Boy Meets World Reunion & Girl Meets World Updates!
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| Michael Jacobs, Maitland Ward, Trina McGee-Davis, Ben Savage, Betsy Randle, Lily Nicksay, Matthew Lawrence, Rider Strong at the ATX Television Festival |
For 2 hours, press and fans got to find out about the show's early development, casting processes, growing up on screen, and the DEATH CHAIR. We also got to find out what happened to the original Morgan, a family of stalkers, the genius of Will Friedle, and some insights on the upcoming Girl Meets World series.
Let's go!
Cory was originally supposed to have 2 male best friends!
"We kept trying that for about...3 or 4 episodes. If you go back there's always another kid that's sitting with us and then in the next week there's another kid sitting with us. And this is totally insider and awful, but we used to have a chair that we called 'The Death Chair' in the cafeteria because whoever sat in it wouldn't be back the next week....In Corey's Alternative Friends episode, which is the episode that introduced Topanga, that was the week that they decided to give my character more of a character too and we all felt it - we all just felt it click. That also explains why my character has a sister named Stacey that was never referenced again - because all those scenes were written for another best friend that we couldn't find so they decided to just give me all of that person's lines." - Rider Strong.Rider was the first and only person to audition for Shawn Hunter.
"Ride was the first actor to show up in casting. There were 30-40 guys on that day and there were hundreds scheduled. And so the casting director brought Rider in, and I shook his hand, and he had done Les Miserables, he was very young and it wasn't a giant resume, but it was a very impressive one. Rider auditioned and I turned to the casting director and said 'Ok! That's fine,'" - Michael JacobsGrowing up on-screen:
"I guess it was weird, but it was also just kind of the world I knew and that's just the way I grew up. It was a really fun exciting experience and I think the writers and everyone did a really nice job of not avoiding it, but almost embracing the awkward years of any teen and I think that's what a lot of people can almost identify with when they watch a show... 'Oh I went through that too! I went through that too!' as opposed to characters they couldn't really relate to. It was nice I guess," - Ben Savage.Topanga's move to Pittsburgh and Olivia Hussey:
"We kind of fashioned Cory and Topanga as Romeo and Juliet and I thought, 'Wouldn't it be amazing to actually get Juliet to be the conflict' - because Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet, of course, starred Olivia Hussey and so Olivia Hussey played Topanga's aunt. And what we thought was if Betsy comes against this relationship...ya know if she was not like the mother, if she was someone that wasn't as respected and did such a great job, then it would've been tough to write that. But to have Betsy come against the relationship and to have Ben make this iconic monologue at his mother in defense of his love for Topanga and go against Betsy - that worked. Because you had someone that was well respected as an authority figure and you had someone who was trying to find his way and the fact that he would defend Topanga to that authority figure worked so well for the audience," - Michael JacobsAdding Rachel to the cast:
"What's funny...I didn't audition for Boy Meets World. I auditioned for Zoey, Duncan, Jack, and Jane so that's where I met Michael. For my audition he gave me so many notes and I was like, 'Oh my God! He hates me!' but in the end he was like, 'I love you.' I didn't get the role for Zoey, obviously, but Michael was so sweet and said, 'We're going to add you to Boy Meets World." I was like, 'Oh my God! I want to be on Boy Meets World!' Best day of my life!" - Maitland WardAdding Angela to the cast:
"My experience was really funny in auditioning because I auditioned five times before they finally said yes. I would come into these producers read and it would be me and five other girls. Ok, come back tomorrow and there's me and five new girls and I couldn't believe it when they actually cast me. I felt so blessed and I was so grateful. I never felt on the outside. I felt more like, 'This is an established family,' and it was my job to ingratiate myself into their world and I did the best I could. I really liked the fact that there was a...particularly in my storyline...there was always this colorless love between me and Shawn and I just thought it was so needed and important at the time. I think it did wonders for me as a person and the feedback I get from audiences is just incredible. And I hope it promotes more of that in the world," - Trina McGee-DavisRider Strong on shooting the last scene of the finale:
"We only did that last scene in one take because we were all too wrecked. It was our last scene, last (time) in front of an audience, it was like...7 years - it was like high school and college all rolled into one and saying good-bye to each other. We were exactly in the positions our characters were in - to the extent that I was going to New York in my personal life. I was moving to New York to go to college. It was so close to home that there was no filter between Shawn and Rider at that point - it's just the same person freaking out. I even kept the leather jacket and took it with me to New York. AND THEN IT GOT STOLEN OUT OF MY CAR IN BROOKLYN! I'm so pissed. I had to give Disney a fake other leather jacket because they want to keep all of that stuff - so uhh..sorry Disney, the leather jacket that's in your warehouse is not the real thing. Some hipster in Brooklyn stole it."Ben Savage on the last scene of the finale:
"It's hard for me to even watch that scene because that was kind of like the end - the end of our childhood. It wasn't just the end of a show, for us personally show, it really meant a lot."Developing Mr. Feeny:
"What's the conflict? We have the core relationships. Well, what if there's an implacable wall? What if there' a figure who is absolutely unable to be moved? Who would it be? In a child's world, if it's a workplace comedy, the workplace is school, the boss is the teacher, and what if the teacher lived next door? And we had our show because to give the authority figure proximity was everything," - Michael Jacobs.The kids thought William Daniels was British:
"I don't know if it was Ben or Rider: 'But you're British, you wouldn't understand this show!' - 'I'm not British!' and that went on all the time," - Michael Jacobs
Why they're making Girl Meets World now:
"It's a different world than this cast met...It's a different world than you met. And again, I watch television and I love television and I was a child of television and we do what we love. And we've been very lucky. And I don't see anything on television right now that is speaking to the audience that I've always spoken to and I care very much about. The reason to do Girl Meets World now is because I think that television and this world...if we can do it and honor this show and make it unique because it's a different world - that's the reason to do it," - Michael JacobsIf the actors really acted like themselves, was Will Friedle really like Eric?
"Will was not like Eric in the beginning because he had a fine mind and he spoke in complete sentences, but when I asked him not to, his facility for being less than human was astounding! So I don't know. I don't have an answer..." - Michael Jacobs"NO! There's no..*LOL*...That's the thing about Eric as a character. He was sort of a different character every line, every scene...Will became a genius comedic actor before our eyes....In the first season really, Will will say this too, he was like 'I learned how to act. I didn't know how to act that whole first year.' But I also think it was because he didn't really have much of a character. He was the older brother and at first he was the good looking guy that could always get dates and then that didn't really work because he was kind of too funny...by the time he was doing Plays With Squirrels it was like THIS is Will's wheel house. Just give him some weird make up - put him in a couch - anything and he'll run with it..." - Rider Strong
Will Friedle is a genius
"I think working with Will was one of my favorite experiences of the show and he would get a scene...all of us would get a scene...and we'd read it aloud and kind of like after 7 years you know each other so well. I know how Matt's gonna say this line. He knows how I'm going to say this line. NO ONE KNEW HOW WILL WAS GOING TO DO ANYTHING! He would just show up and we'd be like 'Who are you?!' He's a genius," - Rider Strong.Michael Jacobs on being a perfectionist:
"... I don't think its right to try to be a perfectionist because you can never achieve it. I do know that if you trust and honor the audience and there's a moment that you're watching in front of you and you believe that it can play better, then you have to at least make the suggestion to your cast who you trust and see what they next do with it. We always got better," - Michael JacobsRegarding the show's longevity:
"Frankly, the show never had to be cancelled. I think TGIF came off the air...I remember a fellow named Stu Bloomberg called and said, 'That's it. We're going to move on from TGIF. You did a remarkable job," and all of the shows came down. The thing is that Boy Meets World at the end of it's 7th year could've gone on to an 8th year, a 9th year, a 10th year...The Show could have easily stayed alive. You're proving that and we appreciate it," - Michael JacobsMeet The Stalker Family!
"They were the nicest family. They came to every single taping. We affectionately referred to them as the Stalker Family. They called themselves the Stalker Family. They baked us cookies every week and it would say 'From The Stalkers!'" - Rider Strong"It was a little ironic, but I guess it just worked. Every week, I'd be, 'It's the Stalker Family!' and I'd call them that in front of everybody, but they liked it. I guess that's a compliment in a way. They were very dedicated fans. Very. Dedicated. Fans." - Ben Savage
"What's interesting too, they were the first audience for us that was consistent. ...The Stalker Family always got our IN jokes. We didn't have the internet or anything so we had no way of know if the audience out there watching on TV was getting our IN jokes, so in a weird way the Stalker Family bolstered our ability to keep on going and making IN jokes that could last," - Rider Strong
Why didn't Eric get a real shot with Rachel?
"Michael said it would be funnier if [Eric] didn't really have a chance. He's got some of the quickest - funniest reactions and that's where the comedy came from - that he didn't really have that opportunity with [Rachel]. The triangle between the three of us is really where it started for me really getting good as an actor. Just working with them and the way we played off each other, especially with Will and I - the banter we got to do. That was just...it was amazing" - Matthew LawrenceCan BMW fans expect special nods and inside joked during Girl Meets World?
"Girl... is going to be its own show. I think that's real important and you have to understand...its really necessary for the audience to understand this...if you do a reunion show and that's the tone and tenor of the piece, you get to spend this lovely hour with us and we'll be as charming and entertaining as we possibly can be and hopefully you'll go out and you'll say 'That was great with them.' Now come back tomorrow. Ok. Now come back the next day. 'Well they're sort of older and we don't like them as much a third time.' My feeling is that the premise of the show is about these 2 girls having a friendship, going off into the world we now know, Girl Meets World will be unique from Boy Meets World in that way.However, it is the child of an original program. There is no way that I'm not going to include every body who wants to be included on this piece because they're the genesis of the piece. For me, we may build a new house, but we're building it on ground and that ground is Boy..." - Michael Jacobs
Will Shawn and Angela be together in GMW?
"Nothing good happens to Shawn. That's all I can tell you," - Michael JacobsWhat happened to the original Morgan?
"I lived in Scotland for 8 years. I went to high school in the Highlands of Scotland. I sailed around Europe. I lived with the Karen Tribe in Thailand for a month. I studied Latin and Ancient Greek at St. Andrews (University in Scotland) which was a fabulous experience. It's been wonderful moving back to Los Angeles and rediscovering my childhood love of acting and I just did an episode of The Mentalist....It's been a wonderful time coming back." - Lily NicksayDid any of the cast feel like they missed out on anything since they started so young?
"I wasn't on the show when they were young, but I started at a young age and I think people ask that question and I think you contemplate it and you always go, 'Gosh, would this be like that? Would this be like this?' I think looking back like that, now as I'm getting older, isn't the proper thing to do. I mean we had such an amazing experience. Such a different amazing childhood that I don't think any of us have any regrets about the way...the experiences...the things we got to see...We were pretty much adults at a young age and we got to learn and be around adults. And I think it helped us grow as people in ways that I don't we ever would have been able to," - Matthew Lawrence"There is sort of a loss of innocence being, basically, born and raised on a Hollywood set...It is not this life versus life. In a proper functioning set where none of your kids ends up knocking off a liquor store...in a functioning set all things are possible and life is possible. So the question begs sort of a conflictive answer which is that we tried very hard that they did not miss anything. I think we've succeeded in that these are a table full of absolutely lovely people," - Michael Jacobs
"I think that's a testament to you, though, Michael as well in the sets that you've ran because I've had other experiences where they weren't like that and a lot of kids aren't treated like that. I'm lucky that I had a mom that was crazy about making sure that I remained a child and that I had school and all that. Michael set an example that I have not experienced otherwise. So that was very fortunate and very rare. For everybody here involved. The number one question too is 'Well how did you do school?' Because I went to normal school and college and everything and honestly it was because Boy Meets World and Michael and they allowed me have everything that I wanted to have as well as being a working young person," - Matthew Lawrence
Special nod to BMW and Mr. Feeny on Girl Meets World:
"I will tell you one thing about Girl... which is that a set designer on the black board in Cory's classroom put a 2nd black board...a small rectangle...on the chalk holder, ya know in one of the grooves of the chalk holder. And on that 2nd black board it said, 'Do good." And I said leave it don't touch it. And it'll stay there because [Mr. Feeny] and obviously Cory wrote it and obviously [Mr Feeny's] teachings to all of these kids and characters will live on...always," - Michael JacobsGirl Meets World is set to debut in 2014 on the Disney Channel. The official series description is as follows:
Set in New York City, the new comedy series will tell the wonderfully funny, heartfelt stories that Boy Meets World is renowned for — only this time from a tween girl’s perspective — as the curious and bright 7th grader Riley and her quick-witted friend Maya (played by Sabrina Carpenter) embark on an unforgettable middle school experience. But their plans for a carefree year will be adjusted slightly under the watchful eyes of Riley’s dad who’s also a faculty member — and their new History teacher — and Riley’s mom who owns a trendy after-school hangout that specializes in pudding.
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| via TVline |
