Cultural Diversity Roster

Danielle Christine Fishel is an American actress and television personality best known for her role as Topanga Lawrence on the 1990s TV sitcom Boy Meets World and as the host of Style Network’s The Dish. She also appeared in National Lampoon’s Dorm Daze and its sequel and was a spokesperson for NutriSystem.

Fishel was born in Mesa, Arizona, the daughter of Jennifer, a personal manager, and Rick Fishel, a medical equipment sales executive. The family relocated to Yorba Linda, California when she was three weeks old. She has one younger brother, Christopher Fishel. She graduated from Calabasas High School class of 1999.

In 1991, the then 10-year-old Fishel was discovered in a community theater where she performed in two productions, The Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan. She quickly moved on to do voice-overs and commercials, including several as a Barbie Girl for Mattel. Soon after, she appeared on two episodes of the hit show Full House, guest starring as a character named Jennifer. She also had a small role on Harry and the Hendersons, playing Jessica. Fishel’s mother became her full-time manager.

In 1993, at the age of 12, Fishel began her well-known role as Topanga Lawrence on ABC’s pilot series Boy Meets World. Originally written as a small part, Topanga became a recurring role. After a successful first year, Fishel became a show regular. Fishel’s character was a sparky, intelligent girl who was mature beyond her years; she replaced the nerdy Stuart Minkus as the brains of the class. The long-running show ended in 2000 after seven years.

Fishel was on the cover of Seventeen in December 1998. She took home a 1998 Young Star for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series. In June 1999, she was one of “The 21 Hottest Stars Under 21” as presented by Teen People.

Fishel was on the cover of GQ’s hottest stars to watch in GQ’s 1997 September issue. (GQ 1997 9)

Since Boy Meets World ended, Fishel has appeared in several films, including National Lampoon’s Dorm Daze. In 2006, she appeared in three made-for-DVD releases: National Lampoon’s Dorm Daze 2: College at Sea (appearing again as “Marla” from the first film), the action film Gamebox 1.0 (playing a dual role), and The Chosen One, an independent animated film in which she provides the voice of the lead female character.

In 2006, Fishel appeared as a guest on The Tyra Banks Show where she discussed her dramatic weight loss with the use of the Nutrisystems Diet. Following her appearance on the show, Fishel became a spokesperson for NutriSystem. She also became a special correspondent for The Tyra Banks Show, starting in early February 2007. By 2010 she had gained some of the weight back, and told People magazine she could not maintain her NutriSystem weight.

From August 2008 to March 2011 Fishel hosted The Dish for the Style Network, which satirized pop culture in a format similar to sister network E! Entertainment Television’s The Soup. Fishel was also on Fuse TV as host of The Fuse 20, and was a guest star on the round table on an episode of Chelsea Lately.

In real life, Fishel dated her Boy Meets World co-star Ben Savage. She dated former ‘N Sync member Lance Bass, who was her date to her high school prom.