Adam Scott is finally at peace after awkward “Boy Meets World” encounter with Rider Strong: 'It's been squashed'

Adam Scott knows now that time doesn't heal all wounds. Sometimes you have to hash it out on a podcast.

Two years ago, the Parks and Recreation and Party Down star sat down with his old Boy Meets World costar, Rider Strong, for a friendly discussion of his time guest starring as the bully Griff Hawkins. But Scott had other plans for his appearance on the Pod Meets Worldpodcast: addressing 30-year-old unresolved feelings over an awkward encounter the two shared during production on the series' season 2 finale.

When asked in hindsight if he feels like he truly got closure, Scott jokes to Entertainment Weekly Editorial Director Gerrad Hall on a recent episode of EW'sAwardistpodcast, "No, we need to work it out."

AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_93ckr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_h3ckr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe

He clarifies, "No, absolutely. I mean, Rider Strong, who the awkward interaction was with, didn't even remember it. And I really, truly had been carrying it around for, it was like 30 years, because it was like 1994, '95. It's crazy."

Disney

Adam Scott on season 3 of 'Boy Meets World'

He then confirms, "I feel like we addressed it. I think it's been squashed."

During his Pod Meets World appearance, Scott confronted Strong over what went down on set.

"I don't know if you remember this, Rider. Literally, this has been tugging at me for 29 years. It was the season finale of season 2. The scene ends. Everyone just erupts and starts cheering," Scott recalled. He recalled then turning to Strong on set and exclaiming, "'Hey, congratulations buddy!' And I give you a high five and I go in and hug you, and as I do that, you push me off and you give me this look like, 'Wait a second. Who the [bleep] are you?' And then you run away."

AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_ajckr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_ijckr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe

Strong was shocked to hear this account of himself, wondering aloud, "Are you serious? Why would I do that?!" The two eventually patched things up, with Scott taking solace that the interaction barely registered in Strong's mind, and Strong apologizing in retrospect anyway.

Scott ruminates on The Awardist that "for so long and still, I get nervous" around highly-charged interactions with industry peers.

"I think the main advantage of people who grow up in show business, whatever, nepo babies... is that you grow up around show business... there's nothing particularly special or nerve-racking about it," he explains.

"That's really what I had to overcome," Scott says. "It took me 20 years to overcome. It's just being so freaked out being on a movie set or a TV set, because I was so excited about it, that I couldn't kind of calm down and just relax and not worry about all that other, all the accoutrements around you."

ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Rider Strong and Ben Savage on 'Boy Meets World'

Check out more from EW'sThe Awardist,featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, andour podcastdiving into all the highlights from the year's best films, TV, and music.

With three-decade-old unresolved feelings finally untangled and put to rest, Scott can finally focus on the work ahead, namely, campaigning for an Emmy after scoring his second nomination.

AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_cjckr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_kjckr8lb2mav5ubsddbH1_ iframe

Scott was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the 2025 Emmys, an award he'll vie for against the stiff competition of Sterling K. Brown(Paradise), Gary Oldman(Slow Horses),Pedro Pascal(The Last of Us), and his one-time ER costar, Noah Wyle(The Pitt).

Listen to Scott's full interview on The Awardist above.

The 77th Emmy Awards,hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, air Sunday, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly