| “ | Riley, I've already met the world. Now it's your turn. | ” |
—Cory to Riley in Girl Meets World
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| “ | Marly: Do good? Don't you mean do well? Cory: You know what the funny thing is about history, Miss Evans? It repeats. I mean do good. [looks at the board, which has Dream. Try. Do good. on a banner]. That wlll always be my lesson plan. |
” |
—Cory to his class in Girl Meets High School (Part 2).
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| “ | ... I have spent my entire life meeting the world, and I know something about it.. | ” |
—Cory to Riley in Girl Meets the Real World
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Cornelius "Cory" A. Matthews is the deuteragonist on Girl Meets World. Cory is the father of Riley and Auggie, and is the husband of Topanga. He is a history teacher at Abigail Adams High School, and he teaches Riley, Maya Hart, Farkle Minkus, Lucas Friar, Zay Babineaux and Isadora Smackle. Cory was the protagonist and title character in Boy Meets World.
Cory is portrayed by Ben Savage.
Personality
As in Boy Meets World, Cory is quirky, witty and occasionally high-strung, and while he remains a loving husband to his wife Topanga, he has become an excellent father for his two children, Riley and Auggie.
In the interim between the two series, Cory has become an exceptional teacher and life coach, particularly to Maya, who due to her rough childhood was initially not one of his better students but improves significantly by the series' end; Maya has proclaimed on multiple occasions that Cory is "the best teacher there is".
Relationships
Family
- Main article: The Matthews Family
Riley Matthews
- Main article: Riley Matthews
- See also: Cory and Riley
Riley is Cory's daughter. He is very protective of her, shown in "Girl Meets World," when he senses her crush on Lucas and tries to separate them. He is also close to her, showing his disappointment when Riley did not want to ride the Coney Island roller coaster with him and go to the dance instead.
Auggie Matthews
- Main article: Auggie Matthews
- See also: Auggie and Cory
Auggie is Cory's son and youngest child. Auggie and Cory love each other very much and this is shown several times.
Alan Matthews
- Main article: Alan Matthews
Alan is Cory's father.
Amy Matthews
- Main article: Amy Matthews
Amy is Cory's mother.
Eric Matthews
- Main article: Eric Matthews
- See also: Cory and Eric
Eric Matthews is Cory's older brother.
Eric was Cory's best man at his wedding.
Morgan Matthews
Morgan Matthews is Cory's younger sister.
Morgan was a bridesmaid at Cory's wedding.
Joshua Matthews
- Main article: Joshua Matthews
- See also: Cory and Josh
Joshua Matthews is Cory's younger brother by nineteen years.
Jedidiah Lawrence
Jedidiah is Cory's father-in-law.
Rhiannon Lawrence
Rhiannon is Cory's mother-in-law.
Romances
Topanga Matthews
- Main article: Topanga Matthews
- See also: Cory and Topanga
Topanga is Cory's wife and childhood friend. They were married November 5, 1999 in the season 7 episode, "It's About Time," in Boy Meets World.
Friends
Shawn Hunter
- Main article: Shawn Hunter
- See also: Cory and Shawn
Shawn is Cory's childhood friend and best friend.
George Feeny
- Main article: George Feeny
Mr. Feeny is Cory's former teacher, mentor, neighbor, and friend. He seems to be the only one of his friends who knows his real name is Cornelius, as seen in the Boy Meets World episode "Brave New World."
Angela Moore
- Main article: Angela Moore
Angela is Cory's friend from high school and college.
Jack Hunter
Jack is Cory's friend from college. Jack was a bachelor at Cory's wedding.
Rachel McGuire
Rachel is Cory's friend from college.
Stuart Minkus
- Main article: Stuart Minkus
- See also: Cory and Stuart
Minkus is Cory's friend from Jefferson Elementary School.
Harley Keiner
- Main article: Harley Keiner
- See also: Cory and Harley
Harley was Cory's high school tormentor, who eventually became a friend. He is a John Quincy Adams Middle School janitor, thanks to Cory's help.
Students
Maya Hart
- Main article: Maya Hart
- See also: Cory and Maya
Maya is one of Cory's history students and his daughter's best friend. He gave her a smartphone and art supplies, since she didn't have either before, and because she has a talent in drawing. Cory depends on Maya to look after Riley and knows she'll always be there for her.
Farkle Minkus
- Main article: Farkle Minkus
- See also: Cory and Farkle
Farkle is one of Cory's students and his daughter's friend. He gets along very well with Farkle and sometimes lets him take over the class. Farkle is the son of his friend Stuart Minkus.
Lucas Friar
- Main article: Lucas Friar
Lucas is one of Cory's students and he thinks quite highly of him at first. But due to Cory protectiveness for his daughter he seems to dislike Lucas mainly for that reason, although he is a very polite and smart student, but in the end he still seems to respect him.
Zay Babineaux
- Main article: Zay Babineaux
Zay is one of Cory's students.
Sarah Carpenter
- Main article: Sarah
Sarah is one of Cory's students.
Darby Walker
- Main article: Darby
Darby is one of Cory's students.
Yogi
- Main article: Yogi
Yogi is one of Cory's students.
Dave
- Main article: Dave
Dave is one of Cory's students.
Jade
- Main article: Jade
Jade is one of Cory's students.
Wyatt
- Main article: Wyatt
Wyatt is one of Cory's students.
Jeffrey
- Main article: Jeffrey
Jeffrey is one of Cory's students.
Clarissa
- Main article: Clarissa
Clarissa is one of Cory's students.
Nigel
- Main article: Nigel
Nigel is one of Cory's students.
Yindra
- Main article: Yindra
Yindra is one of Cory's newer students.
Haley
- Main article: Haley
Haley was one of Cory's students.
Academic Halves
- Main article: Academic Halves
The Academic Halves, Top Half and Bottom Half, are a pair Cory's students.
Billy Ross
- Main article: Billy Ross
Billy is one of Cory's students.
Missy Bradford
- Main article: Missy Bradford
Missy Bradford is one of Cory's students.
Myzell
- Main article: Myzell
Myzell is one of Cory's students (she told him her goldfish died).
Brenda
- Main article: Brenda
Brenda (also known as Back-of-the-class-Brenda) is one of Cory's students.
Appearances
Season One
- Girl Meets World
- Girl Meets Boy
- Girl Meets Sneak Attack
- Girl Meets Father
- Girl Meets the Truth
- Girl Meets Popular
- Girl Meets Maya's Mother
- Girl Meets Smackle
- Girl Meets 1961
- Girl Meets Crazy Hat
- Girl Meets World: Of Terror
- Girl Meets the Forgotten
- Girl Meets Flaws
- Girl Meets Friendship
- Girl Meets Brother
- Girl Meets Home for the Holidays
- Girl Meets Game Night
- Girl Meets Master Plan
- Girl Meets Farkle's Choice
- Girl Meets First Date
- Girl Meets Demolition
Season Two
- Girl Meets Gravity
- Girl Meets the New World
- Girl Meets the Secret of Life
- Girl Meets Pluto
- Girl Meets Mr. Squirrels
- Girl Meets the Tell-Tale-Tot
- Girl Meets Rules
- Girl Meets Hurricane
- Girl Meets Mr. Squirrels Goes to Washington
- Girl Meets the New Teacher
- Girl Meets Fish
- Girl Meets Yearbook
- Girl Meets Semi-Formal
- Girl Meets Creativity
- Girl Meets Farkle
- Girl Meets Cory and Topanga
- Girl Meets Rileytown
- Girl Meets World: Of Terror 2
- Girl Meets Rah Rah
- Girl Meets Texas (Part 1)
- Girl Meets Texas (Part 2) (mentioned only)
- Girl Meets Texas (Part 3)
- Girl Meets the Forgiveness Project
- Girl Meets Belief
- Girl Meets the New Year
- Girl Meets STEM
- Girl Meets Money
- Girl Meets Commonism
- Girl Meets the Bay Window
- Girl Meets Legacy
Season Three
- Girl Meets High School (Part 1)
- Girl Meets High School (Part 2)
- Girl Meets Jexica
- Girl Meets Permanent Record
- Girl Meets Triangle
- Girl Meets Upstate
- Girl Meets True Maya
- Girl Meets Ski Lodge (Part 1)
- Girl Meets Ski Lodge (Part 2)
- Girl Meets I Do
- Girl Meets the Real World
- Girl Meets Bear
- Girl Meets the Great Lady of New York
- Girl Meets She Don't Like Me
- Girl Meets World: Of Terror 3
- Girl Meets Her Monster
- Girl Meets Hollyworld
- Girl Meets a Christmas Maya
- World Meets Girl
- Girl Meets Sweet Sixteen
- Girl Meets Goodbye
Appearances: 71/72’’’
Trivia
- He is one of the two main characters to appear in every episode of Boy Meets World.
- Cory was only 21 when Riley was born.
- Was born on a reputedly drizzling day at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- He is the first BMW character to appear in GMW.
- His daughter, Riley, is closer to her mother than Cory, though he shares many similarities to her.
- Cory has a great dislike of wool. The reasons given for this vary; he says once that he has an allergy for it but later just complains that it chafes.
- Cory is only absent in Girl Meets Texas (Part 2) episode during season 2.
- Cory has been absent for one episode throughout the series.
- Like the rest of his family, Cory is an ardent fan of all the Philadelphia professional sport franchises Phillies (MLB), Eagles (NFL), 76ers (NBA), and Flyers (NHL). Girl Meets the Great Lady of New York shows he did not adopt any of the NYC teams upon moving there, as he went to a Phillies-Mets game wearing a Phillies hat and was dejected after they lost.
- Cory is a huge WWF (now WWE) fan, as was young Ben Savage, as shown in the real-life footage used as a Matthews family home movie.
- He had braces as a child, but was using a retainer by age eleven.
- Wore glasses when he was very young.
- Cory loves pudding.
- Cory has flat feet.
- Cory's favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla.
- Cory can't spell his best friend Shawn's name.
- Cornelius happens to be his real name though nicknamed Cory. It has been stated that even Topanga does not know this and Shawn is assumed to not know this either.
- Cory is a hypochondriac.
- Cory is terrified of change.
- There are a few comparisons between Mr. Williams and Cory and Mr. Turner and Shawn, respectively. For example in "The Pink Flamingo Kid," it is shown that both Cory and Mr. Williams cannot sweep their hands through their hair and in "My Best Friend's Girl," Shawn asked Cory's girl (Topanga) out just like Mr. Turner apparently did to Mr. Williams as well.
- Cory loves Backgammon.
- He once cheated on Topanga unintentionally with a girl named Lauren at a ski resort in an episode of Boy Meets World leading to their biggest break up ever, in Season 5 leading him into a small period of depression, even temporarily using <alcohol.
- Cory dated Theresa Keiner, Harley Keiner's sister for one episode.
- Cory is very insecure about his curly hair. This is pointed out in at least four different episodes, notably "Cory's Alternative Friends" (where he tries to straighten it but fails miserably), "Pairing Off" (where he is jealous of Shawn's hair since stroking it attracts girls to him), "The Pink Flamingo Kid" (where Shawn brags to Cory about his hair, angering Mr. Williams as mentioned above), and "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow" (where Cory, still insecure about his hair, requires Topanga's help to realize it's not a big deal).
- Cory and Eric once stated that Cory's hair only became curly after their neglectful babysitter did not prevent Cory from riding inside the clothes dryer—but that may have been an inside joke.
- Cory is left-handed.
- Cory once appeared in an episode of Maybe This Time, another show by Michael Jacobs, (to watch click here) in which, while listening to Shawn's trepidations over setting both the gym and cafeteria of Adams High ablaze, the pair meta-interacted with the main young female lead, Gracie, across her television set. Later they are called back to their own show by the voice of Mr. Feeny and Cory asks "How does he always find us?"
- In Boy Meets World, Cory joked to Shawn in the episode "Boy Meets Girl" how he and Topanga would get married and have kids.
- Throughout the series run of Boy Meets World, Cory has traveled back in time 3 times, once in I Was a Teenage Spy, second was No Guts, No Cory, and third was in As Time Goes By.
- "Girl Meets Smackle" is the only episode so far in which he has a minor role.
- The "A" in his middle name is currently unknown. It's probably his father's name, Alan Matthews.
- He had a cat Fluffy, which died after falling from a tree.
- His first line in Boy Meets World was "Good Morning Mr. Feeny."
- He kept Lucas' past a complete secret from everyone (except from Topanga) for over a year.
- Like Topanga, he apparently earned a degree via correspondence from Pennbrook.
- He is the Faculty Advisor to the Abigail Adams Nature Club.
Quotes
| “ | Well you listened to me, you Big Stupid. | ” |
—Cory to Topanga
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| “ | I love Farkle Time. | ” |
—Cory to Farkle
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| “ | Please don't tell anyone this is how I live in my own house. | ” |
—Cory Matthews
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| “ | Where are the boys? Boys! I'm very glad to see you because there was a distinct possibility you were...dead. | ” |
| “ | What's the cause we're fighting for? | ” |
—{{{2}}}
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| “ | People change people. | ” |
—Cory in Girl Meets the Secret of Life
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| “ | The friends we choose can have the most profound influence on our entire lives, one way or the other. | ” |
—Cory to Maya in Girl Meets True Maya.
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Gallery
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The image gallery for Cory Matthews may be viewed here.
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| v • e • dGirl Meets World characters |
|---|
| Main characters |
| Riley Matthews • Maya Hart • Lucas Friar • Farkle Minkus • Zay Babineaux • Cory Matthews • Topanga Matthews • Auggie Matthews |
| Recurring characters |
| Shawn Hunter • Isadora Smackle • Katy Hart • Joshua Matthews • Ava Morgenstern • Harley Keiner • George Feeny • Eric Matthews • Stuart Minkus • Jonathan Turner |
| Minor characters |
| Brenda • Coach Gleason • Eugene • Geralyn Thompson • Ginsburg • May Clutterbucket • Merlin Scoggins • Ms. Kossal • Myzell • Rosie McGee • Harrison Miller • Yogi • Sarah • Darby |
| Guest characters |
| Alan Matthews • Amy Matthews • Angela Moore • Jack Hunter • Tommy Jonathan (T.J) Murphy |