Bennett "Ben" Joseph Savage was born on September 13th, 1980, in Chicago, Illinois. He's the younger brother of Fred Savage, the star of "The Wonder Years" , whom he credits for inspiring him to become an actor. Ben got his start in acting when he appeared in his first commercial at the tender age of 5. From there, his first major speaking role was in the short-lived comedy series, "Dear John", opposite Judd Hirsch and fellow Chicago-native, Isabella Hofmann. He starred in a handful of made-for-TV movies and other films, most significantly "Wild Palms" , until being cast in the lead role in the series "Boy Meets World" , which catapulted him into stardom. Ben didn't put aside his studies in the course of his acting career, graduating in 2004 from the famed Stanford University with a degree in Political Science. In the summer of 2003, he got an internship with the office of US Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) and seems to be well on his way to another chapter in his life.