Boy Meets World star Rider Strong shared a heartwarming story from filming the show with Mr. Feeny actor William Daniels. The coming-of-age series is one of the most beloved 90s properties after enjoying a long run on ABC from 1993 to 2000. Over the course of seven seasons, viewers saw Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) navigate life from middle school to adulthood alongside his best friend Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong), brother Eric (Will Friedle), and the love of his life, Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel). Another major player was Cory's teacher and neighbor George Feeny (Daniels).
Mr. Feeny quickly became a beloved character in the long-running sitcom, dispensing invaluable advice to Cory and his cohorts along the way. Though he often displayed a cranky demeanor, ultimately his love for the group shone brightly through the final episode. Boy Meets World cast members have spoken about Daniels serving as a Mr. Feeny to them in real life, often bestowing wisdom to the younger generation. He was cherished both on and off-screen, earning four People's Choice Award nominations and even reprising his role in the Disney Channel sequel series Girl Meets World.
People reports that while attending the first-ever 90s Con with his Boy Meets World costars, Rider Strong reflected on a poignant moment he shared with Daniels. After filming the series' 100th episode, Strong says that Daniels made a surprising remark to him on his way out the door. Here's what the actor had to say:
"I was outside and he saw me and I was like, 'Hey Bill! Bye! We did 100 episodes,' and he was like, 'Yeah, yeah, um ... I love you.'"
Strong called the encounter "astounding" because Daniels rarely broke his hard shell to get emotional with them. While filming the series, Daniels was said to keep things all business and maintained a relationship similar to the one that Mr. Feeny had with the kids. Strong said the onscreen dynamic of Daniels "rolling his eyes" at their mischief stemmed from real life. It seems the mentorship did as well. Daniels was an Emmy-winning TV veteran by the time Boy Meets World and always treated the child cast with extreme respect. Observing his professionalism was an excellent way for the cast to learn.
Boy Meets World was smart to balance out the antics of their younger characters with a wise presence like Mr. Feeny. Writing a raconteur into young adult shows is an excellent tool for not only the characters in the story to learn, but the viewers at home. Of course, a wonderful side effect is also the mentorship that actors like Daniels are able to provide for performers on the rise. The series and the 90s era certainly wouldn't have been filled with as much growth sans Mr. Feeny.
Source: People