# Ben Savage
**Ben Savage** (Bennett Joseph Savage; born 1980 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actor best known for playing Cory Matthews on the ABC sitcom *Boy Meets World* from 1993 to 2000, and later a Democratic candidate for public office in California[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005399/bio/) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/6b08ccc4a25f39c6cba562fb0b35da13). He is the younger brother of actor [Fred Savage](https://www.edgepedia.org/fred-savage), star of *The Wonder Years*[3](https://www.biographybase.com/biography/Savage_Ben.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name, birth | Bennett Joseph Savage, born 1980 in Chicago, Illinois[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005399/bio/) |
| Signature role | Cory Matthews on *Boy Meets World* (ABC), seven seasons, 1993–2000[2](https://apnews.com/article/6b08ccc4a25f39c6cba562fb0b35da13) |
| Sequel series | Reprised Cory in *Girl Meets World* (Disney Channel), three seasons, 2014–2017[4](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/boy-meets-world-alum-ben-savages-life-out-of-the-spotlight/) |
| Education | Stanford University, B.A. in political science, 2004; interned for Senator Arlen Specter in 2003[5](https://abcnews.com/Politics/actor-ben-savage-running-congress-succeed-california-rep/story?id=97663960) |
| Political races | West Hollywood City Council 2022 (about 6% of the vote); U.S. House, California's 30th District, 2024 primary (4.0% of the vote)[2](https://apnews.com/article/6b08ccc4a25f39c6cba562fb0b35da13) • [6](https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2024-primary/sov/complete-sov-updated.pdf) |
| 2024 campaign finance | Total receipts of $1,374,520.54, including $250,000 in candidate contributions and $1,077,000 in candidate loans[7](https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/H4CA30164/?cycle=2024&election_full=false) |
| Recent acting | Last screen role in the 2022 Lifetime TV movie *Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez*[4](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/boy-meets-world-alum-ben-savages-life-out-of-the-spotlight/) |
| Family | Married to Tessa Angermeier; father of a young daughter[8](https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/bernadette-giacomazzo/ben-savage-boy-meets-world-response) |
## Early career and Boy Meets World
Savage began acting as a child, following his older brother Fred into the profession with roles in the sitcom *Dear John* (NBC, 1988–1992), the ABC miniseries *[Wild Palms](https://www.edgepedia.org/wild-palms)* (1993), and the film *Big Girls Don't Cry They Get Even* (1992)[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ben_savage). In *Wild Palms* he played Coty Wyckoff, described in a Los Angeles Times profile as a boy with the soul of a killer, a turn that impressed the producers who developed *Boy Meets World* as a project for him[10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-24-tv-49647-story.html).
**Boy Meets World.** The sitcom premiered on ABC in 1993 with Savage as Cory Matthews, an eleven-year-old navigating school, family, and friendships under the influence of his teacher and neighbor George Feeny, played by [William Daniels](https://www.edgepedia.org/william-daniels)[10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-24-tv-49647-story.html) • [11](https://as.com/meristation/series/vuelve-a-la-luz-la-escena-mas-escabrosa-de-yo-y-el-mundo-con-jennifer-love-hewitt-no-pense-que-llegaramos-tan-lejos-n/). Over seven seasons the series followed Cory from awkward sixth grader to a college student married to his high-school sweetheart, Topanga, played by [Danielle Fishel](https://www.edgepedia.org/danielle-fishel)[2](https://apnews.com/article/6b08ccc4a25f39c6cba562fb0b35da13). The show ran for 158 episodes and became a cornerstone of 1990s pop culture for the generation that grew up alongside its cast[12](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/boy-meets-world-cast-talks-25th-anniversary-the-surprising-impact-of-social-media) • [9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ben_savage). While filming, Savage was tutored three hours a day on set; his family required that his education take priority over television work[10](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-24-tv-49647-story.html).
## After the series: Stanford and guest roles
After *Boy Meets World* ended in 2000, Savage enrolled at Stanford University and graduated in 2004 with a degree in political science, interning for Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, then a Republican, in 2003[5](https://abcnews.com/Politics/actor-ben-savage-running-congress-succeed-california-rep/story?id=97663960). He then took a three-year break from acting before returning with guest appearances on shows including *Still Standing*, *Chuck*, *Without a Trace*, and *Bones*, and roles in independent films such as *Car Babes* (2006) and *Palo Alto* (2007)[13](https://girlmeetsworld.fandom.com/wiki/Ben_Savage). His *Girl Meets World* co-stars later said his most prominent film work of this period included the acclaimed independent features *Car Babes* and *Palo Alto, CA*[14](https://www.slashfilm.com/1992157/boy-meets-world-cast-now/).
## Girl Meets World
In November 2012, Savage announced on Twitter that he had signed on to *Girl Meets World*, a sequel series following Cory and Topanga's thirteen-year-old daughter Riley[13](https://girlmeetsworld.fandom.com/wiki/Ben_Savage) • [9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ben_savage). The [Disney Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-channel) series aired for three seasons from 2014 to 2017, with Savage and Fishel leading a new cast that included [Rowan Blanchard](https://www.edgepedia.org/rowan-blanchard) as Riley and [Sabrina Carpenter](https://www.edgepedia.org/sabrina-carpenter) as Maya[4](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/boy-meets-world-alum-ben-savages-life-out-of-the-spotlight/) • [15](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/finding-out-about-girl-meets-world-not-fun-rider-strong-danielle-fishel-will-friedle). In it, Cory works as a teacher and Topanga as a lawyer, living in New York with their two children[15](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/finding-out-about-girl-meets-world-not-fun-rider-strong-danielle-fishel-will-friedle).
Savage told TIME in 2014 that he saw the new show as aimed at a new generation rather than a continuation for the original audience, and that Cory remained the same "neurotic old man" viewers knew, a character he described as having settled into his preferences from childhood[16](https://time.com/2928603/girl-meets-world-an-interview-with-star-ben-savage/). Original cast members including [Rider Strong](https://www.edgepedia.org/rider-strong) and [Will Friedle](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-friedle) reprised their roles in guest appearances[15](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/finding-out-about-girl-meets-world-not-fun-rider-strong-danielle-fishel-will-friedle).
## Later acting and shift away from the screen
Savage has never announced an official break from acting, but his most recent role was in the 2022 Lifetime true-crime movie *Girl in the Shed: The Kidnapping of Abby Hernandez*, in which he played kidnapper Nathaniel Kibby[4](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/boy-meets-world-alum-ben-savages-life-out-of-the-spotlight/) • [17](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ben-savage-boy-meets-world-congress-adam-schiff/). His last two roles were in television movies in 2020 and 2022, and he appeared in an episode of *Homeland* in 2020[18](https://www.tvinsider.com/1221509/where-is-ben-savage-now-danielle-fishel-relationship-boy-meets-world/). In a 2022 interview with [Us Weekly](https://www.edgepedia.org/us-weekly) he said he would "never say never" to reviving the *Boy Meets World* franchise again[4](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/boy-meets-world-alum-ben-savages-life-out-of-the-spotlight/).
## Political career
Savage entered electoral politics in 2022, running for a seat on the West Hollywood City Council on a platform of community safety, housing, and homelessness; he received about 6% of the vote and did not win one of the three open positions[2](https://apnews.com/article/6b08ccc4a25f39c6cba562fb0b35da13) • [5](https://abcnews.com/Politics/actor-ben-savage-running-congress-succeed-california-rep/story?id=97663960).
**Congressional campaign.** In January 2023 he filed paperwork with the [Federal Election Commission](https://www.edgepedia.org/federal-election-commission) to run as a Democrat for California's 30th Congressional District, the seat held by [Adam Schiff](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-schiff), who was running for Senate[19](https://www.axios.com/2023/03/07/boy-meets-world-ben-savage-adam-schiff-senate-seat). Announcing the campaign on Instagram in March 2023, he wrote that "it's time to restore faith in government" and that voters wanted leaders "unhindered by political divisions and special interests"[2](https://apnews.com/article/6b08ccc4a25f39c6cba562fb0b35da13). His stated priorities included safer streets, homelessness and affordable housing, more intensive police training, codifying *Roe v. Wade*, universal pre-K, and opposing offshore drilling[2](https://apnews.com/article/6b08ccc4a25f39c6cba562fb0b35da13) • [17](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ben-savage-boy-meets-world-congress-adam-schiff/).
The heavily Democratic 30th District, covering parts of Los Angeles including Hollywood, Silver Lake, and Echo Park as well as Pasadena, Glendale, and West Hollywood, drew a crowded field that included former Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer and state Assemblywoman Laura Friedman[2](https://apnews.com/article/6b08ccc4a25f39c6cba562fb0b35da13). Savage largely ran on his life experience rather than his acting career, pointing to work as an actor since elementary school, his political science degree, his [Capitol Hill](https://www.edgepedia.org/capitol-hill) internship, and longtime residence in the district[20](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-04-03/ben-savage-california-celebrity-schiff-schwarzenegger-trump-reagan). His campaign committee reported total receipts of $1,374,520.54 for 2023–2024, of which $250,000 came from the candidate himself and $1,077,000 from candidate loans; individual contributions totaled $46,885.54[7](https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/H4CA30164/?cycle=2024&election_full=false).
In the March 5, 2024 primary, Savage received 4.0% of the district vote (6,147 votes in the [Los Angeles County](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-county) results), far behind the top two finishers; Friedman went on to win the seat[6](https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2024-primary/sov/complete-sov-updated.pdf) • [21](https://apnews.com/article/f0bebdd4b16f4cc19b6ded33a09eff3c).
## Estrangement from the Boy Meets World cast
Savage has been publicly estranged from his former co-stars Fishel, Strong, and Friedle, who have hosted the rewatch podcast *Pod Meets World* since 2022 without him[18](https://www.tvinsider.com/1221509/where-is-ben-savage-now-danielle-fishel-relationship-boy-meets-world/). Fishel said in 2022 that Savage declined to join the podcast because he was not sure it was "his thing"[22](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/rundown-what-boy-meets-world-cast-said-about-ben-savage-estrangement). According to a text thread Friedle showed in the 2026 documentary *Doc Meets World*, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 6, 2026, Savage abruptly stopped answering Friedle's messages in April 2020[18](https://www.tvinsider.com/1221509/where-is-ben-savage-now-danielle-fishel-relationship-boy-meets-world/). Savage has not publicly commented on the falling-out[18](https://www.tvinsider.com/1221509/where-is-ben-savage-now-danielle-fishel-relationship-boy-meets-world/).
## Personal life
Savage announced his engagement to Tessa Angermeier in January 2023, and the two married; a June 2026 Instagram post showed him with his wife and their seven-month-old daughter, captioned "Good company"[5](https://abcnews.com/Politics/actor-ben-savage-running-congress-succeed-california-rep/story?id=97663960) • [8](https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/bernadette-giacomazzo/ben-savage-boy-meets-world-response). His campaign website states that he works in entertainment producing and developing inspirational stories and is involved in advancing medical innovations, particularly cancer research, a disease that took the lives of both his grandfather and his father[18](https://www.tvinsider.com/1221509/where-is-ben-savage-now-danielle-fishel-relationship-boy-meets-world/).
## References
1. [Ben Savage – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005399/bio/)
2. ['Boy Meets World' star Ben Savage enters US House race in LA, Associated Press (March 7, 2023)](https://apnews.com/article/6b08ccc4a25f39c6cba562fb0b35da13)
3. [Ben Savage Biography, BiographyBase](https://www.biographybase.com/biography/Savage_Ben.html)
4. ['Boy Meets World' Alum Ben Savage's Life Out of the Spotlight, Us Weekly (June 4, 2026)](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/boy-meets-world-alum-ben-savages-life-out-of-the-spotlight/)
5. [Actor Ben Savage is running for Congress to succeed California Rep. Adam Schiff, ABC News (March 2023)](https://abcnews.com/Politics/actor-ben-savage-running-congress-succeed-california-rep/story?id=97663960)
6. [Complete Statement of Vote, March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary Election, California Secretary of State](https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2024-primary/sov/complete-sov-updated.pdf)
7. [SAVAGE, BEN – Candidate overview, Federal Election Commission](https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/H4CA30164/?cycle=2024&election_full=false)
8. [Ben Savage Shares Cryptic 'Good Company' Post Amid 'Boy Meets World' Estrangement, Complex (June 18, 2026)](https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/bernadette-giacomazzo/ben-savage-boy-meets-world-response)
9. [Ben Savage Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ben_savage)
10. [With an Eye On: Boy (Ben Savage) meets sitcom 'World', Los Angeles Times (April 24, 1994)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-24-tv-49647-story.html)
11. [Vuelve a la luz la escena más escabrosa de 'Yo y el mundo', AS (November 5, 2024)](https://as.com/meristation/series/vuelve-a-la-luz-la-escena-mas-escabrosa-de-yo-y-el-mundo-con-jennifer-love-hewitt-no-pense-que-llegaramos-tan-lejos-n/)
12. ['Boy Meets World' cast talks 25th anniversary, Fox News (2018)](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/boy-meets-world-cast-talks-25th-anniversary-the-surprising-impact-of-social-media)
13. [Ben Savage, Girl Meets World Wiki (Fandom)](https://girlmeetsworld.fandom.com/wiki/Ben_Savage)
14. [Where the Cast of Boy Meets World Is Now, SlashFilm](https://www.slashfilm.com/1992157/boy-meets-world-cast-now/)
15. [Why Finding Out About Girl Meets World 'Was Not Fun' For Rider Strong, Danielle Fishel And More, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/finding-out-about-girl-meets-world-not-fun-rider-strong-danielle-fishel-will-friedle)
16. [Girl Meets World: An Interview With Star Ben Savage, TIME (June 27, 2014)](https://time.com/2928603/girl-meets-world-an-interview-with-star-ben-savage/)
17. ['Boy Meets World' star Ben Savage is running to take Adam Schiff's House seat, CBS News (March 2023)](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ben-savage-boy-meets-world-congress-adam-schiff/)
18. [Where Is Ben Savage Now? 'Boy Meets World' Star's Relationship With Danielle Fishel and More, TV Insider (June 30, 2026)](https://www.tvinsider.com/1221509/where-is-ben-savage-now-danielle-fishel-relationship-boy-meets-world/)
19. ['Boy Meets World' actor Ben Savage running for Congress, Axios (March 7, 2023)](https://www.axios.com/2023/03/07/boy-meets-world-ben-savage-adam-schiff-senate-seat)
20. [Ben Savage's campaign for Congress tests celebrity power in American politics, Los Angeles Times (April 3, 2023)](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-04-03/ben-savage-california-celebrity-schiff-schwarzenegger-trump-reagan)
21. [AP Race Call: Democrat Laura Friedman wins election to U.S. House in California's 30th Congressional District, Associated Press (November 6, 2024)](https://apnews.com/article/f0bebdd4b16f4cc19b6ded33a09eff3c)
22. [Running Down What The Boy Meets World Cast Has Said About The Ben Savage Estrangement, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/rundown-what-boy-meets-world-cast-said-about-ben-savage-estrangement)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Ro to Sa*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license