LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ben Savage’s ‘Boy Meets World’ costars Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle and Rider Strong, who played Topanga, Eric and Shawn, respectively, for all seven seasons on the hit ABC sitcom, recently revealed that the actor who played Cory Matthews has not spoken to them in three years. The actors claimed that Savage allegedly “ghosted” them when they tried to contact him and refused to join the trio when they approached him for an episode rewatch.
“He was very adamant that it was not for him. He was also very clear, ‘I don't want it to stop you. If you guys want to do it, go ahead.’ The time between those conversations and the time we actually started the podcast was a significant amount of time,” Fishel told Variety for a profile with Friedle and Strong, where they discussed their popular iHeart Radio rewatch podcast. “He just kind of disappeared from our lives,” she explained while recalling how Savage suddenly stopped appearing at fan conventions.
‘He disappeared’
Speaking to Variety about Savage’s disappearance, Friedle, who played his older brother in the show, said, “He disappeared — I wish I knew why, to this day.” He continued, “We didn't have a fight. There's no falling out. There was no animosity. He just woke up one day, and decided I don't want this person in my life anymore.” The actor added, “I finally sent a text saying, ‘I've known you for 30 years, what's going on?’ I said, ‘I'm gonna call you every day until you tell me not to call you anymore.’ That lasted about three weeks or a month, every single day.”
“I've known him since he was 11 years old, and we have a shared history. And we were doing these conventions together, and we were getting to know each other as adults, and then he just kind of went, 'I'm done with you',” Friedle further mentioned. “I tried and tried and tried for months, until finally my wife was like, ‘Why are you doing this to yourself? He obviously doesn't want you in his life,’” he added. Fishel also added that Savage was there for her when her son was born early and kept in NICU in June 2019. She said he checked in on her regularly at the time but eventually went radio silent. “He ghosted us,” the actress noted.
Where is Ben Savage now?
Savage rose to fame playing the lead role of Cory Matthews in ‘Boy Meets World’ from 1993 to 2000 and its Disney sequel ‘Girl Meets World’ from 2014 to 2017. He also dabbled in politics after interning for US Senator Arlen Specter (R–PA) in 2003 as a requirement for completing his studies at Stanford University, where he graduated in 2004 with a degree in political science. While the actor only starred in a handful of TV projects in recent years, he has continued his efforts to establish a political career.
Last year, the actor was cast in the Lifetime film ‘Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez’ as part of its “Ripped from the Headlines” feature film series where he portrays Nathaniel Kibby. He also qualified as a candidate for the West Hollywood City Council in 2022 but was not elected to serve in one of the three at-large positions. Earlier this year, in March, Savage announced his campaign to run for for California's 30th congressional district as a Democrat. He also married Tessa Angermeier in February 2023.
‘I don't think this is the end of our story’
Back in April, William Daniels, who played Mr Feeny in ‘Boy Meets World,’ reunited with his co-stars to celebrate his 96th birthday. The group came together for dinner ahead of their scheduled appearance at the 2023 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. However, Savage was missing at the special occasion.
After opening up about his disappearance from their lives, Fishel said she still wishes the best for Savage. “If there's anything this podcast has taught me, it's that everyone is on their own journey and having their own experiences that can be perceived many different ways, depending on your [point of view],” she explained.
“Speaking for myself, Ben and I may be estranged right now and we may have our complaints about each other, but I will always love Ben and want what's best for him. I don't think this is the end of our story - but time will tell, Fishel added.
