William Daniels through the years: ‘Boy Meets World’ and more
A long career. Willem Daniels had been in the film and TV industry for decades when he met the beloved teacher Mr. Feeny started starring in the coming-of-age sitcom Boy meets world in 1993.
“Mr. Feeny’s appeal was due to the fact that he was a friend, a mentor and an advisor all in one,” Daniels wrote in his March 2017 memoir Here I Go Again: How I Know Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT and many others.
The New York native added that more than a decade after the series finale, he was still receiving mail “from (now adult) fans telling me how important the show and the role I played were to them in their early years.”
The effect Feeny had on the audience is something Daniels never saw coming; on the contrary, he initially turned down the role, fearing that it might be offensive to teachers.
“I asked for a meeting [with showrunner Michael Jacobs] because I turned it down and he wanted to know why, ‘the Captain Nice alum recalled during a July 2022 appearance on “Pod Meets World,” which is hosted by colleague Boy meets world alums Danielle Vissel, Rider Strong And Will Friedel. “I said, ‘Well, that’s a funny name and I don’t want to make fun of teachers. I respect them and they’re unpaid and all that.’ Then he told me what my role was based on, which was that he was a mentor to him when he was in high school.
He continued: “I was scared [Feeny] would be the butt of the joke [but then] I realized that the plot would be written with respect.”
Before his time on the hit ABC series, Daniels was a Broadway actor, appearing in productions, among others Living with father, 1776, A thousand clowns, On a clear day you can see foreverAnd A little night music. He made his film debut in 1963, playing school director Mr. Calkins starred in the docudrama Ladybug Ladybug. He subsequently appeared in films including The graduate (1967), Two for the road (1967) and the film version of 1776 (1972).
On the small screen the Adam’s Chronicles actor portrayed Dr. Mark Craig in the medical drama St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988, earning two Emmy awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the role. Daniels and his real wife, Bonnie Bartlettplayed a married couple in the series.
The pair – who met while both studying acting at Northwestern University – tied the knot in 1951. Bartlett gave birth to their first child, son William Jr., in 1961, but the newborn died just 24 hours later. The duo subsequently adopted sons Michael and Robert in 1964 and 1966.
During a December 2020 interview with Forbes, Bartlett said her husband’s parenting skills – as well as his playfulness – are among her favorite things about him.
“He makes me laugh. His sense of humor and his ability to find something funny every day is really good for me because I’m very intense. That and being a great dad. He’s a great dad,” she told the outlet.
Scroll on for a glimpse into Daniels’ life over the years:
