"Boy Meets World" Actor Trina McGee Was Told Her Castmates Didn't Want Her In The Series Finale And She Let Her "Black Meter" Slip Up
“This is some ground we have not covered." Trina McGee reveals more to her former Boy Meets World castmates about the racism she experienced while on the show.
It's hard to forget the '90s-favorite friend group from Boy Meets World, especially Trina McGee as Angela, Topanga's best friend, and Shawn's love interest.
No joke, they were friendship goals to the max:
Sure, they all appeared to get along onscreen, but Trina disclosed more details about the racism she dealt with behind the scenes.
If you remember, a few years ago, Trina revealed that she experienced racism on Boy Meets World when her costar Will Friedle called her "Aunt Jemima."
Now, in an episode of Pod Meets World, Trina revealed to her former costars why she wasn't part of the series finale.
“This is some ground we have not covered. I was told, in kind of a weird, offhanded way by a very important person, that you guys all went to [showrunner] Michael Jacobs, and you said, ‘We don’t want her in the last episode. She’s somehow taking our light.’ [That] was the gist of it.”
Cohosts Rider Strong, Danielle Fishel, and Will were stunned over the revelation.
“I remember after we taped the show, I had said to a person, ‘Why aren’t we on the last show?’ Because I know the last show was going to be the one with the ratings and the crying and all the stuff. I was under the impression that y’all got together and did not want me in the last show — for some reason I was going to take some shine, or something to that effect," Trina continued.
“That was really hurtful to me for a long time. To make it worse, people of color tend to look into things a little harder sometimes. So I had cousins calling me, saying, ‘How come you weren’t in the last episode?'"
Will quickly responded, “Can we say for the record, Trina, that never happened." Danielle jumped in, "Swear on my children — on the lives of my children."
Trina warmly received the words of her former costars, saying, “I believe you. I can tell by your reactions. I have had that in my head for so long, and I’ve never watched that show. I’ve always felt like, ugh… That hurt me a long time."
While the former cast members mended their relationship, Trina spoke more about what it was like for her as the only Black actor on Boy Meets World.
Trina said she was told by the producer to tone down her "Blackness."
“Coming from Black sitcoms, I always had to have, like, a Black meter. … My Black meter was probably down to a 2. I remember when I was doing ‘Angela’s Ashes’ episode, somehow my Black meter had slipped up and I was at about a 9. Michael came over to me and his note was, ‘Hey, Trina, just turn down the Telma Hopkins about eight notches.'”
“I knew exactly what he was talking about, and I did. … There are so many things you guys are so lucky you didn’t have to think about.”
