Pod Meets World – "Marcus Toji Meets World" (September 29, 2025)

Podcast: Pod Meets World
Host: iHeartPodcasts (Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, Will Friedle)
Guest: Marcus Toji

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the journey of prolific character actor Marcus Toji, who appeared twice in Season 4 of "Boy Meets World," playing different characters in quick succession. Danielle, Will, and Rider reminisce about the landscape of 90s TV, the unique path of a steady working actor, and what it meant to be an Asian actor growing up in Hollywood. Marcus shares memories from his child acting days, the realities of pursuing acting as a lifelong career, and what it's been like sustaining steady work without ever being a series regular.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Charity Gaming Event Recap (03:16-08:43)

• The hosts recap a recent charity event where they raised $80,000, with Matt's "Trapper Keeper" going for $9,000 because he included all his notes (03:26).
• Unique gaming moments from playing "Daggerheart," the tabletop RPG created by Matt Mercer of Critical Role.
• Danielle recounts, "Ashley had a youth in film award... She used it in the game... her experience as an actor... gave her advantage on her role" (05:00).
• Joy and comedic moments—Christine Lakin’s “10 backwards baseball hats” becomes a running joke (07:01).

"Wouldn't those just be hats?"
— Jody Sweetin, (07:22)

2. Introducing Marcus Toji (13:27-15:07)

• The hosts introduce Marcus as a classic “character actor,” thriving in the drive-by world of TV and film, with credits spanning over 30 years and two guest spots on "Boy Meets World," in the same season as different characters.
• Noted for work on Family Matters, Party of Five, The West Wing, Zoe 101, Thunder Alley, Patriot, Workaholics, and films like Little Giants and Jingle All the Way.

3. Early Life and Child Acting Beginnings (15:09-22:49)

• Marcus started acting at age 3, initially joining his siblings on auditions before gravitating to acting himself (15:43).
• Described the classic LA "your kid could be in pictures" approach (17:26).
• "I always wanted to go in the room... and then I had a great time. And my agent signed me up. I've been doing it ever since." (18:23)
• Never remembers not acting; took acting classes throughout his upbringing to go beyond being a "precocious kid."
• Discusses the reality of balancing school and acting in LA, mentioning that “it is a legitimate reason to leave school...like sick or bereavement.” (20:50)
• On being the youngest: "I've heard...the youngest...are better at reading people because they have the two older siblings and the parents. They're better at, like, reading people." (33:55)

4. Transition to Film and Representation (24:29-31:46)

• Early TV: Guest on "Drexel's Class" with Dabney Coleman (22:50+).
• Early film: Corinna, Corinna with Whoopi Goldberg and Ray Liotta. On meeting Ray Liotta:

"You would think that big celebrities don't have time for kids...but in my experience, they were just very nice." (26:03)

• On Asian-American representation in the 80s and 90s:
  • Looked up to Ernie Reyes Jr., Asian TV newscasters, Gedde Watanabe (Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles; Volunteers, UHF), and Dante Basco (“Rufio” in Hook).
  • "It was funny growing up in that time for us, it was like, you saw one kid, one Asian kid. You're like, oh, hey, it's an Asian kid." (27:04)
  • On turning down problematic auditions: "I've turned down an audition here or there because I'm like, I don't feel like this is right...and then I saw the movie, and they just cut the whole part out." (30:08)

5. Landing and Filming Little Giants (38:10-47:58)

• Remembers big screen tests at Amblin and meeting Steven Spielberg, who watched the kids "just being kids" (38:27-40:04).
• Football camp: "They put us in football camp so that we learn how to play football. But I think they forgot that we're supposed to be bad at football. So they had to...just be like, guys, forget what we taught you." (41:14)
• The movie was "an amazing summer camp"—filming in San Luis Obispo, staying in hotels, field trips, and creating strong memories as a traveling group of kid actors (43:02).

"Every day they would have to come to us and be like, guys, stop it. Just keep your mouth shut. You're all saying the words with [the actors]." (44:51)

• Go-kart mishap led to the crew being banned from the local fun spot (47:15).

6. Boy Meets World Guest Roles (48:00-58:46)

• Marcus appeared in Season 4 as “Kid Number One” (“Janitor Dad”) and “Einstein Kid” (“Quiz Show”). He regularly watched Boy Meets World as part of TGIF, though often recorded it due to Friday night sports (48:20).
• On the audition process: "I was doing so many auditions...a superpower is being able to just let it go. If you dwell on it...it's just stressful." (50:05)
• On being on set:

"I remember the audience loving it and I remember the cast laughing. That was one of those first times I remember it being electric, where everyone was on and you can't stop enjoying it...That was one of those gifts...this is live television." (50:55)

• Reflection on Boy Meets World addressing economic difference between characters, especially with Shawn (52:04+).

"Sean's the first time I remember someone, like, 'oh, they are of a different economic status'… and he's not just a one-episode 'very special episode' character." (52:03)

• Danielle says: "People come up to me and often are like, 'I was the Shawn in my friend group,' and they start crying immediately." (53:44)
• On returning as a second new character in the same season: Marcus doesn’t recall if anyone noticed, but, “I think I had a tiny growth spurt...just different enough” (57:41).

7. Life as a Working Actor (62:54-67:38)

• Marcus credits his ability to avoid burnout to never being a full series regular, which allowed for "a lot of time to be a kid in between and a lot of time to be...just a person." (64:04)
• Describes the stress of always auditioning, the near-misses of big breaks, and the grind of the journeyman actor:

"You get a great couple arc episodic...maybe this will lead to something else. And then it doesn't...back to the grind. I'm not delusional. So keep going." (66:26)

• Recent heartbreak: Booked his first series regular right before COVID shut down Hollywood. "I saw the brass ring right there. I almost had it." (65:56)

8. Patriot (Amazon Series) Experience (67:40-72:24)

• Rider praises Patriot ("You guys have to find this. It's brilliant.") (67:53)
• Marcus describes the show and his role as Marcus, a piping engineer, including the memorable opening scene (69:00).
• "That was one of the biggest highlights of my entire career. Such a great cast, such a great crew. It felt like a family." (69:25)
• Anecdote about shooting a scene after his character was pushed in front of a truck and acting beside Kurtwood Smith.

9. Family Business & Reflections (72:36-74:57)

• Runner-up alternate career: Family restaurant "Feast from the East" in West LA, near UCLA, famous for its sesame chicken salad and wings.
• "We love our customers because they kept us alive through a recession and a pandemic...Jack Black has been going there since he was in high school." (73:29)
• The hosts joke about visiting and add, "You're about to have three celebrities come through as well." (74:08)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Being a Child Actor:
  "You never remember not acting...and every few years as a kid actor you kind of have to retrain—your skill set has to rise with your age." – Marcus (18:52, 19:13)

• On Acting and Representation:
  "I never did martial arts but just seeing Ernie Reyes Jr., I was like, 'Oh, cool.'" – Marcus (27:04)

• On Child Actor Burnout:
  "I never had burnout...I never was the series regular, so there was lots of time to be a kid in between and a lot of time to be a person." – Marcus (64:04)

• On the Reality of Hollywood’s “Journeyman” Actor:
  "It almost doesn't exist anymore, that you can make a good living just being on every show...but never starring in anything." – Will Friedle (75:40)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Content Summary | |-----------|----------------| | 03:16–08:43 | Charity event recap, "Daggerheart" RPG, and memorable in-game moments | | 13:27–15:07 | Marcus Toji's career overview & introduction | | 15:09–22:49 | Marcus's childhood, start in acting, early experiences | | 24:29–31:46 | Film work, industry representation, perspectives as Asian-American actor | | 38:10–47:58 | "Little Giants" audition and filming anecdotes | | 48:00–58:46 | "Boy Meets World" guest roles, process, and reflection | | 62:54–67:38 | Sustaining an actor’s career, the grind, and personal challenges | | 67:40–72:24 | "Patriot" on Amazon, show breakdown, and Marcus’s role | | 72:36–74:57 | Family restaurant, reflections on alternate life paths |

Closing Thoughts

The episode paints a portrait of Marcus Toji as an enduring figure in Hollywood—never the star, but ever-present and consistently working. His experience highlights the different paths within the industry: the "series regular" vs. the versatile, steady “drive-by.” Through memories of acting as a child, humorous set anecdotes, and a look at the changing industry, Marcus’s story is a testament to hard work, adaptability, and the significance of representation in media. The hosts close with gratitude to Marcus and a nod to the community that built and sustained the Boy Meets World legacy.

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