The Boy Meets World cast may have initially been focused on Cory, Shawn and Topanga’s coming-of-age adventures, but as their high school years were ending, new characters came on that gave the Disney series some mature charm, like Eric and Jack’s roommate Rachel. Played by Maitland Ward, the actress got real about how the cast pranked her when she first joined the Disney/ABC sitcom and it involves a live audience.
On Boy Meets World, Rachel was the object of Eric and Jack’s affections as they lived under the same roof. Since Ward entered the sitcom during its sixth season, she told E News! about how the cast welcomed her with a harmless prank that involved a live audience:
Ben and the others hazed me during the first night when we went out for bows. 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. Ben was fully involved in this. 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.’ And I was like, ‘Oh,’ and then finally they let me off the hook.
That would be incredibly mortifying having to be the only Boy Meets World actor to sing a song for a live audience during the bows. It’s a good thing the cast let Maitland Ward “off the hook.” While I’m sure their prank on her was all in good fun, that joke probably wouldn’t have been the best way to enter her good graces if it went wrong. Ward later recalled feeling "nervous" joining the cast of a long-running show, but she described her co-stars as "very welcoming" and "nice."
As it’s been a couple of decades since the Boy Meets World series finale, Maitland Ward has gotten honest about not-so-pleasant moments she’s had on the set. For instance, she opened up about being “sexualized” on the TGIF set, like being asked to “try on lingerie” and the infamous food fight scene where she smeared marinara sauce on Eric's face with her bare feet. At the time, the now-unapologetic porn star had no idea those scenes were considered sexual. Reflecting on them now, the former mainstream actress dared to call out Disney in 2023 with claims of the company sexualizing young female stars and treating them “like meat.”
Even though Maitland Ward’s experiences on Boy Meets World weren’t always as lighthearted as the series’ tone, she still made lifelong friendships with her former cast mates. The Bold and Beautiful actress remarked to E News! on the bond she still has with BMW actor Ben Savage, who supported her path toward the world of the porn industry. In return, Ward supported the Girl Meets World actor during his run for Congress.
Will Friedle was another former co-star who was “supportive” of Ward’s porn star career, and she's still “in contact and friends” with Trina McGee who played Angela in the show. Despite the hardships of being “sexualized” on Boy Meets World, it’s nice that a real benefit she received from the heartwarming sitcom came from the friendships she made on set.
The Boy Meets World cast inducting Maitland Ward into their on-set home with a harmless prank clearly sets the tone for the show’s lighthearted approach. The playful moments the family-friendly cast had with each other off-screen reflect the chemistry everyone gave in their performances together and the lasting friendships they all had years later. You can watch more good-natured fun between the cast of characters with Boy Meets World available with your Disney+ subscription.
