We watched then-11-year-old Savage grow up as Cory Matthews. From first kisses to graduating high school, most of his character's big life moments were also milestones he was experiencing off-screen. "I had spent seven years on the series ... and so when [Mr. Feeny] said, 'Class dismissed,' it signified a lot. I knew as soon as they wrapped that [final scene], a few months later, I was off in college at Stanford, and it really signified the end of your childhood," he told Us Weekly.

While the actor reprised his iconic role in the 2014 spinoff, Girl Meets World, Savage seems ready to step away from his sitcom legacy. "At the end of our conversations, Ben said, 'I just don't think it's for me,'" Danielle Fishel told Us Weekly of her former costar declining to appear on her podcast about the show. "And we get it. So we're respecting his decision. And if he eventually wants to come on, we'll leave that door open."

In 2023, Savage announced plans to run for Congress, registering to run as a Democrat in California's 30th Congressional District.

As Topanga Lawrence, Fishel was the "it" girl of the '90s. Her on-screen romance with Savage's character, Cory, had fans swooning for seven seasons—but it almost never happened. At '90s Con in 2022, the actress revealed that her character was originally intended to appear on just one episode—but things changed after producers watched her performance. And good thing it did, because we can't imagine anyone else playing Cory's love interest.

Fishel starred alongside Savage in Girl Meets World, but her ties to the show haven't stopped there. In 2022, she launched Pod Meets World, a podcast she hosts with fellow costars Will Friedle and Rider Strong. Together, they break down each Boy Meets World episode, revealing behind-the-scenes secrets and memories from set.

"I think we jumped into the deep end a little sooner than we thought we were going to," she told TV Insider. "I think we thought the first few episodes would be fluffy and light for us. In some ways they were, and in other ways, some really deep stuff came out."

The actor was 17 when he was cast to play Cory Matthew's zany older brother—but he almost didn't get the part. After falling sick and missing his audition, producers chose another actor for the role—and that actor went on to film the pilot episode as Eric Matthews.

"He was the same size as Ben, and they knew Ben was going to grow and they wanted an older brother so they recast," he told Entertainment Tonight. "But I always tell people, if that actor was five inches taller, I'm not sitting here right now."

Friedle had no problem stepping into Eric's shoes years later for an episode of Girl Meets World. "It felt like coming home, it really did," he told Entertainment Weekly.

Co-hosting Pod Meets World has been another therapeutic experience for the actor. "The conversations may have evolved a bit as we've gotten older, but it would be disingenuous for us to sit here and talk about how much we loved Boy Meets World and then not delve into the stories that affected us," he told TV Insider.

As the bad boy of Boy Meets World, Strong's character, Shawn Hunter, was popular and rebellious. Strong's one issue with his role? "I hated my hair. I came to the audition with that hairstyle, got the part, and the director Michael Jacobs never let me cut it from there on out," he told Cosmopolitan.

Strong also appeared on (and directed some of) Girl Meets World, though he later shared why he believes it wasn't as big of a hit as the original. "We're on Disney Channel and they won't allow us to [go dramatic]. I think had Michael [Jacobs] had his way, Girl Meets World would have swung just as extreme [as Boy Meets World]," he said on Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show.

As for co-hosting Pod Meets World with Fishel and Friedle, the actor couldn't be happier. "The three of us trust each other," he told TV Insider.

We can all agree that the show wouldn't be the same without Mr. Feeny. He shaped the lives of the younger cast members—both on-screen and off. "When we were kids, goofing off and having a good time, he was very much a Feeny-like presence, even when the cameras weren't there, in terms of knowing his lines, being a complete professional, being on time," Strong told PEOPLE. "Those were things that we needed to see, and had to learn to emulate in order to be professionals in the industry."

In 2022, the actor celebrated his 95th birthday with his wife of over 70 years (and actress) Bonnie Bartlett by his side. "I'm very happy having a comfortable way of life now without having to perform or do anything stressful," Daniels told Forbes. "I don't do anything that I don't want to do."

And yes, he keeps in touch with his former costars. "He's still giving [advice]," Friedle told PEOPLE. "Ninety-five years old and he still shoots out the pearls of wisdom. His wife, Bonnie, as well. Talking to them is still magical."

You can't mention Mr. Feeny without also bringing up Mr. Jonathan Turner. Quinn's character was another teacher-turned-mentor for the young group—despite abruptly being written off the show in Season Four. "I was upset, a little bit, because I felt like they were really starting to tap into something that I thought was important," he told The Frack & Friends Show of the growing bond between his character and the young character of Shawn.

Quinn reprised his role for a three-episode arc on Girl Meets World. As for what happened to his character after he left the original show, he apparently married the nurse who helped him after his motorcycle accident and became a superintendent in New York—and he never stopped thinking of Shawn as a son.

Désert played Eli Williams, Mr. Turner's best friend and fellow teacher. Like Quinn, his character was also written off the show. "I thought that that was a real missed opportunity to have another teacher character and kind of give some of the adults an opportunity to have more adult interactions and people to talk to. And he's such a talent," Fishel told Us Weekly of the actor.

While he didn't appear on Girl Meets World, Désert's career is doing just fine. In fact, he went on to become a talented voice actor, lending his skills to animated hits, like The Simpsons, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and Spider-Man, to name a few.

Before she booked the role of the Matthews matriarch Amy, Randle had a recurring role on Home Improvement. "She is a solid actress who was always showing up and helping create an incredible set environment," Strong told TV Insider.

In recent years, the actress reprised her role for three episodes of Girl Meets World, and chatted with Fishel, Friedle, and Strong on Pod Meets World. "To connect with her and say, 'I was the same age you were when you were doing the show. I can see it from your point of view now,' it has been really nice," Strong told TV Insider.

Back then, he was the wholesome TV dad who was always ready to offer up a lesson or piece of advice. The actor actually turned down the role at first, though, fearing he just "didn't understand" sitcoms enough. They filmed the pilot without him, but creator Michael Jacobs "wouldn't let it go." After some convincing, he finally agreed to play Alan.

In 2022, Betsy Randle, who played Russ's wife, admitted to having a "huge crush" on him throughout filming. "We had such fun chemistry," she said on Pod Meets World.

Russ has booked plenty of acting gigs in the years since, even appearing on two episodes of Girl Meets World and as a guest on Pod Meets World.

The actress played the youngest Matthews sibling, Morgan. Two seasons in, however, Nicksay quit and was replaced with actress Lindsay Ridgeway. "It's a lot on your shoulders and she was 6 years old," explained Fishel. "I think eventually she just got to a point where she was like, 'This isn't as fun as you guys all think it is.'"

"I think there [were] some issues that had to do with growing up," her TV dad Russ added. "I'm not sure she was very happy at the time."

"I feel like I have a foot in both worlds, kind of," Gibson once told Good Morning America, according to The List. "I'm a part of the show but also an audience member." She reprised her childhood role on Girl Meets World as Aunt Morgan.

Ridgeway joined the cast in Season Three, after replacing Nicksay as Morgan. "They needed to bring the character back, because it was a whole other dynamic of the show and a whole other audience of the show," Friedle shared.

The actress also returned as Morgan on Girl Meets World, alongside Gibson. (According to Entertainment Weekly, "... rather than leave one out, the Girl Meets World finale saw it fit to [feature] two aunts for the price of one with the help of a highly technical special effect known as the 'tag out.'") Ridgeway is also a talented singer and has performed the National Anthem at several professional league sports games through the years.

Lawrence joined the show in season five as Eric's college roommate and Shawn's half-brother, Jack Hunter. He had a blast filming the show, recalling a funny tradition that started once Fishel started dating N*SYNC's Lance Bass.

"We had a dance-off every Friday night ... N*SYNC would come to our show [and] the boys would do 'I Want It That Way' in front of the audience just to zing it to N*SYNC," Lawrence said on the Pretty Messed Up podcast. "It became a thing!"

After returning as Jack Hunter for one episode of Girl Meets World, the actor posted a behind-the-scenes snap on Instagram. "This is what boy meets world was all about for me! So surreal to do it again 15 years later. And nothing has changed!" he wrote.

And in some personal news, he announced his romance with TLC singer Chili, following his 2022 divorce from Dancing with the Stars pro Cheryl Burke.

While playing Jack and Eric's roommate, Rachel McGuire, Ward had a hard time with some of the storylines. "It was eye-opening to me how much sexual innuendo was [placed] on my character ... I didn't like [what Rachel became]. My character really had nothing to do except be bitchy, snarky or sexy," she told Us Weekly.

Since quitting acting, Ward has become an adult film star. In 2022, she released a memoir titled Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood. "I know that I have a story that nobody else has," she told Us Weekly. "I really wanted to tell my story and I really think it would be empowering to everyone — especially women who have been told no so much in their lives."

Angela Moore was a huge part of the later seasons of the show, playing both Shawn's girlfriend and Topanga's best friend. That's why it baffled viewers when McGee was the only cast regular to be missing from the 2000 series finale. "I was told, in kind of a weird, off-handed way by a very important person, that you guys all went to [showrunner] Michael Jacobs, and you said, 'We don't want her in the last episode. She's somehow taking our light.' [That] was the gist of it," she told Friedle, Fishel, and Strong on Pod Meets World.

The three of them were appalled to learn what happened and denied saying those things. To which McGee replied: "I believe you. I can tell by your reactions. I have had that in my head for so long, and I've never watched that show. That hurt me a long time."

McGee and her costars worked through more difficult conversations on the 2022 podcast episode. McGee revealed the racism she faced as the only Black main cast member, including the time a producer allegedly once asked her to "turn down" her "Black meter." She also touched on an offensive comment Friedle made to her off-screen, and how she had to explain its significance to him.

"You were like, 'that was not OK.' And I was like, 'what?'" Friedle said. "I had no idea what you were talking about. You went, 'Referring to me as Aunt Jemima.' I was like, 'I assumed that was like you calling me the Jolly Green Giant.' And you're like, 'No. No that's not the same thing at all.' You explained to me – you never use the time as an excuse, but in the mid-90s, I had no idea the cultural significance of the Aunt Jemima character."

"It literally changed my life," Friedle added. "That moment was the moment where I was like, you can't just say stuff. You can't throw stuff out there, because you think it's funny and walk away. You could be hurting people."

Who could forget Stuart Minkus, the resident kid genius from the early seasons? Norris had previously worked with showrunner Michael Jacobs on the 1991 sitcom The Torkelsons, so getting the part of Minkus was easier than he expected. "That's the dream as an actor, [to] not have to audition," he said on Pod Meets World.

While fans might recognize Norris for his roles on One Tree Hill and The Walking Dead, it was really Boy Meets World that first put him on the map. He returned as Minkus for Girl Meets World, where it was revealed that his character is now a super-wealthy CEO of his own company.

Despite having a short arc, Scott's Griff Hawkins was the character everyone loved to hate. "One of my first jobs was Boy Meets World. Three episodes, and I get asked about it everyday," he joked to GQ.

In the years since playing the school bully, Scott booked leading roles on hit shows, like Parks and Recreation and Severance. Despite his success, he's held onto one embarrassing off-camera moment from Boy Meets World. "I go in and hug you," the actor recalled to Strong on Pod Meets World, "and as I do that, you push me off, and you give me this look like, 'Wait a second, who the f*** are you?' And then you run away." Strong didn't recall the interaction, and the two laughed it off, with Scott adding, "Literally this has been tugging at me for 29 years."

Suplee has explained how the role of Frankie Stechino helped him overcome childhood insecurities. "It suddenly became okay to be overweight. There was no wrongness in that in embodying that character," he said on Pod Meets World.

Boy Meets World continues to hold a special place in the actor's heart. On Pod Meets World, he revealed a time when fans approached him in front of his family. "It was truly the first time I felt my father was really proud of me. It was really profoundly meaningful, you know. It was a massive big deal because all [these bad feelings] I carried inside about myself evaporated in that moment. It was really awesome. It was a big deal. The show touched a lot of people," he shared.

Marsden played Eric's best friend for the first two seasons. He became close with the cast and continued to hang out with them on set even after he was written off the show. As for why his character's arc ended, he still isn't quite sure. On Pod Meets World, the actor guessed that either his agent asked the network for more money or that the new producers who were hired in Season 3 simply didn't like him.

Despite Marsden's successful career, most notably as a voice actor, he hasn't forgotten a certain Boy Meets World memory all these years later. "What really hurt the most was when they brought back everybody for the final episode and did little cameos except for me. And how do I know? Because I was there watching it live. It would've been nice [to be asked back], but it was fine," he shared on Pod Meets World.

Clark had one of the more complicated storylines as Chet Hunter, Shawn and Jack's estranged father. Just as he was about to rebuild his relationship with his sons, he (spoiler alert) passed away—leading to one of the most emotional episodes of the entire show.

The actor returned for an episode of Girl Meets World, but his work goes far beyond that. He's starred in hits, like 50 First Dates, Toy Story 3, and Hubie Halloween.

As Strong told PEOPLE, Chet and Shawn's storyline developed over the course of the show. "In the first season, Shawn's poverty was kind of a joke — the fact that he didn't come from a stable, perfect family life [like] Cory," he said. "And then, as the show developed, they really leaned into that and made it more a central part of the show that Shawn is a troubled kid and he needs help — he needs support, and friends to kind of parent him."

A few years after playing school bully "Joey the Rat," Soper quit acting to focus on his health. "During my time as an actor, I think I was struggling with some substance stuff. That stuff came to a head, let's say, and... Well, f*** it. I almost died," he revealed on Pod Meets World.

The former actor, who now goes by Blake Sennett, has since put all of his efforts into music. He's performed on stages around the world, as part of several bands, including Rilo Kiley, The Elected, and Night Terrors of 1927.