Rider Strong is an American actor born in 1979 in San Francisco, California. He is the son of King Arthur Strong, a firefighter, and Lin Warner, a teacher and nutritionist. Both of his parents were from Pennsylvania but moved to California during their working lives. Rider has primarily English and Irish ancestry.
Strong started his career as a child actor in the late 1980s, appearing in a theatrical adaptation of "Les Misérables" as Gavroche Thénardier. He then began appearing in minor television roles in the early 1990s, guest-starring in popular series such as "Going Places", "Bobby's World", and "Home Improvement".
Strong gained his first regular television role in the short-lived sitcom "Julie" in 1992, playing Adam McGuire, the stepson of the protagonist Julie Carlisle. He made his film debut in the thriller "Benefit of the Doubt" in 1993, playing Pete Braswell, the son of the protagonist Karen Braswell.
Strong received his big break when cast as Shawn Hunter in the sitcom "Boy Meets World" in 1993. The series lasted for seven seasons and 158 episodes, covering the lives of the main characters from middle school to their college years. Strong became a household name and was among the most prominent members of the cast.
During his college years, Strong attended Occidental College and later attended Columbia University, graduating in 2004. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in fiction and literature at Bennington College in 2009. He starred in the horror comedy film "Cabin Fever" in 2002, depicting vacationing college students becoming infected with a flesh-eating virus.
Strong had a recurring role in the animated series "Kim Possible" from 2002 to 2007, voicing football quarterback Brick Flagg. He then appeared in the short-lived comedy-drama series "Pepper Dennis" in 2006, playing professional cameraman Chick Dirka.
Strong co-directed the short film "Irish Twins" in 2008, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival. He returned to acting with a starring role in the science fiction horror film "Darkening Sky" in 2010, which focused on the topics of alien abductions and unreliable memories.
In 2013, Strong married his long-term girlfriend, actress Alexandra Barreto. He joined the cast of the sitcom "Girl Meets World" in 2014, reprising his role as Shawn Hunter. The series lasted for three seasons and 72 episodes.
In 2015, Strong joined the cast of the animated series "Star vs. the Forces of Evil", voicing the demon prince Tom Lucitor. The series lasted for four seasons and 77 episodes.
Strong has not been particularly active during the 2020s, having no prominent roles. He remains popular due to his past roles in television, and his involvement with several popular series over the decades.
