# Will Friedle
**Will Friedle** (born 1976) is an American actor, comedian, and voice actor known for playing Eric Matthews on the sitcom *Boy Meets World* and for voicing Terry McGinnis in *Batman Beyond*, Ron Stoppable in *Kim Possible*, and [Star-Lord](https://www.edgepedia.org/star-lord) in *Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0295115/) • [2](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621219472) His full name is William Allen Friedle.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0295115/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1976, Hartford, Connecticut; grew up in Avon, Connecticut, and attended Avon High School[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0295115/) |
| Breakout role | Eric Matthews, the older brother of Cory Matthews, on ABC's *Boy Meets World* (1993–2000)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0295115/) |
| First voice role | Terry McGinnis, the futuristic Batman of *Batman Beyond* (1999–2001), cast after an audition arranged because producer Bruce Timm's wife was a *Boy Meets World* fan[3](https://collectible506.com/2025/09/03/nycc-interview-how-will-friedle-became-batman-beyond-via-boy-meets-world/) |
| Signature voice roles | Ron Stoppable (*Kim Possible*), Terry McGinnis (*Batman Beyond*), Star-Lord (*Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy*), Lion-O (*ThunderCats*, 2011)[2](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621219472) • [4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/48581/will-friedle) |
| Video game work | Credited on 20 games, including *Kingdom Hearts II* (2005), *Rogue Galaxy* (2007, Jaster Rogue), *LEGO Marvel Super Heroes* (2013), and *DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power* (2021, Lex Luthor)[5](https://www.mobygames.com/person/158710/will-friedle/) |
| Podcasts | Co-host of *Pod Meets World* with Danielle Fishel and Rider Strong since June 2022; has also hosted *I Hear Voices* and *Magical Rewind*[6](https://www.aol.com/articles/danielle-fishel-admits-future-boy-182451000.html) • [2](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621219472) |
| Disney association | Disney's official D23 archive lists his television roles as Eric Matthews, Pete Troutner (*Go Fish*), Duncan Fletcher (*My Date with the President's Daughter*), and Griffelkin (*H-E-Double Hockey Sticks*), plus Ron Stoppable[7](https://d23.com/a-to-z/friedle-will/) |
## Early life and Boy Meets World
Friedle was born in [Hartford, Connecticut](https://www.edgepedia.org/hartford-connecticut), grew up in Avon, and attended Avon High School.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0295115/) As a comedian and actor, he became known for his starring role as Eric Matthews, the dim yet creative older brother of Cory Matthews ([Ben Savage](https://www.edgepedia.org/ben-savage)), on ABC's *Boy Meets World*, which ran from September 1993 until May 2000.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0295115/) Eric began as an image-obsessed teenager chasing girls and grew into comic relief as the series progressed; the character's shift toward comedy was made to accommodate Friedle's comedic abilities.[8](https://assets.website-files.com/67239ae80dc615e5ffac36fc/674f7b6b7dde3a82c801eaed_94487462909.pdf)
His live-action work in the same period included the sitcom *Go Fish* as Pete Troutner, the [Disney Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-channel) movie *My Date with the President's Daughter* as Duncan Fletcher, and *H-E-Double Hockey Sticks* as the devil's minion Griffelkin.[7](https://d23.com/a-to-z/friedle-will/) He also appeared in the films *[Trojan War](https://www.edgepedia.org/trojan-war-film)* and *Gold Diggers*.[2](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621219472) • [9](https://movies.radiofree.com/interviews/golddigg_will_friedle.shtml)
## Batman Beyond and the move to voice acting
**An accidental audition.** Friedle had never done voice-over work before *Batman Beyond*. The only reason he got the audition, he has said in interviews, was that [Bruce Timm](https://www.edgepedia.org/bruce-timm), the executive producer casting the role of Terry McGinnis, had a wife who was a *Boy Meets World* fan; she suggested bringing him in, and he won the part through a straight audition process.[3](https://collectible506.com/2025/09/03/nycc-interview-how-will-friedle-became-batman-beyond-via-boy-meets-world/) • [10](https://dcanimated.com/WF/bravebold/backstage/interviews/wffriedle.php) The series ran from 1999 to 2001, with Friedle voicing Terry McGinnis, the teenager who takes up the Batman mantle in a future Neo Gotham City under the mentorship of an older Bruce Wayne, played by [Kevin Conroy](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-conroy).[11](https://www.tvinsider.com/42932/will-friedle-disney-xd-guardians-of-the-galaxy-series/)
Conroy mentored Friedle early in his voice acting career, and Friedle's voice career took off after *Batman Beyond* with roles on shows including *Kim Possible*, *ThunderCats*, and *Transformers*.[12](https://www.thepopverse.com/tv-batman-beyond-will-friedle-kevin-conroy-mentoring-voice-acting) He has said he fell in love with voice work on *Batman Beyond* and came to treat it as his primary career rather than a fallback.[11](https://www.tvinsider.com/42932/will-friedle-disney-xd-guardians-of-the-galaxy-series/)
## Voice acting career
Friedle's best-known animated role after Terry McGinnis is Ron Stoppable, the sidekick on the Disney Channel hit *Kim Possible* (2002).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0295115/) He voiced Lion-O in the 2011 revival of *ThunderCats*, inheriting the role from the original series.[4](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/48581/will-friedle) • [13](https://www.ksitetv.com/thundercats/interview-with-thundercats-lion-o-will-friedle/7465/?amp=1) From 2018 he voiced Peter Quill, Star-Lord, in *Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy* on [Disney XD](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-xd), a role he described as inheriting the character from [Chris Pratt](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-pratt)'s live-action portrayal.[2](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621219472) • [11](https://www.tvinsider.com/42932/will-friedle-disney-xd-guardians-of-the-galaxy-series/)
**A rare villain.** In the 2022 crossover film *Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse*, Friedle voiced [Lex Luthor](https://www.edgepedia.org/lex-luthor) and Aquaman. He noted that in 25 years as a voice actor he could count on one hand, with fingers left over, the number of times someone had let him play a villain; he attributed this to the tenor of his voice, which lends itself to young heroes rather than heavy roles.[14](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1222152-interview-will-friedle-on-voicing-lex-luthor-aquaman-in-mayhem-in-the-multiverse) He also voiced [Kid Flash](https://www.edgepedia.org/kid-flash) on *Teen Titans Go!* and wrote several episodes of that series.[14](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1222152-interview-will-friedle-on-voicing-lex-luthor-aquaman-in-mayhem-in-the-multiverse)
His video game credits span two decades: *Kingdom Hearts II* (2005, Seifer), *Tony Hawk's American Wasteland* (2005), *Rogue Galaxy* (2007, Jaster Rogue), *Batman: The Brave and The Bold – The Videogame* (2010), *LEGO Marvel Super Heroes* (2013), and *DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power* (2021, Lex Luthor), among 20 credited games.[5](https://www.mobygames.com/person/158710/will-friedle/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0295115/)
## Anxiety and the pivot behind the microphone
Friedle has spoken publicly about living with an anxiety disorder that made on-camera work difficult. In a 2015 interview he explained that the anxiety was not the reason he entered voice-over work, which began by luck with *Batman Beyond*; by the time the anxiety hit, he was already working on *Batman Beyond* and *Kim Possible*, so he had another part of the business he loved just as much as on-camera acting. He said that if he returned to camera work, he would treat it as a secondary job with voiceover as his primary career.[11](https://www.tvinsider.com/42932/will-friedle-disney-xd-guardians-of-the-galaxy-series/) He did return to live action, reprising Eric Matthews on the Disney Channel sequel series *Girl Meets World*.[15](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/finding-out-about-girl-meets-world-not-fun-rider-strong-danielle-fishel-will-friedle)
## Podcasts and recent work
Since June 2022, Friedle has co-hosted *Pod Meets World*, a rewatch podcast covering *Boy Meets World* episode by episode with his former co-stars [Danielle Fishel](https://www.edgepedia.org/danielle-fishel) and [Rider Strong](https://www.edgepedia.org/rider-strong), mixing behind-the-scenes stories with modern analysis.[6](https://www.aol.com/articles/danielle-fishel-admits-future-boy-182451000.html) • [16](https://parade.com/tv/where-boy-meets-world-characters-are-now-danielle-fishel-will-friedle-rider-strong) The podcast ranks in the top 10 of the TV & Film category on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and the trio has expanded the project into a book, *Book Meets World*, written with Emily Longeretta and [Jensen Karp](https://www.edgepedia.org/jensen-karp), and a documentary, *Doc Meets World*, which premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Festival.[17](https://www.bgagency.it/images/pdf/editoria-anglosassone/Harlequin%202026%20Spring.pdf) • [18](https://entertainmentnow.com/dancing-with-the-stars/2026/07/boy-meets-world-book-tour/) He has also hosted the voice-acting interview podcast *I Hear Voices* with Christy Carlson Romano, his *Kim Possible* co-star, and the iHeartRadio podcast *Magical Rewind* with Sabrina Bryan, rewatching Disney Channel Original Movies.[19](https://www.tvinsider.com/1078140/christy-carlson-romano-will-friedle-kim-possible-i-hear-voices/) • [2](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621219472)
On the podcast, Friedle has been candid about the show's writing. He has said the writers never gave [Maitland Ward](https://www.edgepedia.org/maitland-ward)'s character Rachel material of her own, and that in season 6 Eric was left to dry as pure comic relief without a lasting love interest.[20](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/boy-meets-world-will-friedle-got-honest-maitland-ward-character)
## References
1. [Will Friedle, IMDb biography and credits](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0295115/)
2. [Will Friedle, Apple Snapshot profile](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621219472)
3. [Friedle Became Batman Beyond via Boy Meets World, C506 (NYCC interview)](https://collectible506.com/2025/09/03/nycc-interview-how-will-friedle-became-batman-beyond-via-boy-meets-world/)
4. [Will Friedle, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/48581/will-friedle)
5. [Will Friedle, MobyGames credits](https://www.mobygames.com/person/158710/will-friedle/)
6. [Danielle Fishel Admits Future of Boy Meets World Podcast Is 'in the Air', AOL](https://www.aol.com/articles/danielle-fishel-admits-future-boy-182451000.html)
7. [Friedle, Will, D23 Disney A to Z](https://d23.com/a-to-z/friedle-will/)
8. [Boy Meets World companion book excerpt](https://assets.website-files.com/67239ae80dc615e5ffac36fc/674f7b6b7dde3a82c801eaed_94487462909.pdf)
9. [Will Friedle, Gold Diggers interview, RadioFree.com](https://movies.radiofree.com/interviews/golddigg_will_friedle.shtml)
10. [Backstage interview, Will Friedle, DC Animated](https://dcanimated.com/WF/bravebold/backstage/interviews/wffriedle.php)
11. [Will Friedle on Inheriting Chris Pratt's Role in Disney XD's 'Galaxy' Series, and How He Dealt With Years of Anxiety, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/42932/will-friedle-disney-xd-guardians-of-the-galaxy-series/)
12. [How Kevin Conroy mentored Batman Beyond star Will Friedle, Popverse](https://www.thepopverse.com/tv-batman-beyond-will-friedle-kevin-conroy-mentoring-voice-acting)
13. [Interview With Thundercats' Lion-O: Will Friedle, KSiteTV](https://www.ksitetv.com/thundercats/interview-with-thundercats-lion-o-will-friedle/7465/?amp=1)
14. [Interview: Will Friedle Talks DC Super Hero Girls, Voicing Lex Luthor, ComingSoon.net](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1222152-interview-will-friedle-on-voicing-lex-luthor-aquaman-in-mayhem-in-the-multiverse)
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. [Boy Meets World Stars Reveal What Their Characters Would Be Doing Now, Parade](https://parade.com/tv/where-boy-meets-world-characters-are-now-danielle-fishel-will-friedle-rider-strong)
17. [Book Meets World, Harlequin Spring 2026 rights guide](https://www.bgagency.it/images/pdf/editoria-anglosassone/Harlequin%202026%20Spring.pdf)
18. ['Boy Meets World' Stars Announce 'Book Meets World' U.S. Tour, EntertainmentNow](https://entertainmentnow.com/dancing-with-the-stars/2026/07/boy-meets-world-book-tour/)
19. [Christy Carlson Romano & Will Friedle on a 'Kim Possible' Reboot, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1078140/christy-carlson-romano-will-friedle-kim-possible-i-hear-voices/)
20. [Boy Meets World's Will Friedle Got Honest About Maitland Ward's Character, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/boy-meets-world-will-friedle-got-honest-maitland-ward-character)
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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 Ev to F*
*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