to resonate even more. “Magic surrounds us and takes many forms,” McKellar read to children. And “one night and both, you grow up with one and both dreams.”
Jeryl Brunner: When did you realize that math would be such an important component of your life?
Danica McKellar: When I was a new student at UCLA, the first mathematical elegance I took was a multivariate calculus course. I think I was going to be a movie student and math in college would be too difficult. All day long, I went to campus, other people called me “Winnie Cooper.” They asked her, “Are you that woman on The Wonder Years TV screen?”
I studied a lot halfway, but it was very difficult. I was convinced he had failed. The instructor posted the notes without any calls and they gave me a 22. Of an elegance of 163, the highest score was 22 out of 40. Only one user received this. Two other people scored 15 points and the others received nine and fewer. This has never happened to me before. I was disappointed. The next day, someone touched my shoulder, as it happened, and they asked me about The Wonder Years. Only this time the consultation was, “Aren’t you that woman who got the 22?” It was such a symbolic moment for me to realize that I could redefine myself. It was beyond Winnie Cooper. I felt like a mathematical rock star and it’s become my thing. I even started teaching private lessons. So I went from “this woman on TV” to “that woman who helped me do the math.” I ended up getting a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. I love the fact that I feel so smart, vivacious and in control. And for a former actress, it’s really important.
Brunner: I read that math is simple and that you’re intimidated first.
McKellar: I saw math as a challenge. Then, in seventh grade, it didn’t make sense to me and it probably terrified me. It was like a foreign language. I felt excluded, stupid, and I didn’t think it was for me. I really felt bad about myself because of that. Then, in the middle of the year, our instructor was replaced and the math suddenly made sense. When you’re a kid, you never think the instructor can just be the explanation why you don’t understand. It was revealing that I realized precisely the same subject that surely disappointed me. Suddenly I felt capable. I thought, wait a minute. So it wasn’t me!
Brunner: What helped you in this period?
McKellar: Since April, I’ve been making videos about school at home and posting them on my Instagram. I’ve been training my son at home since I was in kindergarten and I give him a percentage of the tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way. I mean stuffed school. For ten minutes, we huddled on the couch with a book. What we’re dealing with is unprecedented. We don’t know what’s coming. And I need to help as many other people as possible.
If I wasn’t a mom, I’d have a hard time dealing with the pandemic. When you become a mother, you become a warrior and do anything for your son. You think I have to stay strong because I have this task to do to take care of my son. It gives you strength and purpose, that’s all.
Jeryl Brunner profiles people who are guided by a deep and unshakable passion for what they do. Following their joy inspires them to think outside the box, take risks and
Jeryl Brunner describes other people guided through a deep and unwavering journey through what they do. Following their joy encourages them to think outdoors, take dangers and succeed. His editorial credits come with O, Oprah magazine, Parade, Wall Street Journal, InStyle, Travel Leisure and more. She’s also my City’s, My New York: famous New Yorkers share their favorite places where many prominent New Yorkers, plus Tina Fey, Anthony Malkin, Matthew Broderick and Will Shortz, share their favorite places and activities. It has been shown on television and radio. Follow Jeryl on Twitter, @jerylbrunner or stop by your website, jerylbrunner.com