What Happened To Beloved Boy Meets World Star Rider Strong? Inside His Life Now
One of the most popular teen sitcoms of the 1990s, "Boy Meets World" followed Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage, as he navigated puberty, high school, and college. Along for the ride and always there to help Cory in his antics was his best friend Shawn Hunter, played by Rider Strong. While Cory was the main character of the series, living a middle-class life and dealing with middle-class problems, fans gravitated to Shawn. Strong's character lived a harder life than his pals, growing up with less-than-ideal parents and home. The character's background, along with Strong's charisma, made Shawn a standout on the series.
When "Boy Meets World" ended after seven seasons, Strong seemed poised to become a big star, but he instead chose to step away from the industry and attend Columbia University in New York. While Strong continued to work during college, most notably starring in the Eli Roth horror movie "Cabin Fever," he put his studies first. Strong graduated at the top of his class from Columbia before heading off to Bennington College, where he studied Fiction & Literature.
Strong returned to regular TV in 2006, joining the cast of the short-lived series "Pepper Dennis," starring Rebecca Romijn. It was on that series that Strong met Alexandra Barreto, and they began dating. The two, along with Strong's brother Shiloh, worked together to create an ad for the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign. Since then, the three have worked on several short films and the podcast The Red Weather. Strong and Barreto married in 2013, and welcomed their son, Indigo Barreto Strong, into the world in 2014.
Rider Strong returned to the role that made him famous
Fourteen years after "Boy Meets World" ended, fans were able to catch up with Cory Matthews and his wife Topanga (played by Danielle Fishel) on "Girl Meets World." The series focused on Cory and Topanga's daughter, Riley, played by Rowan Blanchard, and her best friend Maya, played by Sabrina Carpenter in her breakout role, but also made space to catch up with the cast from the original series. Will Friedle, who played Cory's older brother Eric, appeared in four episodes, and William Daniels, who played Cory's mentor Mister Feeny, appeared in five episodes. Rider Strong returned to the role of Shawn for seven episodes, but also worked on the series behind the scenes, directing 18 episodes.
In 2022, Strong teamed up with his "Boy Meets World" co-stars Fishel and Friedle to host Pod Meets World, a podcast where the three stars rewatch the series, host special guests, and reveal some behind-the-scenes facts. The podcast has been a hit, playing on '90s nostalgia and fond memories of the cast.