Boy Meets World star Maitland Ward has revealed what her former costar Ben Savage really thought about her transitioning to porn after leaving acting.
While promoting her forthcoming memoir, My Escape from Hollywood: Unapologetic, Unfiltered, Unashamed, Ward, 47, discussed why Savage’s reaction to her new career was so meaningful to her.
“Ben was definitely somebody who was supportive,” she told E! News in an interview published Wednesday, September 25.
“I think it was cool,” she explained. “He’s in politics and he stood by the fact that I’m in porn. Some people shy away from that and feel that sense of taboo. It surprised me.”
Boy Meets World was canceled in May 2000 after seven seasons.
Ward joined Boy Meets World as Rachel McGuire for its final two seasons, while Savage, 44, played lead character Cory Matthews for the show’s entire run.
During the interview, Ward suggested that she and Savage are akin to “high school or college friends” and revealed that their bond remains “really nice” all these years later.
“I really loved his family and his parents,” Ward told the outlet. “I definitely supported his campaign and everything. He has a lovely wife, and he’s funny.”
Despite being close in age to her former costar, Ward revealed that Savage gave her “naughty little brother” vibes when they worked together on the ABC series.
“He was like a little brother on that show,” she told E! News.
She continued, “He thought that I was like this leggy sex goddess that was out prowling the night and I fed into that, like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is what I did.’ I loved to play around with him but he definitely was a naughty little brother.”
Ward also reflected on how “nervous” she was to join an established and popular show. Despite the entire cast being “very welcoming,” Ward found herself being “hazed” at her first live taping of the show.
“Ben and the others hazed me during the first night when we went out for bows,” she told the outlet.
Ward continued, “They told me that I would have to go out there and sing a song by myself. I don’t remember what the song was but he had it all memorized.”
The White Chicks star said that Savage was “fully involved” in her hazing.
“And they were all, ‘Every time a new person comes on the show, they have to go out there and do this for the studio audience,'” she recalled. “And I was like, ‘Oh,’ and then finally they let me off the hook.”
