Danielle Fishel is opening up about the uncertainty she faced after Boy Meets World came to an end.
In the new documentary Doc Meets World, which premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Festival, the now 45-year-old actress reflected on finishing the beloved sitcom as a teenager and realizing she wasn’t sure what came next professionally.
“When I finished Boy Meets World in 1999, I had no idea where I would end up two years later, much less where I would end up 30 years later,” she revealed.
Her co-star Rider Strong also shared that he felt he and Danielle “had really drifted apart” by the end of the show, and felt she was “in a bit of a flux.”
Rider added, “I sort of felt like she was like the little sister I needed to move away from.”
“I didn’t feel like I knew how to act. It’s like I knew how to be Topanga the way Michael liked,” she said, likely referring to show creator Michael Jacobs.
Danielle, who played Topanga Lawrence on the sitcom from 1993 to 2000, said she struggled to transition into life after the series wrapped.
“I didn’t understand, like, ‘No, now’s the time when you’re really supposed to be out auditioning all the time,’” she recalled.
According to Danielle, burnout played a major role in her decision to step away from acting opportunities at the time.
“I was so burnt out,” she said. “I didn’t want to do it at all.”
The actress also reflected on her experience during the show’s later years, explaining that she wasn’t feeling confident about herself or her work.
“I just wasn’t feeling good about myself on set. I don’t think any of us felt like we were thriving with what we were doing,” Danielle shared. “And so I think had the set experience in those last couple of seasons been a different experience, maybe I would’ve been more excited about it. But I think I was just like, ‘I don’t even know if I like this.’”
Danielle now co-hosts the popular Pod Meets World podcast alongside former co-stars Rider Strong and Will Friedle.
While Danielle only did a handful of smaller roles in shows and movies post-Boy Meets World, she has pivoted to directing episodes for shows like Raven’s Home, Sydney to the Max, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, and more.
If you didn’t see, in March, Mr. Feeney actor William Daniels celebrated his 99th birthday with a sweet message dedicated to his fans.
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