In 1993, Boy Meets World was your typical cookie-cutter ABC sitcom about Cory Matthews (Ben Savage), a kid handling life. An early episode has Cory paired up for a project with Topanga, an incredibly quirky girl. They have it rough at first but in a later episode, Cory helps Topanga save a teacher from being fired and in return, she gives him a kiss. Soon, Danielle Fishel was added as a full regular and that’s when the show truly took off. For seven seasons, fans watched as Topanga grew up into a truly beautiful young woman and her romance with Cory was central to the show. They finally tied the knot and the series ended with them moving on to a new life in New York. Fishel would remain popular with some acting bits and wowed fans with a spread in Maxim magazine.

In 2014, the Disney Channel delighted fans by bringing the cast back for Girl Meets World as Cory and Topanga raise their quirky teenage daughter Riley and learn more lessons themselves. Fishel was great as Topanga realizes her life as a corporate lawyer isn’t fulfilling and thus runs a bakery. It only lasted three seasons but still loved thanks to how popular Fishel is. However, there’s a lot about this actress even some big fans may not know about. From her iconic role to some personal events to the kind of stuff she loves, the former childhood knockout has some things that can surprise you. Here’s 20 secret of Topanga to amaze fans and remind you why Fishel is loved by two generations.

She Wasn’t Truly Ready for Puberty

It’s always amazing to watch a show where the kids grow into adulthood before your eyes. The cast of BMW hit that big time in various ways. Ben Savage’s Cory was a bit dorky, but he grew into himself. But almost between seasons, Savage grew several inches and got a more muscular frame along with a new voice that added more fun to Cory’s whacky lines. In Fishel’s case, she told TV Guide how she finished season two still looking a bit gangly and thin but in season three suddenly possessed some knockout curves. It led to a change in Topanga, no longer able to be the “wallflower” given she was now a knockout. Thus, an episode has Topanga suddenly getting a bit vain in makeup and hair before realizing she can still be true to herself even with her beauty.

Fishel has admitted in her biography it was a major change as she wasn’t prepared for Topanga to suddenly gain a huge male fanbase. She showed she was more comfortable with her Maxim magazine spread yet it shows how even a TV star can be shaken by puberty. (Source: EW)

The Fans Decided On the Wedding

For years, fans knew Cory and Topanga were destined to be together. It was obvious and the show built on that with Cory popping the question. However, ABC was worried that the fact the characters were still in college when getting married might send the wrong message. They were also concerned that it would make the duo seem too old for their younger fans. But creator Michael Jacobs was serious about wanting them to get married and explore the challenges of the “perfect love” given the ultimate test.

So he took it to the Internet, asking fans to vote if they would want a wedding mid-season or save it for the series finale. Internet polls weren’t a regular thing back then so it was notable that fans overwhelmingly voted for the wedding to be sooner than later.

Realizing it was what the audience wanted, ABC agreed. The wedding was a terrific episode. What was even better was the following episodes with the fallouts, the bad apartment in which they live and the troubles of adulthood. Their parents refuse to help him, but as usual there is a lesson to learn. This particular one was that their parents wanted them to bond as a couple while going through these hard times. Instead of ruining the show, the wedding just enhanced the last episodes of the series and paved the way for the spin-off to prove it was what the fans wanted. (Source: Seventeen)

Her On-Screen Family Kept Changing

It’s not uncommon for a show that’s run a long time to change actors. Famously, Cory’s little sister Morgan was played by two different actresses over the show’s run (both of him popped up in the same role on Girl Meets World) Cory’s parents on the show were played by William Russ and Betsy Randle and they stayed the same for the show’s entire run (and also reprised their roles on Girl). However, Topanga’s parents would change a lot due to various scheduling issues.

Her father, Jedidiah, was first played by Peter Tork, best known as a member of the classic TV rock band the Monkees. Next to play him was Michael McKean, the veteran actor from This is Spinal Tap and countless movies and TV shows. A final appearance had him portrayed by Mark Harelik, another veteran actor for the big wedding episode. Topanga’s mother, Rhiannon, was played in a single episode by veteran actress Annette O’Toole when Topanga discovers her parents are getting divorced. For later episodes, including the Cory/Topanga wedding, she was played by Marcia Cross who was in between Melrose Place and Desperate Housewives. No wonder Topanga turned out so unique given she had five different parents. (Source: Complex)

The Secret On-Set Drawer

It didn’t take long for the cast of Girl Meets World to bond, especially considering how well Fishel gets along with on-screen daughter Rowan Blanchard. Fishel and Savage wanted to make the set of the Matthews’ apartment feel like a real home to help their scenes out.

This includes how one wall of the living room has a back side where the cast writes inspirational messages to each other and advice to carry on.

Another bit is something that Fishel had carried over from the old BMW set. While obviously the kitchen is mostly for show, one drawer is packed by Fishel with gum and Tic Tacs. She munches on them between scenes, using them as a calming technique for some tough performances. It’s a fun bit to keep an eye out for watching the show and how even the modern Topanga has some tricks up her sleeve to surprise fans. (Source: Ohmy.Disney)

How She Got the Name

From the start, Topanga’s very name set her apart. It was meant to show she was an odd person with a New Age mentality and quirky style. But the name itself was just totally off the cuff and came from a surprising source. Creator Michael Jacobs was driving when he got a call from the writers about the script introducing Topanga who at that point didn’t have a name. They said they were on a deadline and needed a name fast.

Put on the spot, Jacobs looked up to see a sign saying he was coming up to Topanga Canyon and simply said “Topanga” into the phone. Yes, this iconic character got her name just because of where Jacobs was driving.

Fishel loves to crack that had he been called two miles later “I would’ve been named Canoga.” Fishel also shares amazement at how she’s met many a mother who named her daughter Topanga after her. (Source: SheKnows)

Her Finale Breakdown Was Unscripted

As you’d expect from a show that ran seven seasons, it was very emotional when Boy Meets World reached its end in 2000. Cory and Topanga decided to move to New York where Topanga got an internship at a law firm and Shawn and Eric follow them. The final scene has Cory, Topanga and Shawn meeting Mr. Feeny in their old middle school classroom as he gives them a wonderful speech on how proud he is of all of them and to live out their dreams. Topanga starts to talk of how much Feeny means to her but stops and bursts into tears to embrace him.

As it turns out, that moment was not in the script as Topanga was to deliver the speech and sit. But while speaking to the man she had seen as a great co-star for seven years, Fishel completely lost it and the hug was purely impromptu. She expected the director to call cut and reshoot the scene but the audience reaction made the producers realize this was utterly perfect. It was kept in to make this a terrific finale and Fishel’s own feelings enhancing a great scene. (Source: Today)

What Teen TV Show She Loves

Sure, the Boy Meets World cast were TV stars but even they had their favorite shows. The cast were kids, after all and thus as TV obsessed as anyone else in the ‘90s. However, Fishel’s favorite show wasn’t any of the other TGIF series or even that ‘90s standby Saved By the Bell. Rather, it was NBC’s California Dreams.

The long-running sitcom focused on a group of teens who handled high school life while becoming a band and amassed a good following over the years. Fishel cracks that “I didn’t think you could get preppier than Saved By the Bell but this show did” and watched every episode multiple times. She never crossed paths with any members of that cast but still has a soft spot for the series to showcase how the star of one classic ‘90s teen show was just as crazy about another.

She Loves Being a Style Icon

A big deal on the show was Topanga being an “outsider” with a weird style of clothing at first. As the character grew, she got a very stylish wardrobe that soon became copied by slews of young female viewers. Fishel admits being surprised but soon came to appreciate being something of a style icon.

She shares in her book how happy it makes her to not only be a style icon, but to know that kids are still finding this show on TV and loving it.

A big deal was in 2017 when Fishel started talking on her Instagram account of becoming obsessed with a pair of sunglasses at a shop. She wouldn’t buy them but once a week go into the store, try them on and then dream about them. Finally, Sabrina Carpenter bought them for Fishel for Christmas to make them a regular feature of her selfies. It shows even today, Topanga has a style all her own. (Source: InStyle)

She and Cory Only Had One Real Date

On-screen, the chemistry between Fishel and Ben Savage is huge. It’s the reason why this one-off character was changed to a regular and pushed their wonderful on-screen romance. With them so close on-screen, there was naturally talk of them dating in real life. While guesting on Tyra Banks’ talk show, Fishel mentioned they had gone out and before long, folks thought they were hot and heavy. But Fishel has set the record straight in her autobiography: She and Savage only had one real date.

It actually ended up nearly being a “dine and dash” as they were at a Denny’s and realized too late neither had their wallets.

The manager let Savage go home to get his and both laughed about it. They realized they just didn’t feel anything for each other in real life and agreed to end it at that. So while they may have an absolutely amazing on-screen relationship going, in real life Cory and Topanga are nothing more than good friends.

The Dish

Topanga is of course Fishel’s biggest role and she loves it dearly. It’s what she’s associated with and the fact is that (due to her having focused on college), she hasn’t done much acting outside it. However, for three years, Fishel did have a regular TV role, although it’s one many of her own fans may have forgotten about. The Dish aired on the Style Network (Later Esquire before going out of business in 2017) from 2008 to 2011. A spin-off of the popular E! show The Soup, Fishel was on a green screen stage and doing a fun recap of various celebrity news over the last week.

Regular features included tabloid stories, morning shows and shopping and fashion. Fishel was funny and charming in the role, meeting the occasional celebrity guest and loving these nutty clips of stars and fashion. Each episode ended with the “Freak of the Week,” an incredibly wild person from either reality TV or a soap opera with Fishel then imitating it. It was canceled with little warning. (Source: IMBD)

Rider Stole Her Wedding Day

Obviously, Fishel gets along great with her Boy co-stars. After all, she and Ben Savage reunited for Girl Meets World and Rider Strong reprised his role as Shawn in several episodes of the series. They still maintain this friendship off-camera but it can have some rough bits now and then.

In 2013, Fishel was all set to marry Tim Belusko but the day beforehand, Rider Strong got married himself.

Strong admitted he was wrong to schedule it like that as Fishel had set her date first and thus guaranteed each would miss the other’s wedding. Fishel admits in her biography that she was angry with him over it as seeing it as taking away some of the special feeling of her day. Thankfully, the duo remain on great terms (the fact Fishel and Belusko got divorced means she no longer considers that wedding so sacred) but showcases how even best friends can have some clashes. (Source: CNN)

You Can See Her Tattoo on the Show

While BMW could have some edge at times, it was still meant as a wholesome ABC family comedy. Thus, having stars acting up or looking too old was seriously frowned upon. In the show’s final season, Fishel was finally starting to break away a bit from her wholesome image, knowing the series was ending and with it her role model status. Thus, she got a tattoo on the back of her neck with Chinese lettering.

Thanks to how Fishel always had long and lush hair, it was kept nicely covered up to the point no one knew about it. For the final scene, Topanga had her hair in pigtails and it was only in post-production the producers saw it. As that shoot had been so perfect, they couldn’t do a retake of it. Thus, when you watch the finale, keep an eye out and you can see Topanga with some ink, a major change from the little girl she once was.

she has a record

Sadly, there’s a very long list of child stars who end up making headlines more for their run-ins with the law than anything they do with their careers. For the most part, Fishel has avoided the problems that have brought down far too many of the actors she spent her time working with. However, even Fishel isn’t immune to this.

In December of 2007, Fishel was pulled over while driving erratically in Newport Beach. This was actually her second time as she had missed a court date for her previous one.

Naturally, tabloids were filled with worries that she was going to be the next Lindsay Lohan. However, the whole thing was swept under the rug fast, Fishel paying her fine and doing some community service. She landed her job on The Dish a few months after. It is a sore subject as she refuses to talk about it but given her success since, it looks like it was just a brief low point in her life. (Source: AccessOnline)

Her Mom Knew About Lance Bass Before Anyone Else

Back in 1996, NSYNC wasn’t quite the mega-famous group they would become, still working mostly in Europe while finding their way around in the U.S. Fishel and Lance Bass were classmates and began dating. In fact, Bass was her prom date.

It never went beyond a few kisses but after six months, Bass broke up with her by phone. Fishel was heartbroken with her mother giving her some comfort.

She openly stated to her daughter that although he was a wonderful boyfriend who always treated her well, that he was batting for the other team.

Fishel was surprised but thinking about it, realized her mom could be right. She kept it to herself, thinking it wasn’t her business to spread gossip around. Sure enough, years later, Bass publicly came out, showing that Mrs. Fishel has some pretty good instincts about who her daughter dates. (Source: HollywoodReporter)

Ben Affleck Saved Her

In her memoir, Fishel naturally shares stories of knowing a few famous faces. But the most notable had to be a run-in with a major A-list star. At a Halloween party, Fishel took a tumble in her five-inch heels and ended up tearing her stockings and ended up with a busted lip. While most just looked at her, out came what Fishel describes as a “terrifyingly handsome" man who helped her up and to a chair while seeing to her lip.

As Fishel recalls thinking at the time, “this handsome giant is Ben freaking Affleck, and you might bleed on him.”

The idea of the future Batman whisking in like a hero is priceless and definitely made Fishel a fan of his for life. They didn’t talk too much afterward but Fishel gushes about how it felt to have Affleck help her out and show his heart so you can be certain she’s one guy who can claim Affleck is a real hero. (Source: PageSix)

The Ruby’s Diner Obsession

Every actor has their little quirks and touches that set them apart. They all have their obsessions and several of them can boast to a certain kind of food. For Fishel, anyone who follows her social media accounts knows the woman is absolutely obsessed with Ruby’s Diner. Doug Cavanaugh based the namesake of his California restaurant on his mother and saw it expand to a chain across five states. There was one by the studio during filming of BMW that Fishel made a regular stop to.

Over the years, that love has continued to the point where barely a week goes by without Fishel sharing a selfie at a Ruby’s. She even dressed up like a waitress for Halloween and gushes on their menu. That she maintains a great shape despite making this a regular part of her diet is remarkable and shows that Topanga makes a Ruby’s a needed part of her life.

She May Have Invented the Modern Selfie

The term “selfie” came to be in 2005. Before that, the idea of taking your own photo and posting it online wasn’t as huge a deal as it is today.

Social media accounts helped bring it to prominence with Paris Hilton claiming she was the one who turned it into a thing. However, Will Friedle (who played Cory’s brother Eric) took it to Paris by sharing pics from the ‘90s of Fishel constantly taking photos of herself with cast-mates.

Keep in mind this was long before camera phones, she was doing this with a regular camera and clearly having a good time. Now, of course, the idea of taking your own photo has been around for a long time so it’s hard to say she truly “invented” it. But the fact that Fishel was using an old-style camera to take these types of photos and have them look like any selfie today is notable and shows she was ahead of the curve long before social media came to be.

She Still Keeps in Touch With her TGIF Pals

In its prime, ABC’s TGIF comedy block dominated the ratings and the network loved to have the casts mingle for big events. Thus, a few friendships were formed that still last today. Fishel remains close to her BMW co-stars but she also loves to stay in touch with some other former TGIF folks.

An episode of The Dish had Tia and Tamara Mowry of Sister, Sister dropping by for a visit (Fishel: “I haven’t seen you guys since you stopped dressing alike all the time”) and having a good time.

Also, having guested on Full House before her Boy fame, Fishel enjoys hanging with those cast members and made it clear she’d love a guest role on Fuller House. They also hang out at parties and love to talk about their experiences and how it felt growing up in the limelight of TV. They may be a long way away from their ‘90s fame but Fishel has acknowledged these stars have a bond that just won’t fade.

She Has A Feud With Bob Saget

Most know Bob Saget by his role as the wholesome, cleaning-obsessed Danny Tanner on Full House. But Saget has had a great time making fun of that image and surprising many with his rather risqué stand-up comedy routines. It’s well known the man had a partying lifestyle behind the scenes that brought about some fun stories.

Fishel shared one from 2013, where she told the L.A. Times of how they were sharing a plane ride for a network meeting. Fishel was trying to get some sleep when Saget tore through the curtains to the back, demanded “anyone have any coke?” and laughed at her dad.

Saget slammed back at her when he found out she was annoyed, making fun of her body. He also says the whole coke line was a joke. It seems the two still don’t get along well to show Danny Tanner has a dark side. (Source: LATimes)

Fishel Wasn’t the First Topanga

Today, it’s almost impossible to imagine anyone else as Topanga. Fishel just imbued the part perfectly from the get-go and won fans over to the point of taking what should have been a one-episode character and making her central to the series. So it may be shocking to discover she wasn’t the first choice for the role. Fishel loves to tell of how she came to audition, all bubbly and bright but the producers feeling that wasn’t right for the character. She thus failed and the role was instead landed by Marla Sokoloff, best known for The Practice and her role as Gia in Full House (which she reprised for Fuller House).

However, a scheduling conflict meant Sokoloff couldn’t take the role just yet. So Fishel was called back and this time played it with the calm other-worldly aura the producers were looking for. It worked out as she landed the part and amazing how close Fishel came to not becoming so famous. (Source: BlindGossip)