It’s no secret that Maddie Ziegler and Jenna Ortega are thick as thieves. The pair first met in their early teens at a young Hollywood photoshoot. However, they really became close when they worked together on the movie, The Fallout. Like their characters, Mia and Vada, the pair bonded very quickly shortly after they hung out together for the first time at the Wednesday star’s home. In fact, they hit it off so well that Ziegler’s mom and boyfriend called her to make sure she was alright.
Maddie Ziegler is very close with her boyfriend and her mom
Ziegler has never made it a secret that she is close to her mom, Melissa Gisoni, and her boyfriend, Eddie Benjamin. Those who have followed the actor since her Dance Moms’ days will recall that Gisoni often thought of her oldest daughter as a best friend. Meanwhile, Benjamin and Ziegler started out as besties before they began dating. They’re very close and share everything from clothes to inside jokes with one another. Because the dancer is so close to her loved ones, it makes sense that they are protective of her.
Eddie Benjamin and Melissa Gisoni called the dancer to make sure she was OK
Those protective instincts certainly kicked in the first time Ziegler and Ortega hung out. Prior to filming The Fallout, the duo decided they wanted to get to know each other a bit better. Since their characters had a ton of chemistry, they wanted to try to develop a rapport before the cameras began rolling. In an interview with InStyle, Ortega reflected on their first hang sesh.
“Before we started this job, Maddie wanted to hang out and break the ice and I did as well,” the Wednesday lead shared about Ziegler. “So she came over to my place for the first time and we sat and talked for 13 hours. She was getting calls from her mom and boyfriend like, ‘Are you OK? Is everything all right?’”
‘Wednesday’ star Jenna Ortega and Ziegler are still close years after filming ‘The Fallout’
Turns out Gisoni and Benjamin had nothing to worry about. Ziegler simply felt so comfortable with the Wednesday actor that she lost track of time. Ortega felt at ease with the Bloody Hell star also and felt grateful that they had natural chemistry. “[She] just set the phone down and talked and talked and talked,” Ortega explained. “So that was really great for me because our characters have such an intimate relationship, but it’s really nice when you have chemistry.”
The chemistry that the duo shared continues today. While promoting Wednesday, Ortega revealed that she is still close with Ziegler and that they keep in touch despite their busy schedules. She also shared that the dancer has a fantastic sense of humor that she hopes more people will get to see as time goes on. Only time will tell if the pair reunite for another project in the future. For now, though, fans of the actors can stream The Fallout on HBO Max.
