The Evolution of Ben Savage: From Child Star to Political Aspirant
Exploring the journey of Ben Savage from his iconic role in Boy Meets World to his foray into politics and the impact of his career shift.
Rise to Fame and Post-Boy Meets World Career
Ben Savage was once one of the most well-known child actors on television, raising the question of what happened to him after starring in Boy Meets World. Savage portrayed the instantly likable Cory Matthews on the celebrated coming-of-age Disney sitcom for 158 episodes and 7 seasons from 1993 to 2000, starring in every single one of them. While Savage is best known for his iconic role as Cory Matthews in Boy Meets World, the child actor eventually went on to pursue other acting roles and even explored other career interests outside the entertainment industry.
Ben Savage
With an impressive tenure on one of Disney Channel's most beloved and long-running series of the 1990s, Ben Savage was placed in the spotlight throughout most of his childhood. His older brother Fred Savage also had a similar upbringing, having been the child star in the popular late 1980s to early 1990s family sitcom The Wonder Years. Now 43 years old, Ben Savage attended Stanford University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in political science which he would later use to inspire a career shift into the world of politics.
Rise to Fame and Post-Boy Meets World Career
After the series finale of Boy Meets World aired on May 5, 2000, Ben Savage appeared in several movies and television shows including the 2002 teen drama Swimming Upstream. Savage made one episode guest appearances on the popular sitcoms Still Standing and Phil of the Future in 2005 before appearing in his first R-rated movie titled Palo Alto, CA in 2007. Savage would then have several more guest appearances on television shows in 2008 including Chuck and Without a Trace as well as Shake It Up and Bones in 2011.
Return to the Spotlight and Political Pursuits
Savage returned to the spotlight with 2014's Girl Meets World, which saw him reprise his iconic role as an all-grown-up Cory Matthews. In Girl Meets World, which ran for 72 episodes across 3 seasons on Disney Channel, both Savage and Topanga actor Danielle Fishel returned to play their well-known part. Girl Meets World featured the two high school sweethearts married with two children ten years after Boy Meets World ended. Savage starred in every episode of the series until it ended in 2017. He went on to appear in one episode of the critically acclaimed HBO series The Leftovers, two episodes of Criminal Minds, and one episode of Homeland.
While Savage was studying political science at Stanford in 2003, he reportedly interned for U.S. Senator Arlen Spector, who was a Republican representative of Pennsylvania. This was his last significant role in the world of politics until 2022, when Savage refocused his career away from entertainment and became a candidate for the West Hollywood City Council. Despite qualifying for the role, Savage was not elected. Most recently, Savage announced in March 2023 that he would be starting a campaign to become the Representative of California's 30th Congressional District, which includes Glendale, Burbank, West Hollywood, and parts of Pasadena and Echo Park.
Shift in Relationships and Future Prospects
Ben Savage reportedly cut ties with the Boy Meets World cast in 2020, which one Boy Meets World star called Savage out for and accused him of ghosting. Both Will Friedle and Danielle Fishel, who played Cory's older brother and girlfriend on the show, respectively, shared the same sentiments about Ben Savage not returning their calls or texts, making the lack of response feel deliberate. This came as a massive shock to both Friedle and Fishel, who have considered Savage a close friend ever since their days on Boy Meets World. The silence between them is made more painful by the fact that they've been in each other's lives since childhood.
Savage's recent shift into the world of politics might explain why he's less inclined to keep up with the Boy Meets World cast, especially considering how demanding a task it must be to run a successful political campaign and potentially become a member of Congress. If Savage's political pursuits do pan out, he will succeed the current Representative of California's 30th Congressional District Adam Schiff, who is planning to run for the U.S. Senate. Ben Savage's last onscreen appearance was for the 2022 Lifetime movie Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez and he currently has no upcoming projects in the entertainment world.
