Danielle Fishel was 12 when she stole our hearts – and Cory Matthews – as Topanga Lawrence. Boy Meets World in 1993. Recently, i Dancing with the Stars the contestant has opened up about the not-so-pleasant aspects of that period in his life.
He says: “My body was a problem Us Weekly especially with the criticism he faced in the last seasons of the sitcom. “Those episodes are hard to watch.”
Now 44, Fishel is rewriting the rules. He speaks Us about sons Adler, 6, and Keaton, 4, with husband Jensen Carp; his directorial work (including episodes of Changing Gears again Lopez vs. Lopez); breast cancer survival and life in the spotlight as a teenager in the 1990s.
On your podcast Pod Meets Earthyou talk about beauty standards when you’re young. Can you say more?
I knew, even if no one told me directly… that as far as the people in charge were concerned, my body was a problem… I remember at the time [1998’s] Prom the episode they realized that they didn’t want me to wear something sleeveless.
Boy Meets World became a family hit during its seven-season run on ABC from 1993 to 2000. Created by Michael Jacobs, the show followed Cory Matthews’ (Ben Savage) life lessons from home with parents Alan (William Russ) and mother Amy (Betsy Randle) to school with neighbor George Fetenyacher […]
Rider Strong, who played the role of Shawn, said that it was difficult to be there in the 7th season, the final series.
I just didn’t want to be there; I wasn’t comfortable setting up every day. There was this feeling that I was no longer attractive because I had gained weight. I wanted to be anywhere outside the set. I was probably a curmudgeon.
Are you laughing about that now?
Indeed. This is one of the true joys of having friends you’ve known for 30 years. You can look back and be like, “You’re not wrong.”
What feelings arise when you think about that time now?
I feel confused because I realize that what I see with my eyes does not match the way I feel when I look at you. It doesn’t feel right… The episodes of season 7 are tainted by a feeling of incredible insecurity and fear of being on camera, which was hard for me to shake and maybe why I didn’t really want to move forward with a photography career.
Rachael Leigh Cook shared rare moments of her teenage romance with Rider Strong. Speaking with Strong’s Boy Meets World costar, Danielle Fishel, on the Wednesday, March 18, episode of the “Teenbeat” podcast, Cook, 46, reflected on their ’90s relationship. The She’s All That star revealed that Strong was “loving” and “very deep” during their time […]
What would you say to the elite if you could go back in time?
I wouldn’t even if I did [anything] in a different way except that I accept and love myself.
Has your past influenced the way you work with children at the same time?
I had incredible mentors to rely on and trust while I was on Boy Meets World, that made me feel safe, that encouraged me to get in touch with my creative side and have agency about the choices I made. I try to imitate them now as a director. And so on Girl Meets World [from 2014–17]I had great directors to learn from, and obviously worked with some incredibly talented kids. I want kids to know that sets, especially when I’m there, are safe places, and my door is always open. They can come and talk to me if something goes wrong.
How do you do that with your sons?
We talk a lot about how everyone’s body is different, everyone’s skin is different, their hair is different. We make a big deal about there being no right or wrong way.
And now they are taking dance classes! Were they motivated? DWTS?
They wouldn’t agree, but I think they did. They were both like, “I want to do a dance!”
Danielle Fishel doesn’t mind getting constructive criticism from the Dancing With the Stars judges. In fact, thank you for it. “We’re going to continue to take the judges’ feedback. They’re great at giving us straight notes,” Fishel, 44, told Us Weekly exclusively after the live show on Tuesday, October 7. “Last week, Carrie Ann […]
You partnered with Lysol in the spring – why was that important?
I don’t like seeing a bunch of stuff on my counters or fingerprints or sticky stuff. I like to point [to my kids] things that worry me and make me feel angry… Mom is so much nicer and happier when my insides feel good… It’s been great—my kids are so willing to help me clean up!
He finished cancer treatment last year. How do you feel?
I feel beautiful. I have had two mammograms since then; both were clear. I see my oncologist a few times a year [and] my regular doctor every four months. Good for staying on top of my screenings because that’s how I got my cancer in the first place. So I still preach that to everyone: If you notice me, it’s probably time for a mammogram.
