The REAL Reason Rider Strong Wanted Nothing To Do With 'Boy Meets World'

"Boy Meets World" was one of the most exciting family-oriented sitcoms that rocked the 1990s, subsequently getting a reboot as "Girl Meets World" on Disney Channel in 2010. Rider Strong portrayed Shawn Hunter, the best buddy of the main character Cory Mathews in the parent series, displaying an endearing rebellious attitude that contrasted with Cory's shyness.

While Strong received critical acclaim and widespread fame for his role as the series' deuteragonist, such upsides did not reflect his attitude towards the series as he was unhappy with its popularity and chose not to watch the show whenever it aired.

In a recent interview, the actor reflected on how he felt about playing a major role in the series during those years and spilled the real reason behind his desire to disassociate himself from it.

Strong spoke to Insider about his time on "Boy Meets World," noting that he'd take every chance he could to leave Los Angeles while the show was on hiatus. Now that the sitcom has been off the air for several years, the actor views his actions as "crazy," considering how hard he attempted to remove himself from the TV show.

"I did not want to be associated with the show, which is crazy to me now. For years in my mid-teens, I didn't watch the show," he told the publication. "Whenever we were down from the show, I literally ran away from Los Angeles and buried my head in the sand."

Strong made the reveal while promoting a "Boy Meets World" rerun podcast dubbed "Pod Meets World," which he co-hosted with his former co-stars Danielle Fishel and Will Friedle. Strong started starring on the show when he was just about 14 years old and stayed all through the seven-season run, which started in 1993 and ended in 2000.

The series has long since garnered a cult following and is still being rewatched for its comical challenging scenarios and life lessons.

Although the "Pepper Dennis" actor's attitude about the show has long shifted after its conclusion, Strong admitted that he deeply regrets his actions at the time and, if given a chance, he would have done things differently.

"In retrospect, I'm like, 'That's pretty bad,'" he said. "I should have just been happier and lived in the moment and been proud of the show and been proud of what we were doing. But instead, I don't know; I had a real chip on my shoulder."

While he didn't specify why he wanted to flee the show's success, it might be because the acclaimed series fame increased in the 1990s, bringing a large amount of unexpected and perhaps unpleasant attention to the young actor.

Strong also noted that his teenage self was "anti-mainstream," and his attitude was full of "adolescent insecurity," which would only have been further exacerbated by the show's popularity.

The father of one went on to say that he did not allow his feelings of wanting to distance himself from the series to stop him from learning as much as he could while on set. He gave an instance when one of the directors "came on and taught things about the industry and acting and cameras," which the actor indicated were still relevant to him over the years.

Strong, who has now completely accepted his role and place in the sitcom, has tried his best to soak in everything he took for granted, beginning with his feature on "Girl Meets World" and his co-hosting of "Pod Meets World" alongside Fishel and Friedle.

On June 27, the podcast aired the first episode, in which the actor described growing up on the show during the 1990s. The audio series has five episodes so far and has included numerous show stars sharing their experiences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIPYdPPMed4

Like its parent series, "Girl Meets World" also gained critical acclaim after it aired on Disney in 2014. The series spanned three seasons consisting of 72 episodes, with the finale debuting on January 20, 2017.

Created by April Kelly and Michael Jacobs, the series starred Ben Savage, Danielle Fishel from "Boy Meets World" and Sabrina Carpenter, Peyton Meyer, August Maturo, Rowan Blanchard, and Corey Fogelmanis in new roles. Other original cast members also made several cameos during the show's run, to the delight of fans who have followed the cast for years.

Riley Matthews (Blanchard) and her friends and family are the series' focus and centered on the protagonist's school life and how she navigated the challenges she faced. Riley also has a tight bond with her pal Maya Hart (Carpenter), who helped her learn to deal with the social and personal challenges that come with puberty.