Danielle Fishel Opens Up About Uncomfortable “Boy Meets World” Plotline
Danielle Fishel, who played the role of Topanga Lawrence on the iconic ’90s sitcom Boy Meets World, recently shared a less-than-glamorous memory from her time on the show. During an episode of her podcast, Pod Meets World, on August 12, Danielle opened up about an uncomfortable moment that still lingers with her.
Back in the day, Danielle and her co-star Will Friedle, who played the lovable Eric Matthews, were called into a meeting that would change the way they saw themselves on screen. Both had gained some weight, and the show’s writers decided to incorporate this into an episode. But it wasn’t just a casual chat — Danielle recalled that the decision had already been made without much room for discussion.
“They called me into the office to tell me they were going to [write about it] – it wasn’t really like they asked. Obviously, it was Will and I. Will had gained some weight. I had gained some weight. [And the writers said], ‘Obviously, you guys have gained a little bit of weight, so we’re gonna write an episode about it. And we just wanted you to know. And here’s what it’s gonna be. It’s gonna be really funny,'” Danielle shared with her co-host Rider Strong and guest Candace Cameron Bure.
What stung even more for Danielle was how her co-star Will handled the news. “Will was so nonchalant about it, like, ‘Oh, yeah. I’m totally fine with it,'” she recalled.
But looking back, the actress says she knows now that he was really insecure and that it was painful for him too.
For Danielle, though, it felt like a punch to the gut. “I was aware that I had gained weight, but I was still you know, I was a size 4.”
“And so, I remember thinking, wow, these people think I’ve gained enough weight [that] we have to write an entire episode about my weight gain… And I have to say I’m fine with it, because they didn’t even present to me another alternative. And even if they did, I probably wouldn’t have felt comfortable being like, ‘Yeah. I don’t wanna do that,'” she continued.
Rider Strong, who also starred on Boy Meets World, chimed in with his thoughts on the situation. “If you had canned [that idea] – if you had said, ‘I’m not comfortable doing that – that would’ve been the story. It’s such a weird situation, so much pressure,” he said.
Danielle admitted that the experience left a lasting mark on her, making her hyper-aware of her body and weight from that point on. According to her, thoughts about her weight and body were “just in my head forever.”
The conversation shifted when Danielle asked Candace Cameron Bure if she’d ever faced something similar during her time on Full House. Candace revealed that she had, but the circumstances were different. After losing 20 pounds between seasons, the writers considered featuring her on an exercise bike in the show’s opening titles to highlight her weight loss.
“Looking back, I don’t think that was bad. I really put a lot of hard work and effort into losing 20 pounds,” she reflected.
The key difference, Candace noted, was that the Full House writers had asked for her and her parents’ consent before moving forward. According to her, they had asked, “Would you feel comfortable if we wrote an episode like this?”
