Rider Strong is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Shawn Hunter on the hit television show ‘Boy Meets World.’ Strong’s acting career began off early in his youth as a brilliant child. Strong had a lot of experience on television even when he was nine years old. Despite his appearances in a number of television shows and sitcoms, it was the film ‘Benefit of Doubt’ that made him famous. However, his biggest break came when he landed the role of Shawn Hunter on ABC’s ‘Boy Meets World.’ His popularity and acclaim grew as a result of the show. Strong had a constant flow of guest roles in a number of television series following the popularity of ‘Boy Meets World.’ He received a slew of film offers as well. Rider Strong tried his hand behind the camera just when his acting career seemed to be settling down. Together with his brother, he wore the hat of a writer/director for the short film ‘Irish Twin.’ The picture was well-received, allowing Strong to pursue a new career path. Rider Strong not only reprised his role as Shawn Hunter in the ‘Boy Meets World’ spinoff ‘Girl Meets World,’ but also acted as its director. He is quickly establishing himself as one of the present generation’s all-around entertainers.
Childhood and Early Years
Rider King Strong was born in San Francisco, California on December 11, 1979. Lin is a nutritionist and a teacher, and his father, King Arthur Strong, was a firefighter. He was the younger of the couple’s two sons, Shiloh Strong being the older.
He graduated from a Sebastopol high school in 1998. After that, he went to Occidental College. He went on to Columbia University, where he earned a magna cum laude in English major in 2004. He graduated from Bennington College with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2009.
Career of Rider
Rider Strong’s acting career began before he turned ten years old. In 1988, he made his stage debut as Gavroche in the San Francisco version of ‘Les Miserables.’ He was only nine years old at the time. Following that, he appeared in minor television roles.
His first television appearance was in the sitcom ‘Julie,’ where he played Julie Andrews’ son. However, the show was, ironically, canceled. He wasn’t one to be bowed down, so he took a chance and earned a role as Amy Irving’s son in the 1993 film ‘Benefit of Doubt.’
Strong’s big break came in 1993, when he landed the part of Shawn Hunter in the ABC television series ‘Boy Meets World.’ He gained enormous notoriety and recognition as a result of the series. The sitcom was a great hit, running for seven seasons until 2000. Strong was also nominated for a number of awards as a result of his work.
Strong continued to earn television jobs after the spectacular success of ‘Boy Meets World.’ ‘Maybe This Time,’ ‘Party of Five,’ ‘Oddville,’ ‘Hercules,’ ‘Invasion America,’ ‘The Practice,’ ‘Batman Beyond,’ ‘Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicle Pvt.,’ ‘Kim Possible,’ and other shows featured him as a guest star. Meanwhile, he worked on films such as ‘Cabin Fever,’ a horror picture, ‘Paradise, Texas,’ a family drama, ‘Borderland,’ and a dramedy, ‘Spy School.’
Rider Strong made a comeback to television in 2006 with a recurring role on WB’s ‘Pepper Dennis.’ He portrayed Chick Dirka in the film. His appearance on the show lasted thirteen episodes. Following a few cameo appearances on shows like ‘Veronica Mars,’ ‘Bones,’ ‘Castle,’ ‘100 Questions,’ ‘Chosen,’ and so on. He made a cameo appearance in the sequel ‘Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever’ for the big screen.
Strong took a break from acting to pursue a career in writing and directing. He co-wrote and directed the short film ‘Irish Twins’ with his brother. In 2008, the film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Despite being a first attempt, the jury, critics, and audience were overwhelmingly positive. It won two awards at the Woods Hole Film Festival, including the Jury Award and the Audience Award. It also won the Special Jury Prize and Best First-Time Director at DC Shorts in the Action/Cut Short Film Competition.
Rider Strong hoped to expand his writing and directing career following the massive success of ‘Irish Twins.’ Strong’s then-girlfriend Alexandra Barreto joined the brother combo in creating a 30-second television ad promoting Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama. Theirs was one of the 15 finalists picked from among the 1100 ads submitted. MTV and Comedy Central broadcasted the commercial.
With the science fiction thriller ‘The Darkening Sky,’ he returned to acting in 2010. He also acted in films such as ‘The Penthouse’ and short films such as ‘Your Lucky Day’ and ‘Ruff Love’ around the same period.
Rider Strong returned to the character of Shawn Hunter in the spinoff ‘Girl Meets World’ in 2014. Aside from playing the recurring character, Strong also donned the Director’s hat in the sequel. He is now providing voices for Tom in Disney’s animated television series ‘Star vs. the Forces of Evil.’
Major Projects of Rider
Rider Strong’s acting career culminated in 1993 with the ABC sitcom ‘Boy Meets World.’ In it, he played Shawn Hunter, a recurrent character. Strong’s outstanding portrayal of his character garnered him a lot of praise and a lot of fans. The show was a huge hit, lasting seven seasons and 158 episodes in total.
Achievements & Awards
In 1994, Rider Strong was nominated for two Young Artist Awards for his role as Shawn Hunter. He won the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards for Favorite Television Friends for ‘Boy Meets Girl’ in 2000, alongside Ben Savage.
Personal History and Legacy
Rider Strong first met Alexandra Barreto in 2006 while they were both filming the TV show “Pepper Dennis.” They got along swimmingly and began dating each other. The couple got engaged in December 2012 and married over a year later on October 20, 2013 in Oregon. Indigo ‘Indy’ Barreto Strong, their son, was born in December 2014.
Estimated Net Worth
Rider Strong net worth and salary: Rider Strong is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter who has a net worth of $3 million.