Boy meets world — and girl reveals on-set secrets. BMW alum Maitland Ward, who portrayed Rachel McGuire on the fan-favorite series from 1998 to 2000, detailed her nuanced experience on the ABC sitcom in her debut memoir, Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood.
Ward, 45, reflected on her time on BMW with both a critical lens and fond memories. The Bold and the Beautiful alum, who has since transitioned into adult film, joined the ’90s hit during season 6 as Eric Matthews (Will Friedle) and Jack Hunter’s (Matthew Lawrence) roommate, portraying the character until the end of the series. The tall, lean and redheaded Rachel initially served as a love interest for both Eric and Jack, and though she quickly became friends with the whole group, Ward recalled her sexually-tinged plot lines.
“Everything to do with my story line was kind of sexual, and no one tried to hide it,” the White Chicks actress wrote in her book, which was released on Tuesday, September 6. “There was always an undertone or innuendo — some joke that junior high boys might make as they compared d—k size next to their lockers.”
Moreover, since “Rachel was the only character to consistently take off her clothes,” Ward penned, “I was asked to try on lingerie for the producers in the office. This happened more than once.”
The California native, who has won multiple Adult Video News (AVN) Awards in the 2020s, discussed the hypocrisy of the Boy Meets World producers wanting her character to be sexual — but chastising her for expressing her sexuality on her own terms.
“I need to be compliant when they wanted to use my body as a story point but guilty when I wanted to express anything with it on my own,” Ward wrote in her memoir. “Even if I really let loose and started to enjoy taking [NSFW] pictures, I would be held back from that. [Creator] Michael [Jacobs] would come down and give me a talk about how wildly desperate I was being perceived and that I needed to mind myself and handle this professionally and without a smile.”
Ward is just the latest BMW star to express her distaste for how the show handled the actors’ sexuality. Friedle, 45, exclusively told Us Weekly last month that he and Rider Strong (who portrayed Shawn Hunter throughout the entire run of the show) would discuss the “creepy” and “gross” way their respective characters’ character arcs often revolved around them kissing girls.
“Rider and I talk about one of the things is the constant kissing. We were kissing girls every week and it was kind of creepy the way it kept happening,” the Kim Possible alum recalled. “It’s not like the actresses had wonderful story lines. It was just, like, you are there to kiss us that week. It was really kind of gross.”
As for their real-life relationship today, Ward and Friedle have each other’s backs when it comes to their careers — to a point.
“I heard from Will not too long ago and he was so sweet,” the Muse actress exclusively told Us in November 2021. “He [was] saying how supportive he was of me, but he won’t watch [any of my adult films].”
Keep scrolling to read more of Ward’s memories from her time on Boy Meets World — including drama with Danielle Fishel:
“Everything to do with my story line was kind of sexual, and no one tried to hide it,” Ward wrote in her memoir, Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood. “There was always an undertone or innuendo — some joke that junior high boys might make as they compared dick size next to their lockers." She specifically noted: “I was asked to try on lingerie for the producers in the office. This happened more than once, as Rachel was the only character to consistently take off her clothes." MediaPunch/Shutterstock
"I need to be compliant when they wanted to use my body as a story point but guilty when I wanted to express anything with it on my own,” the actress penned. “Even if I really let loose and started to enjoy taking these pictures, I would be held back from that. [Creator] Michael [Jacobs] would come down and give me a talk about how wildly desperate I was being perceived and that I needed to mind myself and handle this professionally and without a smile." MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Ward alluded to an issue with series star Fishel (who portrayed Topanga Lawrence for the show’s run) during the final season of BMW. "Danielle came back that last year with a little white Maltese and a smoking habit, both of which she'd make a big deal of showing off,” the Mistress Maitland star wrote. Scott Kirkland/Shutterstock
Despite her issues with producers and any on-set tension, “overall, Boys Meets World was a great environment to work in, with funny people who really cared for each other in spite of any differences. Even with the issues I had, and would yet to have with Michael, there was and will always be a love there,” Ward shared. “It's complicated though; he was like a father to me and to us all, and sometimes relationships with fathers and children are hard, especially when the father stops writing the outcomes." Touchstone Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
While the adult film star didn’t make an appearance on the Boy Meets World Disney Channel spin-off Girl Meets World, Ward was encouraged to attend a party on set — which she did. “I could hear [BMW star] Ben [Savage] screaming for us to join the party in the background,” Ward recalled in her memoir. “My decision to stay away from it all crumbled when I heard everyone's voices. They were familiar and made me laugh." Upon arriving on set, however, the atmosphere was chilly when she encountered Fishel. "Danielle didn't speak to me at all, which I thought was odd. She barely acknowledged that I was even there,” she wrote. “I hadn't seen her since my wedding, but we hadn't had any ill feelings or bad blood.” Todd Williamson/January Images/Shutterstock
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