Los Angeles, May 26 (IANS): Actor Fred Savage shot to fame as a child star for his starring role in the sitcom "The Wonder Years", and he has later made a mark directing shows. Savage has says directing TV shows is a great, challenging and very fulfilling experience.

As a director, he has lent his creative expertise to projects like "Boy Meets World", "Drake & Josh", "That's So Raven", "Hannah Montana", "Wizards of Waverly Place", "Modern Family" and "2 Broke Girl". He is widely regarded for his single-camera comedy work.

Asked when he decided to get behind the camera, Savage said: "This realisation happened when I was on ‘The Wonder Years'. I was interested in the camera. It was so cool. I would have questions like -- why one director filled a two-page scene in the kitchen, and other would do it in two shots and another would need six shots. And how those choices affect the final product."

"These things started to interest me then. The first episode I directed for ‘Modern Family' was just after they had won the Emmy for best comedy. I was so terrified as to what am I going to do, what will I bring to the show. How can I add to this show?" he added.

Talking about how he got past the nerve, he said: "A lot of times in my directing career, I would not literally but psychologically slap myself in the face, reminding myself that you are the director and whether you want it or not, you are here. I would tell myself that I have to get over myself and do the job."

He feels he is treated better on camera. "Oh, for sure on camera," he said when asked which way was he treated better -- on camera or off camera.

He continued: "So when I was directing TV shows, it was great, challenging and very much fulfilling. But no one really cared at all. I was just totally off the grid. But then I was on TV again a couple more times and I felt the warm embrace of the love of America again. It is really fantastic."

Savage is most popular for his role in "The Wonder Years", which airs in India on Star World. He also featured in "The Grinder" and "Friends from College".