Entertainment · TV & Streaming · 56 mins ago
Rider Strong Says Boy Meets World Cast Had Wide Pay Gaps
Rider Strong says the cast had major pay differences during the final season of Boy Meets World, which ran from 1993 to 2000.
Strong said he did not want to return for the seventh season, but misunderstood his contract and thought he was already committed.
He recalled that creator Michael Jacobs persuaded him to stay, and that he negotiated without support from his co-stars.
Ben Savage held out after being accepted to Stanford, according to Strong, and used the possibility of going to college in his negotiations.
Strong said Savage then earned close to six figures per episode, a salary near that of established cast member Bill Daniels.
Strong and other cast members earned far less, and co-star Will Friedle said he regretted not negotiating alongside Strong.
Strong and Friedle shared their accounts in a book they co-wrote with Danielle Fishel; Savage and Jacobs had not responded to a request for comment.
Rider Strong said he and other Boy Meets World cast members were paid far less than Ben Savage during the show’s final season.
Strong said Savage negotiated a large pay increase after holding out on committing to the seventh season.
According to Strong, Savage’s salary was close to six figures per episode, near the pay of the show’s highest-paid actor, Bill Daniels.
Strong said he had misread his contract and felt unsupported while negotiating to return for the season.
The account appears in Book Meets World, which Strong co-wrote with Danielle Fishel and Will Friedle.
- Who
- Rider Strong described the pay differences among the Boy Meets World cast, including Ben Savage and Bill Daniels.
- What
- Strong said Savage received a large salary increase for the show’s final season, while the rest of the cast earned much less.
- When
- During negotiations for the seventh and final season, which aired as part of the series’ 1993–2000 run.
- Where
- Boy Meets World, a television series.
- Why
- Strong said Savage held out after being accepted to Stanford, using the end of his contract and the prospect of college in negotiations.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Boy Meets World ran for seven seasons.
Strong said he misread his contract and believed he was already committed to the season.
Strong said Savage held out on committing after being accepted to Stanford and negotiated a large pay increase.
E! News reported Strong’s account from the book Book Meets World.
- Series run
- 1993–2000
- Final season
- Seventh season
- Savage’s reported salary
- Close to six figures per episode
- Highest-paid actor
- Bill Daniels
- Book
- Book Meets World: The Definitive Inside Story of Hit Sitcom Boy Meets World
What people are saying
There was a lot of miscommunication. If we had actually talked to each other, we probably should have just said, ‘We’re all equal here, let’s go [negotiate together].’
close to six figures per episode
I thought, why is nobody looking out for me and just saying, ‘Rider, if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to?’
were making nowhere near that