Joe Francis:
Thanks for taking the time out for this interview, Rider. First up is the obligatory how did you start out in acting?

Rider Strong:
I started acting as a kid in northern California. My brother and I would make home movies constantly and do local plays. My first professional job was Gavroche in the San Francisco production of Les Miserables when I was 10. From there it was just a matter of time before Hollywood came calling. It took a bit of convincing, but my parents finally gave in and we went to LA for a few months to try Pilot season. I booked my first series a couple months later, a sitcom called Julie with Julie Andrews.

Joe Francis:
How hard was the transition from TV to film for you?

Rider Strong:
Not as hard as you might think. It really wasn't a conscious thing. When Boy Meets World ended I moved to New York and threw myself into college full time. Ironically, I think that decision was the best one I've made, career-wise. It gave me a break and allowed me to grow as a person...which is really what matters in acting -- how well you can communicate the breadth of your experiences.

Joe Francis:
How did you become involved with Cabin Fever, and can you dish on anything CB2 related?

Rider Strong:
Cabin Fever was really just a good meeting between me and Eli. I loved the script, and we got along great. I was in school so I was a little torn about taking time off, but when the offer came in it was only a few weeks after September 11th and I thought, "Well, maybe now's a good time to get out New York, anyway." So I went and loved every minute. I'm not giving anything away about CF2. :)

Joe Francis:
What type of projects do you love to do the most, horror, comedy, drama, WHAT MAN, WHAT?

Rider Strong:
I'm a little sick of horror right now (not watching, just doing). Comedy's the most fun in terms of working on a set -- everyone's just trying to get the most laughs. But drama is definitely where my hearts always been.

Joe Francis:
Do you have any plans in areas other than acting?

Rider Strong:
Yeah, my brother and I wrote and directed our first short. It's called Irish Twins. We'll be premiering it at Tribeca in April. We couldn't be more excited. And we'll get going on a feature soon, too, so I think that's the new direction. I'm also getting my MFA in fiction, so I'll be moving bit by bit into that realm.

Joe Francis:
How much is too much?

Rider Strong:
Wow. I'm not sure if you mean philosophically, existentially, in terms of horror films...or just in terms of my career...

In terms of horror films...I think horror gets boring when it's intentionally gratuitous. Picnic at Hanging Rock is one of my favorite horror films, same wth The Shining and Jacob's Ladder -- none of these movies need to do that much. Our brains are pretty good at coming up with their own stuff -- filmmakers don't need to show us everything.

As for me, being in 2 films that got picked for this years After Dark Horrorfest (which just came out on DVD) was a sure sign that maybe I've done a little too much horror. Actors can overstay their welcome if they do the same type of thing over and over. Just ask Will Ferrel.

7 seasons is JUST a bit too much to be doing one TV show. I totally understand why Seinfeld quit while he was ahead. The last two years of Boy Meets World I almost went crazy.

And in general in life...less is more.

Joe Francis:
My wife wanted to ask you "Will you marry me?", which is illegal if you agreed. Plus some states legally allow men to punch men who say yes in the face.

Rider Strong:
Then...no?

Joe Francis:
What do you consider a 'Killer Film'?

Rider Strong:
Anything that pushes boundaries. Like I said, not gratuitously, but artistically.



*Photo by Shiloh Strong