Nine out of ten young people growing up in the ’90s would most likely tell you that their first TV crush was definitely Topanga Matthews, from Boy Meets World. And who could blame them, really? Danielle Fishel did an outstanding job playing a character that perfectly embodied the wild ride that were the ’90s, complete with all the quirkiness of the new age.
Any Topanga fan must be wondering why Fishel hasn’t been more active in front of the cameras lately, especially now that ’90s nostalgia is at an all-time high. The reason is very simple: she’s been busy working behind the scenes to boost a new generation of young performers as they achieve their dreams.
How Danielle Fishel Landed the Role of Topanga
While Boy Meets World gave Fishel her big break, her acting career started in another iconic ’90s sitcom, Full House. She appeared in just two episodes, playing one half of the “Jennifers” – a pair of trendy valley girls who peer pressure Stephanie with their “coolness.”
After a brief stint in Harry and the Hendersons, Fishel joined the cast of Boy Meets World in a recurring capacity. Naturally, her popularity made Topanga a cornerstone of the series, elevating her character to a series regular by Season 2, and then into a true legend of ’90s television.
Why Danielle Fishel Left Hollywood After Boy Meets World Ended
Boy Meets World ended right at the turn of the millennium, which is very fitting for a show that so wholeheartedly embodied the spirit of the ‘90s. With the show over, it was time for Fishel to aim for new heights. And that means making the jump to the big screen – and Longshot would be the perfect way to make that transition.
Longshot, released in 2001, was an “experiment” of sorts to turn singers and pop icons into actors. It didn’t work out, unfortunately. Fishel continued acting in films throughout the 2000s, with roles in the two Dorm Daze movies and Gamebox 1.0 – none of which were well received by critics or her fans.
Still, the experience gave her the know-how to tackle the entertainment industry from behind the cameras. It was time for a new chapter in Fishel’s career: one in which she would produce, write, and direct her own projects.
Danielle Fishel’s Secret Second Career You Didn’t Know About
2016 was a big year for Boy Meets World fans. After sixteen years, the show was making a comeback with Girl Meets World – a sequel that would give fans some long-awaited closure. Fishel directed four episodes of the revival and co-produced 51 more.
Since then, Fishel has been on a roll, directing episodes for several Disney shows like Raven’s Home (the That’s So Raven revival), Pretty Freekin Scary, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, Electric Bloom, and Vampirina: Teenage Vampire.
Nowadays, Danielle Fishel remains deeply involved with entertainment. She keeps her fans up to date with her podcast Pod Meets World, which she hosts with her fellow cast members, Rider Strong and Will Friedle. After a brief bout with cancer in 2024, Fishel is now more active than ever, and after meeting the world, she’s the one running the shows.
Why Danielle Fishel Says She’s Finally Okay Being “Difficult”
For seven seasons, Danielle Fishel played the version of herself everyone loved: Topanga Lawrence, sharp-tongued but easy to root for, never really a problem for anyone. Off camera, as a kid on Boy Meets World, Fishel says she was the same way — a “consummate professional” who “never ruffled any feathers.” It’s the reputation that made her, by her own account, easy to work with and easy to ask anything of.
Then she grew up, came back for Girl Meets World in 2014, and stopped being quite so easy.
On the July 28 episode of the I Choose Me with Jennie Garth podcast, Fishel explained the shift: instead of letting things slide the way she had as a kid, she started quietly pulling people aside when something made her uncomfortable. “I would say, ‘Can I talk to you about something? This makes me feel uncomfortable,'” she recalled. The reaction from some colleagues wasn’t gratitude — it was to call her “crazy,” according to OK! Magazine.
She admits it got to her. “There was a part of me that was like, ‘Am I? Am I difficult?'” Fishel said. But she landed somewhere firm: “The alternative doesn’t make me feel like I can live with myself, so I guess I just have to be difficult. And that has to be okay with me. I guess I am a difficult person, even though I didn’t think any of the things I was asking for or requesting was difficult.”
It’s Not the First Time She’s Called Girl Meets World a Tough Set
This isn’t a new complaint dressed up for a podcast plug. In an earlier episode of her own Pod Meets World podcast, Fishel got into it on-air with former co-star Maitland Ward, who said she felt ignored and hurt by Fishel during a set visit — and separately has called the Girl Meets World atmosphere “a very toxic situation.” Defending herself, Fishel put it plainly: “It was a very, very difficult set,” she said, adding that the atmosphere never matched the Boy Meets World set fans picture in their heads.
Taken together, the two accounts paint a consistent picture: whatever was happening behind the scenes on Girl Meets World, it was enough to change how Fishel operated on set for good — and she doesn’t sound like she regrets it.
She’s also just proven herself a certified sneakerhead — see her full Sneakers of the Week haul, including a Nigel Sylvester cosign, on Sneaker Fortress.
RELATED: At 47, Boy Meets World Star Maitland Ward Is Making Adult Films — And Has No Regrets
