Editing Danielle Fishel

{{short description|American actress (born 1981)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Danielle Fishel
| image              = Danielle Fishel Photo Op GalaxyCon Richmond 2023.jpg
| caption            = Fishel at [[GalaxyCon]] Richmond in 2023
| birth_name         = Danielle Christine Fishel
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1981|5|5}}
| birth_place        = [[Mesa, Arizona]], U.S.
| alma_mater         = [[California State University, Fullerton]]
| known_for          = {{hlist|''[[Boy Meets World]]''|''[[The Dish (TV series)|The Dish]]''|''[[Girl Meets World]]''}}
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actress|director}}
| yearsactive        = 1992–present
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Tim Belusko|2013|2016|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Jensen Karp]]|2018}}
}}
| children           = 2
}}

'''Danielle Christine Fishel''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|ɪ|ʃ|əl}} {{respell|FIH|shəl}}; born May 5, 1981)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/danielle-fishel/bio/189751|title=Danielle Fishel: Biography|website=[[TV Guide|TVGuide.com]]|access-date=December 28, 2018|archive-date=September 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928132845/https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/danielle-fishel/bio/189751/|url-status=dead}}</ref> is an American actress and director. She began her career in theater, appearing in community productions of ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|The Wizard of Oz]]'' and ''[[Peter Pan]]''. She made her debut as an actress shortly after, making guest appearances in shows such as ''[[Full House]]'' and [[Harry and the Hendersons (TV series)|''Harry and the Hendersons'']]. In 1993, Fishel was cast as [[Topanga Lawrence]] on the [[teen sitcom]] ''[[Boy Meets World]]'', which ran on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from 1993 to 2000, and reprised the role for its successor ''[[Girl Meets World]]'' on [[Disney Channel]], which aired from 2014 to 2017.

During ''Girl Meets World'', Fishel also began to transition to directing, and she has gone on to direct episodes for other series, including ''[[Raven's Home]]'', ''[[Coop & Cami Ask the World]]'', ''[[Sydney to the Max]]'', ''[[Just Roll with It]]'', ''[[The Villains of Valley View]]'', ''[[Pretty Freekin Scary]]'', and ''[[Lopez vs Lopez]]''.

Fishel was the host of [[Style Network]]'s ''[[The Dish (TV series)|The Dish]],'' and appears in ''[[National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze|National Lampoon's Dorm Daze]],'' as well as its sequel. She was a spokeswoman for [[Nutrisystem]], and is also a resident reporter on ''[[PopSugar]]'', and on their spin-off [[YouTube]] channel, PopSugar Girls Guide.<ref>{{YouTube|user=popsugargirlsguide|POPSUGAR Girls' Guide}}</ref>

==Early life==
Fishel was born in [[Mesa, Arizona]], the daughter of Jennifer, a personal manager, and Rick Fishel, former president of [[Masimo]] Corporation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dotmed.com/news/story/37296|title=Masimo and Midmark partner to improve the acquisition of vital sign data |date=May 16, 2017|author=Lauren Dubinsky}}</ref> She is of partial [[Maltese people|Maltese]] descent.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=daniellefishel |number=273910088794787842|date=November 28, 2012 |title=@briannaberlen thank you! I'm 50% Maltese and 50% everything else.}}</ref> She graduated from [[Calabasas High School]] in [[Calabasas, California]] in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|author=Fionna Agomuoh|url=https://www.ibtimes.com/boy-meets-world-star-graduates-31-danielle-fishel-completes-undergraduate-degree-psychology-956110|title=Boy Meets World Star Graduates At 31; Danielle Fishel Completes An Undergraduate Degree In Psychology|work=[[International Business Times]]|date=December 20, 2012|accessdate=September 18, 2021}}</ref>

==Career==

=== 1991–1998: Career beginnings and debut ===
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=November 2024}}
In 1991, at the age of 10, Fishel was discovered in a community theater where she performed in two productions, ''[[The Wizard of Oz (adaptations)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' and ''[[Peter Pan]]''. She quickly moved on to do voiceovers 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 (TV series)|Harry and the Hendersons]]'', playing Jessica. Fishel's mother became her fulltime manager.

In 1993, at the age of 12, she began her role as [[Topanga Lawrence-Matthews]] on the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] 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. Her character was a sparky, intelligent girl who was mature beyond her years; she replaced the nerdy [[Boy Meets World#Characters|Stuart Minkus]] as the brains of the class. The show ended in 2000 after seven years.

Fishel was on the cover of ''[[Seventeen (American magazine)|Seventeen]]'' magazine in December 1998. She won an award, the 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" in ''[[Teen People]]'' magazine. She was on the cover of ''[[GQ]]'' magazine's hottest stars to watch in the October 1997 issue. She appeared in the music video for "[[Until You Loved Me]]" by Canadian music group [[The Moffatts]].

=== 2003–2011: Films and television presenting ===
{{BLP sources section|date=November 2024}}
Following ''Boy Meets World'', she began to work heavily in television, and in 2003 co-hosted ''[[Say What? Karaoke]]'' on MTV for one season. She also 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]]'' (appearing again as "Marla" from the first film), the action film ''[[Gamebox 1.0]]'' (playing a dual role), and ''[[The Chosen One (2007 film)|The Chosen One]]'', an independent animated film in which she provides the voice of the lead female character.

In 2006, she appeared as a guest on ''[[The Tyra Banks Show]]'' where she discussed her dramatic weight loss with the use of the [[Nutrisystem|Nutrisystems Diet]].<ref name="tyra">[https://web.archive.org/web/20080130112844/http://tyrashow.warnerbros.com/show_recaps/show_recap_fri56.html The Tyra Banks Show]. Friday, October 6, 2006. ''Warnerbros.com''. Retrieved November 6, 2006.</ref> Following her appearance, she became a spokeswoman for Nutrisystem. She also became a special correspondent for ''The Tyra Banks Show'', starting in early February 2007.<ref name="mania411">{{Cite web|url=http://411mania.com/movies/411-movies-interview-danielle-fishel-of-boy-meets-world-and-game-box-1-0/ |title=411 Movies Interview: Danielle Fishel of Boy Meets World and Game Box 1.0 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712221814/http://411mania.com/movies/411-movies-interview-danielle-fishel-of-boy-meets-world-and-game-box-1-0/ |archive-date=July 12, 2015 }}</ref> By 2010, she had gained some of the weight back, and told ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine she could not maintain her Nutrisystem weight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20342961,00.html|title=Boy Meets World's Danielle Fishel 'I'm Okay with My Weight'}}</ref>

From August 2008 to March 2011, Fishel hosted ''[[The Dish (TV series)|The Dish]]'' for the [[Style Network]], which satirized pop culture in a format similar to sister network [[E!]]'s ''[[The Soup]]''. She 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 2012, she became the host of MSN TV's ''Last Night on TV''.

=== 2013–present: Current work ===
[[File:Danielle Fishel photo Red Carpet.jpg|thumb|Fishel at the [[68th Primetime Emmy Awards]] (2016)|224x224px]]
In 2013, she starred in the drama ''[[Boiling Pot]]'' (released in 2015), which is based on true events of racism that occurred on college campuses across the country during the [[2008 United States presidential election]].<ref name=A>{{cite web|title=Keith David on 'Boiling Pot' and more|author=Biese, Alex|date=November 1, 2015|work=[[Asbury Park Press]]|publisher=[[USA Today]]|url=http://www.app.com/story/entertainment/2015/11/01/keith-david-boiling-pot-and-more/74758046/}}</ref> The film also stars [[Louis Gossett Jr.]], [[Keith David]], [[M. Emmet Walsh]], and [[John Heard (actor)|John Heard]]. Fishel plays an average college girl, naive regarding racism and unaware of its existence. In October 2013, she was featured in ''[[Clapping for the Wrong Reasons]]'', a short film to promote [[Childish Gambino]]'s second studio album, ''[[Because the Internet]]''.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

In 2014, she reprised her role of Topanga Lawrence-Matthews in the ''Boy Meets World'' spin-off series, ''[[Girl Meets World]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/06/17/girl-meets-world-disney-photos|title=Girl Meets World Gets the Green Light from Disney|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|author=Nuzhat Naoreen|date=June 17, 2013|access-date=February 16, 2019}}</ref> The series premiered on [[Disney Channel]] on June 27, 2014, and features Topanga and her ''Boy Meets World'' love interest Cory Matthews ([[Ben Savage]]) married in their adult years with two children. The series follows Cory and Topanga's daughter Riley ([[Rowan Blanchard]]) and her friend, Maya ([[Sabrina Carpenter]]) as she enters middle school and tries to navigate through life. The series ended on January 20, 2017, with Topanga declining a job offer that would have moved the family from New York to London.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/823540/girl-meets-world-series-finale-how-did-it-all-end-for-riley-and-maya|title=Girl Meets World Series Finale: How Did It All End for Riley and Maya?|website=E! News|first=Lauren|last=Piester|date=January 20, 2017|access-date=February 16, 2019}}</ref>

In an episode that aired January 9, 2018, she competed against actor [[Jonathan Lipnicki]] on [[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]]'s ''[[Drop the Mic]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aplus.com/a/drop-the-mic-danielle-fishel-jonathan-lipnicki|title=Topanga From 'Boy Meets World' And The 'Jerry Maguire' Kid Face Off On 'Drop The Mic'|website=APlus|first=Carson|last=Blackwelder|date=January 12, 2018|access-date=February 16, 2019}}</ref>

She has hosted the ''Boy Meets World'' rewatch podcast ''[[Pod Meets World]]'' with [[Rider Strong]] and [[Will Friedle]] since 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ridlehoover |first1=John |title='Boy Meets World' Rewatch Podcast Coming Soon From Stars Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong and Will Friedle |date=June 3, 2022 |url=https://collider.com/boy-meets-world-rewatch-podcast-danielle-fishel-rider-strong-will-friedle/ |publisher=Collider}}</ref>

==Personal life==
At age 27,<ref name=us-engaged /> Fishel began attending [[California State University, Fullerton]] (CSUF), graduating in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/blog/2012/12/20/Boy-Meets-World-star-Danielle-Fishel-graduates-college-gets-engaged-at-31/3071356031074 |publisher=[[United Press International]]|title='Boy Meets World' star Danielle Fishel graduates college, gets engaged at 31|first=Gabrielle|last=Levy|date=December 2012|access-date=October 20, 2013}}</ref> During her university studies, she became a math tutor, leading her to meet fellow student Tim Belusko.<ref name=us-engaged>{{cite news|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/boy-meets-worlds-danielle-fishel-is-engaged-graduates-college-20122012|title=Boy Meets World's Danielle Fishel Is Engaged, Graduates College|access-date=March 8, 2013|newspaper=Us Weekly |date=December 20, 2012}}</ref> After over three years' dating, she became engaged to Belusko in May 2012.<ref name="maxim2013">{{cite news|title=Interview: April Cover Girl Danielle "Topanga" Fishel|url=http://www.maxim.com/girls-of-maxim/interview-april-cover-girl-danielle-topanga-fishel|access-date=March 8, 2013|magazine=Maxim|date=March 5, 2013|archive-date=March 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311035556/http://www.maxim.com/girls-of-maxim/interview-april-cover-girl-danielle-topanga-fishel|url-status=dead}}</ref> They married in [[Los Angeles]] on October 19, 2013,<ref>{{cite news|title=Danielle Fishel Marries Fiance Tim Belusko in Downtown L.A. Wedding |url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/danielle-fishel-marries-fiance-tim-belusko-in-downtown-la-wedding-20131910|access-date=October 19, 2013 |work=Us Weekly|date=October 19, 2013 |first=Nicole|last=Eggenberger}}</ref> and Ben Savage and ''[[Home Improvement (TV series)|Home Improvement]]'' cast member [[Jonathan Taylor Thomas]] were said to be in attendance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/danielle-fishel-marries-tim-belusko----see-her-wedding-dress-20132210 |title=Danielle Fishel Marries Tim Belusko: See Photos of Her Wedding Dress - Us Weekly|date=October 22, 2013|work=usmagazine.com}}</ref> In May 2016, it was reported that she had filed for divorce the previous year; this was final in March 2016.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nahas|first=Aili|title=Danielle Fishel and Tim Belusko Are Divorced|url=http://www.people.com/article/danielle-fishel-tim-belusko-are-divorced|work=People|date=May 10, 2016|access-date=May 11, 2016|archive-date=May 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511143350/http://www.people.com/article/danielle-fishel-tim-belusko-are-divorced|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On July 4, 2017, toward the end of episode #303 of his podcast ''Get Up On This'', [[Jensen Karp]] announced that he was dating Fishel. On March 22, 2018, the couple were engaged<ref>{{cite news|title=Danielle Fishel Engaged to ''Drop the Mic'' Producer Jensen Karp |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/922596/danielle-fishel-engaged-to-drop-the-mic-producer-jensen-karp|access-date=April 11, 2018}}</ref> and married on November 4.<ref name="instagram.com">{{cite web |last1=Fishel Karp |first1=Danielle |title=Mr. & Mrs. Karp. Established 11/04/2018. 📸: @jillianbob 💁🏼♀️: @_hairbylaurie 💄: @julie4makeup Coordinator: @union3events @lisagaskarth..." |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BpypI_5F65V/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BpypI_5F65V |archive-date=December 26, 2021 |url-access=registration|website=Instagram |access-date=December 12, 2019 |date=November 5, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Natalya|last=Jaime |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/danielle-fishel-married-jensen-karp-1158434 |title=Danielle Fishel Marries Writer-Producer Jensen Karp |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=November 5, 2018 |access-date=November 12, 2019}}</ref> Their first son was born on June 24, 2019, arriving a month early. He spent three weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit. Fishel said that fluid was found in his lungs that had not been present prior to that. Fishel and Karp had a second son on August 29, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |title=Danielle Fishel's 2 Kids: All About Sons Adler and Keaton |url=https://people.com/all-about-danielle-fishel-kids-7502153 |website=Peoplemag |access-date=13 June 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

On August 19, 2024, Fishel announced on her podcast, ''[[Pod Meets World]]'', that she had been diagnosed with [[Ductal carcinoma in situ|breast cancer]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blackwelder |first1=Carson |title='Boy Meets World' alum Danielle Fishel shares breast cancer diagnosis |url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/boy-meets-world-danielle-fishel-breast-cancer-diagnosis-112943705 |access-date=19 August 2024 |publisher=Good Morning America |date=19 August 2024}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Television===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Year
!Title
!Role
!class="unsortable"|Notes
|-
|1992, 1993 
|''[[Full House]]''
|Jennifer P.
|Episodes: "I'm Not D.J.", "Silence Is Not Golden"
|-
|1993 
|''[[Harry and the Hendersons (TV series)|Harry and the Hendersons]]''
|Jessica
|Episode: "The Long Goodbyes: Part 2"
|-
|1993–2000 
|''[[Boy Meets World]]''
|[[Topanga Lawrence]]
|Recurring role: season 1; main role: seasons 2–7
|-
|1996 
|''[[Kirk (TV series)|Kirk]]''
|Heather
|Episode: "Stuck on You"
|-
|1997 
|''ABC TGIF''
|Topanga
|Episode: "Frightful Halloween Bash"
|-
|2000 
|''[[Rocket's Red Glare]]''
|Sarah Miller
|[[Television film|Movie]]
|-
|2001, 2002 
|''[[Nikki (TV series)|Nikki]]''
|Stacy
|Episodes: "Vaya Con Nikki", "Welcome to the Rest of Your Life"
|-
|2002 
| ''[[The Nightmare Room]]''
|Counselor
|Episode: "Camp Nowhere: Part 1"
|-
| rowspan="2" |2003 
|''[[Say What? Karaoke]]''
|Herself
|Host
|-
|''[[Yes, Dear]]''
|Katie
|Episode: "Sorority Girl"
|-
|2008–2011 
|''[[The Dish (TV series)|The Dish]]''
|Herself
|Host
|-
|2009 
| ''The Fuse 20''
|Herself
|Host
|-
|2012 
| ''[[The Soup]]''
|Lizdsay Taylorhan / Herself
|Episode: "The Soup Salutes WWE Pile Driving Clips in Your Face"
|-
|2014–2017 
|''[[Girl Meets World]]''
|Topanga Lawrence-Matthews
|Main role; also director (4 episodes), writer (1 episode)
|-
|2015–2016 
|''[[Gravity Falls]]''
|Pyronica
|Voice role; three-part finale: "Weirdmageddon"
|-
|2018
|''[[Drop the Mic]]''
|Herself
|Episode: "Danielle Fishel vs. [[Jonathan Lipnicki]] / [[Shania Twain]] vs. [[Meghan Trainor]]"
|-
|2019
|''[[Star vs. the Forces of Evil]]''
|Librarian
|Voice role; episode: "Kelly's World"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2019/02/07/star-vs-the-forces-of-evil-ending-season-4-premiere-date-disney-xd/|title=Disney's ''Star vs. the Forces of Evil'' Ending With Season 4|website=TVLine|first=Andy|last=Swift|date=February 7, 2019}}</ref>
|-
|2022, 2025
|''[[The Masked Singer (American TV series)|The Masked Singer]]''
|Herself
|[[The Masked Singer (American season 8)|Guest]]
|}

===Film===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Year
!Title
!Role
!class="unsortable"|Notes
|-
|2000 
|''[[Longshot (film)|Longshot]]''
|Gloria
|
|-
|2003 
|''[[National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze]]''
|Marla
|
|-
|2004 
|''[[Gamebox 1.0]]''
|Kate/Princess
|
|-
|2006 
|''[[National Lampoon's Dorm Daze 2]]''
|Marla
|
|-
|2007 
|''[[The Chosen One (2007 film)|The Chosen One]]''
|Donna Goldstein
|Voice role
|-
|2013
|''[[Clapping for the Wrong Reasons]]''
|Herself
|Short film
|-
|2015 
|''[[Boiling Pot]]''
|Valerie Davis
|
|}

===Director===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Notes
|-
| 2016–2017 || ''[[Girl Meets World]]'' || 4 episodes
|-
| 2019–2021 || ''[[Sydney to the Max]]'' || 11 episodes
|-
| 2019–2022 || ''[[Raven's Home]]'' || 7 episodes
|-
| 2019–2020 || ''[[Coop & Cami Ask the World]]'' || 2 episodes
|-
| 2020 || ''[[Just Roll with It]]'' || Episode: "Aliens Among Us"
|-
| 2022–2023 || ''[[The Villains of Valley View]]'' || 7 episodes 
|-
| 2023–2025 || ''[[Lopez vs Lopez]]'' || 8 episodes
|-
| 2023 || ''[[Pretty Freekin Scary]]'' || 4 episodes
|-
| 2025 || ''[[Wizards Beyond Waverly Place]]'' || 2 episodes 
|-
| 2025 || ''[[Shifting Gears (TV series)|Shifting Gears]]'' || Episode: "Grief"
|}

==Accolades==
{|class="wikitable"
!Year!!Association!!Category!!Work!!Result!!{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
| 1996
| [[Young Artist Awards]]
| [[17th Youth in Film Awards#Best Performance by a Young Actress: TV Comedy Series|Best Performance by a Young Actress: TV Comedy Series]]
| ''Boy Meets World''
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"|<ref>[http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms17.htm 17th Young Artist Awards] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110317154819/http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms17.htm |date=March 17, 2011 }} (1995). youngartistawards.com. Accessed June 6, 2012.</ref>
|-
| 1997
| Young Artist Awards
| [[18th Youth in Film Awards#Best Performance in a TV Comedy: Supporting Young Actress|Best Performance in a TV Comedy: Supporting Young Actress]]
| ''Boy Meets World''
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"|<ref>[http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms18.htm 18th Young Artist Awards] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402060451/http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms18.htm |date=April 2, 2011 }} (1996). youngartistawards.com. Accessed June 6, 2012.</ref>
|-
|1998
|[[YoungStar Award]]s
|Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series
|''Boy Meets World''
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000718/1998/1/|title=YoungStar Awards (1998)|website=IMDb|language=en|access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=October 2019}}
|-
|2000
|YoungStar Awards
|Best Young Actress/Performance in a Comedy TV Series
|''Boy Meets World''
|{{nominated}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000718/2000/1/|title=YoungStar Awards (2000)|website=IMDb|language=en|access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=October 2019}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://daniellefishel.com/}}
* {{IMDb name|0004918}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fishel, Danielle}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses from Arizona]]
[[Category:Actresses from California]]
[[Category:American child actresses]]
[[Category:American film actresses]]
[[Category:American people of Maltese descent]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:Television personalities from California]]
[[Category:American women television personalities]]
[[Category:California State University, Fullerton alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Mesa, Arizona]]
[[Category:People from Yorba Linda, California]]
[[Category:American television directors]]
[[Category:American women television directors]]
[[Category:Actors from Maricopa County, Arizona]]