In 1993, a boy met the world and embedded himself so deeply into American teen and pre-teen culture that to this day, 10 years after his television series came to a close, college kids across America still find themselves quoting and re-watching episodes from "Boy Meets World." Because The Observer is so attuned to what the typical college kid yearns for, the Scene writers have decided to address your needs and tell you exactly what is going on in the lives of Cory, Topanga, Shawn, Eric and the rest of the crew with a "Where are they Now: Boy Meets World" special edition. Here's to hoping the gang made it big and made Feeny proud!
Cory Matthews (Ben Savage)
Ben Savage captured the hearts of viewers as charming prankster Cory Matthews. He navigated the tough years of adolescence, bringing worldly wisdom and amusing jokes to his trials and tribulations. Since the show ended in 2000, Savage has graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Political Science. He took a three-year break from acting in which he and his father spent a summer following Bruce Springsteen on a U.S. tour. Afterwards, he appeared in TV movies "Swimming Upstream" and "Making It Legal." He has also made guest appearances in TV shows like "Phil of the Future," "Chuck" and "Without a Trace." Currently, he is filming "Doesn't Texas Ever End?", a dramedy that was supposed to premiere in 2009.
Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong)
Rider Strong's Shawn Hunter was the character who tackled the toughest problems on the show, mostly stemming from his tough family life. But with his best friend Cory's help, Shawn managed to avoid any serious trouble. In 2004, Strong graduated Magna Cum Laude from Columbia University with a degree in English. He finished his Master of Fine Arts degree in 2009 at Bennington College. After "Boy Meets World," Strong has appeared on the big screen in indie horror film "Cabin Fever" and recently had a cameo in its sequel, "Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever." He also returned to television with a regular role in "Pepper Dennis" on the WB in 2006. Recently he expressed an interest in expanding his writing and directing career after his film, "Irish Twins," which he wrote with his brother Shiloh, won some awards at film festivals.
Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel)
Fishel played the role of Topanga Lawrence, Cory's longtime girlfriend and eventual wife on "Boy Meets World." She is now the host of Style Network's "The Dish," a TV satire that skewers the latest pop culture trends in television, movies, magazines and celebrities, much like its sister network E! does on "The Soup." She also appeared as a guest on "The Tyra Banks Show" in 2006 and discussed her dramatic weight loss on the Nutrisystem Diet. After the appearance, Fishel became a spokesperson for Nutrisystem, as well as a special correspondent for "The Tyra Banks Show." She has also appeared in a few movies, including "Longshot," "National Lampoon's Dorm Daze" and its sequel and "Gamebox 1.0." Fishel dated a couple of her "Boy Meets World" cast members, including her co-star Ben Savage and Matthew Lawrence. She also briefly dated former *NSYNC member Lance Bass, who was her date to her high school prom.
Eric Matthews (Will Friedle)
You may know him best as the voice of Ron Stoppable from "Kim Possible" (just kidding) but for those of you who grew up listening to the shrieks of "FEEEEEENNNNYYYY," Will Friedle will never be more famous than for his role as Eric on "Boy Meets World." Since his turn as the lovable and kind of stupid big brother of Cory, Friedle has focused on providing his voice for multiple cartoon characters such as Blue Beetle in "Batman: The Brave and the Bold." On a more exciting note, he did date Jennifer Love Hewitt in 1997, but that love boat left him stranded on shore long ago. The last time he made news in a major magazine was in 2006 when he told "People" he was contemplating attending culinary school, but so far no sumptuous scents have wafted from his kitchen. Hopefully that means he's busy concocting the perfect recipe for revitalizing his acting career!
George Feeny (William Daniels)
Mr. Feeny appeared in almost every episode of "Boy Meets World." His character had multiple sides — the grumpy neighbor tending his beloved garden, the strict principal trying to lay down the law, the warm-hearted mentor guiding Cory and friends through the trials of life and the college professor who just could not get enough of his favorite students. Since the finale of Boy Meets World, Daniels, now 82, has been consistently playing minor film and television roles on popular shows such as "Boston Legal," "The King of Queens" and "Scrubs" and movies including "Blades of Glory" and "The Benchwarmers." Though he is well-known for his part in the classic film "The Graduate" and has been employed since the end of "Boy Meets World," the children of the eighties and nineties only think one thing when they see his face: "Fee-nayyy!"
Alan and Amy Matthews (William Russ and Betsy Randle)
Cory's parents, Alan and Amy, were the best. They were understanding to Cory's adolescent problems while not so ridiculous as to think that Cory and Topanga getting married so young was a good idea. They were there for all the kids throughout the years, including the ones that weren't their own. Russ has had guest roles on many different shows since "Boy Meets World's" end including "Deadwood," "Boston Legal" and "Wildfire." He currently has a recurring role on the daytime soap "The Young and the Restless." Russ is also married with children. Meanwhile, Randle, who had a myriad of roles before playing the lovable Mrs. Matthews, retired from acting after her last role on the series "Charmed" in 2004. She now lives with her husband and children in California.
Angela Moore (Trina McGee)
McGee portrayed Angela Moore, Shawn's major love interest throughout the latter half of the series. Witty, passionate and artistic, she and Shawn begin dating after he finds a purse she had lost and discovers their shared interests based on the bag's contents. They dated on and off until the series finale, when she decided to go spend a year in Europe with her father. While McGee was best known for her role as Angela on "Boy Meets World," she has also guest starred on a few television shows, including "Family Matters," "A Different World," "So Little Time" and "The Sinbad Show." She now spends most of her time with her family. McGee was previously married to Courtland Davis and they had two children together. She is now currently in a relationship with actor Marcello Thedford ("Dangerous Minds") and lives in the San Fernando Valley with him and her three children.
Jack Hunter (Matthew Lawrence)
Matthew Lawrence, of the famed Lawrence brothers, joined the cast of "Boy Meets World" in 1997 as Jack Hunter, Shawn Hunter's older half brother. After the series ended in 2000, he continued acting, but no role brought him as much notoriety as his portrayal of Jack. In 2001 he played Jake Hunter in the Disney Channel Original Movie, "Jumping Ship." His brothers Joey and Andrew also starred in the production. In 2002 he enrolled as a student at University of Southern California. That same year he also starred opposite Rob Schneider in the comedy "The Hot Chick." He continued to make appearances on television shows like "Boston Public" and "CSI: Miami." In 2004 he became engaged to his girlfriend Heidi Mueller, but the two later split up. He was also rumored to have dated Cheryl Burke from "Dancing With the Stars." He currently lives in the Los Angeles area and hopes to become a zoologist someday.
Mr. Turner (Anthony Tyler Quinn)
He only graced our television screens for three years on "Boy Meets World" but Anthony Tyler Quinn's portrayal of the lovable Mr. Turner left a lasting impression. Turner was the kids' English teacher in middle school who tried to teach them life lessons through the works of great authors, while also identifying with the kids on a personal level, connecting especially with Shawn. The ladies' man took Shawn in and cared for him when his father abandoned him. Eventually, Turner was in a motorcycle accident and mysteriously left the show, much like he did Hollywood. Or did he? Quinn had recurring roles on several television series during the 90s including "Melrose Place," "Party of Five," and "Caroline in the City." More recently he has had guest spots on hit shows like "The Mentalist" and "House, M.D." Look for him in four television movies later this year.
Rachel McGuire (Maitland Ward)
Ward was late on the "Boy Meets World" scene, first appearing on the series during the college years in 1998. Rachel was the tall, beautiful redhead that moved in with Eric and Jack after she broke up with her boyfriend. She quickly becomes the boys' love interest and hijinks ensued. In the end, she headed to the Peace Corps with Jack. Since "Boy Meets World" she has had guest roles on shows such as "Boston Public" and "Rules of Engagement." She also co-starred in "White Chicks" with the Wayans brothers. Ward is now happily married and will return to the role that began her career in 1994 with her portrayal of Jessica Forrester on the daytime soap "The Bold and the Beautiful."
Mr. Hunter (Blake Clark)
Blake Clark played Chet Hunter on "Boy Meets World," dead-beat dad to Shawn and Jack Hunter, who haunted them even after his untimely death by heart attack. Still working today, Clark has a plethora of popular sitcoms and films to his name. Post-"Boy Meets World," he has appeared in television shows including "Community," "My Name is Earl," and even "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," another T.G.I.F. favorite. In addition, he is often cast in Adam Sandler films: "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry," "50 First Dates," "Eight Crazy Nights" and "Mr. Deeds." This summer, listen for him alongside Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in "Toy Story 3," set to come out in June. It seems "Boy Meets World" was just a flicker in the life of this wide-ranging actor, who shows no signs of slowing down in the world of showbiz.
Minor Characters
Where are your other favorite characters that played only small roles? You can catch geeky Minkus from sixth grade played by Lee Norris on "One Tree Hill" as the lovable Marvin "Mouth" McFadden. And whatever happened to the bully with a heart of gold Frankie "The Enforcer" Stechino played by Ethan Suplee? You might recognize him as Louie in "Remember the Titans" or Randy on "My Name is Earl."
Editor's Note: An inaccuracy in this article was corrected Monday, April 4, 2011.
