Rider Strong 'Did Not Want To Be Associated' With 'Boy Meets World'

Daniel Mitchell-Benoit
JUNE 04: Rider Strong attends the 2022 iHeartRadio Wango Tango at Dignity Health Sports Park on June 04, 2022 in Carson, California.
Getty | David Livingston

Though being an actor seems like a glamorous job to most, there are some roles out there that make actors absolutely despise their jobs. This was apparently true for Boy Meets World star Rider Strong, who shared in a recent interview how much he hated his role in the show.

Only while he was on it, though, as he also shared how much he's grown since then.

Rider Strong revealed a big career regret recently.

The characters of Shawn Hunter and Cory Matthews standing side by side as Eric Matthews comes up behind them to say, "Dun-dun-dun!"
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Strong, who played Shawn Hunter in the hit sitcom Boy Meets World, spoke with Insider about his time on the show and how he felt about it then.

"I did not want to be associated with the show, which is crazy to me now," he said.

He expressed an extreme aversion to the show while starring in it.

The characters of Shawn Hunter and Cory Matthews standing side by side, Cory pleading with Shawn.
IMDb | ABC

"For years in my mid-teens, I didn't watch the show. Whenever we were down from the show, I literally ran away from Los Angeles and buried my head in the sand."

He explained that he "didn't want to be there from the get-go," and even thought that agreeing to appear on the show for seven years was "death".

He's since changed his mind, however.

The characters of Shawn Hunter and Cory Matthews fist-bumping while sitting on a couch.
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"In retrospect, I'm like, 'That's pretty bad.' 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." 

Despite his self-described 'anti-mainstream' attitude, he still learned a lot.

The characters of Shawn Hunter and Cory Matthews standing side by side.
IMDb | ABC

He recalled how different directors would come to the set and teach them all about acting, the industry, and even technical aspects of filming. Strong says he still uses those lessons today in his own directing projects.

More stories like these can be heard on a new podcast.

JUNE 04: Rider Strong attends the 2022 iHeartRadio Wango Tango at Dignity Health Sports Park on June 04, 2022 in Carson, California.
Getty | David Livingston

Called Pod Meets World, Strong talks with former co-stars Daniel Fishel and Will Friedle, who played Topanga and Eric respectively. Together, the three are rewatching the show and telling stories from their time on it, as well as what they're up to these days.

h/t: Insider