For years, a peculiar rumor has circulated the Internet, suggesting that Marilyn Manson, known for his shocking stage persona, is actually Paul Pfeiffer from the TV show ‘The Wonder Years.’ But how did this bizarre theory come to be, and what is the truth behind it?

The actor who brought Pfeiffer to life was Josh Saviano. This rumor, seemingly a sequel to the earlier claim that Alice Cooper was Eddie Haskell from ‘Leave It to Beaver,’ first caught Saviano’s attention in 1996, while he was a freshman in college. Interestingly, it was Danica McKellar, the actress who played Winnie Cooper on ‘The Wonder Years,’ who told Saviano about this rumor.

The Early Days Of Internet Lore

Saviano stated during an uncommon on-camera interview for Yahoo! ‘s The Yo Show:

“I think actually it was one of the very first Internet rumors because it was 1994. The Internet was just sort of becoming mainstream, particularly on college campuses. It was just perfect timing and the perfect storm.”

Saviano’s Reaction And The Entertaining Plot

Initially unaware of who Manson was, Saviano found the rumor progressively entertaining. He even considered, along with his friends, to orchestrate a stunt where he would appear on stage at a Manson concert to debunk the myth. However, they never went through with this plan, and Saviano is glad they didn’t, noting:

“Because 20 years later, it’s still out there.”