- LOS ANGELES, CA (July 28, 2009) Rider Strong has signed on to play the lead in the upcoming film, Darkening Sky, and will also serve as a producer on the film. Darkening Sky is a riveting psychological thriller set against an intense science fiction and horror backdrop. When a troubled UFO skeptic finds his girlfriend has vanished, he is forced to confront an impossible reality that includes shape‐shifting extraterrestrials, implanted objects, organ harvesting and humans possessed by a malevolent alien presence unlike anything he has ever heard about... All while dealing with a growing suspicion that he is somehow the center of the aliens’ diabolical plan. Darkening Sky is based on an original screenplay by writer Victor Bornia who is also directing the feature film with Karly Young producing. Additional cast members include Charley Rossman and Ezra Buzzington. Filming is scheduled to begin August 16, 2009. For more information about Darkening Sky, visit darkeningsky.com or email info@darkeningsky.com.
- Rider really likes Star Wars and his favorite character is Han Solo
- Rider grew up in Sebastopol, California. The Strong family named their home Redwood Shire because the house is built on stilts and is situated in the midst of five acres of lush redwood forest.
- Rider also likes to read and work on computers. He got hooked on show business after he and Shiloh produced their own home movies, spinning tales of super heroes, detectives and ghosts.
- Rider has aspirations to direct for the big screen one day.
- Rider's brother, Shiloh, smokes, and he and his brother both know the dangers of smoking, and how hard it is to quit, because he has seen his brother try, so, that's one reason he joined non-smoking campaigns.
- Rider has an interest in his computer and is proficient with I.B.M. Computers.
- Rider co-directed an educational video called "Smokers and People Who Smell Them".
- One of Rider's college friends calls him "Ri-Guy", which he hates.
- Rider played soccer for six years when he was younger.
- Rider's cell phone began to ring in the middle of his audition for Cabin Fever.
- Irish Twins was filmed in Northern California, about fifteen miles from Rider's home in Sebastopol.
- Back in third grade, Rider wrote a play called "A Fish Story" (about a talking fish) and his class performed it in front of the whole school.
- Back in 2000, Rider and Ben Savage, his Boy Meets World co-star, took home the Kid's Choice Award for Favorite TV Friends.
- A while back, Rider had donated some money to support a wolf cub and the integration of wolves back into Yellowstone National Park.
- Rider supports Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. Rider has produced and starred commericals with his brother, Shiloh Strong, on the subject. The series of commerical's supporting Barack Obama are called "Catch Hope" and you can find these commericals on YouTube and also on television.
- When he was younger, Rider attended Nonesuch High School. In 2004, Rider attended Columbia University. And since 2007, Rider has been going to Bennington College.
- One of Rider's ex-girlfriends is Rachel Leigh Cook. Now, since 2006, Rider has been dating Alexandra Barreto.
- Rider's parents names are King and Lin Strong.
- Rider supports Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election.
- In 2008, Rider starred in the film Irish Twins in the role of Michael Sullivan with his brother, Shiloh Strong. Rider and Shiloh were the stars and actually directed Irish Twins. In 2008, Rider also starred in the film Doubting Thomas in the role of Mr. Randall.
- In 2004, he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Columbia University as an English major.
- Rider wrote a story for the book Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul.
- Rider originally disliked his Boy Meets World co-star Ben Savage, but he says that he "grew on him" after a few years.
- When Rider isn't working, he stays with his family in a redwood forest near the California coast.
- Just like his Boy Meets World character Shawn, Rider enjoys listening to the rock band Counting Crows.
- Rider says that even though Boy Meets World has been over for six years, he's recognized on the streets more today for his role as Shawn Hunter than he was when the show was still in production.
- In 1995, Rider and his brother wrote and produced a play entitled, Shades of Blue.
- Rider hopes to receive a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A) in Fiction while attending Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont.
- During the later years of Boy Meets World, Rider got his upper right ear pierced.
- Rider is a vegetarian.
- Rider was the only cast member to appear in every episode of Boy Meet World, other than Ben Savage
- His fears are spiders and answering the phone.
- His favorite candy is Smarties.
- Rider's favorite actor is Ethan Hawke
- Rider says that his favorite Boy Meets World episode is "Cory's Alternative Friends".
- Rider has two cats named Memphis and December.
- He enjoys backpacking, swimming, white-water rafting, soccer, rollerblading, writing, and reading poetry.
- In 1997, Rider was nominated for Best Supporting Young Actor Age Ten or Under at the Young Artists Awards.
- In 1994, Rider was nominated for Best Youth Comedian at the Young Artist's Award.
- In 2000, Rider and co-star Ben Savage were nominated for a Kids Choice Award for Favorite Television Friends.
- Rider appeared in a TV commercial for Old Spice Red Zone deodorant in 2004.
- Rider, with Boy Meets World co-star Danielle Fishel, made a rollerblading video called Grinder In Line In in 1993.
- Rider co-directed an educational video entitled "Smokers and the People Who Smell Them."
- Rider once donated money to support a wolf cub and the integration of wolves back into Yellowstone National Park.
- Rider is the brother of actor Shiloh Strong.
- Rider and his family formed a production company called Redwood Shire Productions.
- Rider's nickname is Tavock.
- Rider: Acting is my day job. Writing is my passion.
- Rider: Cabin Fever was like one or two takes at the most. So in that film we probably did six or seven takes of me getting puked on from different angles.
- Rider: By SAG law they had to have water tested. But it looked pretty disgusting. I was wearing a wetsuit underneath my clothes, but I didn't feel very protected.
- Rider: We were making this medieval movie within the movie. They had me train with a sword-fighting expert who had done Braveheart.
- Rider: Benefit of the Doubt was my first film. But I'm unrecognizable in that movie. I was so young.
- Rider: Actors are so often insulated from what they're supposed to be going through. It's always fake, especially with computer graphics.
- Rider: If I ever become a porn star, I won't have to change my name.
- Rider: I hate the term 'Hollywood kid' because to me, it means somebody who gets his self-image, his self-worth, from others telling him how great he is.
