Rider Strong

Rider Strong first met Alexandra Barreto while the two were filming the television series ‘Pepper Dennis’ in 2006. They hit it off really well and started dating each other. In December 2012, the couple got engaged and got married almost a year later on October 20, 2013 in Oregon. They were blessed with a son, Indigo ‘Indy’ Barreto Strong, in December 2014.

Rider King Strong was born on December 11, 1979 in San Francisco, California. His mother, Lin, is a nutritionist and teacher, while his father King Arthur Strong was a firefighter. He was second of the two boys born to the couple, the elder being Shiloh Strong.

In 1998, he graduated from a high school in Sebastopol. He then attended Occidental College. Later, he enrolled at Columbia University and graduated as magna cum laude in English major, in 2004. In 2009, he attained his Master of Fine Arts degree from Bennington College.

Rider Strong’s acting career began even before he hit the double digits. He was first seen portraying the role of Gavroche in San Francisco production ‘Les Miserables’ in 1988. He was only nine then. Following this, he starred in small roles for television.

His first recurring appearance for television came with the role of Julie Andrews’ son in the series ‘Julie’. However, ironically, the show was cancelled. Not the one to be bowed down, he instead took the big leap and landed himself a role as Amy Irving’s son in the 1993 film ‘Benefit of Doubt’.

The big breakthrough for Strong came in when he essayed the role of Shawn Hunter in the ABC television series ‘Boy Meets World’ in 1993. The series gave him immense popularity and widespread recognition. Running for seven seasons until 2000, the sitcom was hugely appreciated. It earned Strong several award nominations as well.

Following the phenomenal success of ‘Boy Meets World’, television roles kept coming in for Strong. He guest appeared in a number of shows including ‘Maybe This Time’, ‘Party of Five’, ‘Oddville’, ‘Hercules’, ‘Invasion America’, ‘The Practice’, ‘Batman Beyond’, ‘Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicle Pvt.’, ‘Kim Possible’ and so on. Meanwhile, he did films as well, including the indie horror film ‘Cabin Fever’, family drama ‘Paradise, Texas’, horror ‘Borderland’ and dramedy ‘Spy School’.

In 2006, Rider Strong returned to television for a recurring role in WB’s ‘Pepper Dennis’. In it, he played Chick Dirka. His role lasted for thirteen episodes. After a couple of guest appearances in ‘Veronica Mars’, ‘Bones’, ‘Castle’, ‘100 Questions’, ‘Chosen’ and so on. For the big screen, he gave a cameo appearance in the sequel ‘Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever’.

The magnum opus of Rider Strong’s acting career came with the ABC sitcom ‘Boy Meets World’ in 1993. In it, he played a recurring character of Shawn Hunter. Strong’s brilliant portrayal of his character earned him immense popularity and widespread recognition. The show was a great hit and lasted for seven seasons with a total of 158 episodes.