Boy Meets World’s Original Topanga Actress Opens Up About Why She Was Fired, And Danielle Fishel Had Thoughts
The cast and crew of Boy Meets World have candidly spoken about their experience on the classic sitcom since the podcast Pod Meets World started in 2022. There have been anecdotes ranging from heartwarming to jarring to surprising. One of the more surprising tidbits was Danielle Fishel being the second actress to play the beloved Topanga Lawrence. A year after starting the podcast, the Pod Meets World hosts finally talked with the original Topanga Lawrence – The Ring icon Bonnie Morgan. Morgan opened up about why she was fired, and Fishel had thoughts about the situation.
The original Topanga actress finally got to tell her side of things on Pod Meets World. The conversation was spurred by a one-on-one call between Bonnie Morgan and Danielle Fishel. Morgan admitted getting the role wasn’t easy as there was a power struggle between creator Michael Jacobs and other entities. Upon arriving on the set, she soon found out one of those entities was Season 1 and 2 director David Trainer.
Morgan recalled Trainer getting frustrated after she flubbed her lines a few times due to teasing from series star Ben Savage. Eventually, things came to a head with her delivery of “peace”, leading to the veteran TV producer pushing her to say “happy birthday” in a certain tone. Despite her negative experiences with both Trainer and Savage, the Ring star was prepared to come back the next week. She was unaware her first day was her last. The former child actress said it was her longtime agent who relayed to her father that Morgan had lost the role. After some prodding from her agent, Morgan said she found out the real reason behind her firing:
[I] had been with my agent for a very long time, I’d been working with her a very long time. The director said that I couldn’t take directions, which was one thing I’d never been accused of. My agent immediately fought back on that one. It came out very quickly to my agent that the director didn’t think I was pretty enough. Literally did not think I was pretty enough, so that meant that a grown man, a boss, could lie and tell me I was untalented because the fact was he didn’t think I was pretty.
Hearing the feedback left the Hollywood stunt performer devastated then. Boy Meets World alum Rider Strong theorized the decision to let her go was made during the table read. However, Morgan countered that she felt her firing was in the works soon after scoring the role.
Bonnie Morgan’s story was reminiscent of Danielle Fishel’s first day on set with Michael Jacobs. After listening to Morgan’s account again, Fishel realized a key factor in both situations. She said:
There was a power struggle that had nothing to do with the characters, or Topanga, or the actors at all. It was a power struggle between two adults who wanted power period and we were all just [pawns].
Fishel’s words seemed to ring true as both Trainer and Jacobs had their favorites to play the beloved character. Unfortunately, the two actresses got caught in the middle despite the series' original plan for the character. The Topanga Lawrence actress elaborated on the power struggle between the two TV veterans, saying:
That notes session had nothing to do with me, it had nothing to do with my performance. And guess what? Everything Bonnie had happen had nothing to do with Bonnie, had nothing to do with her looks, had nothing to do with her performance. It was another storyline that was playing out behind the scenes, and we were just characters in the play. And we never would have known that had we not talked.
It was nice to know the two actresses put the issue behind them, three decades after Morgan’s dismissal from one of the 1990s' most popular shows. The performer admitted to resenting Fishel for years before the two women had their fateful phone call.
Bonnie Morgan and Danielle Fishel’s Boy Meets World stories weren’t anything new for the series as multiple stars, including Trina McGee, have recalled less-than-pleasant experiences on the set. However, that doesn’t have to taint the ABC comedy’s fun and wholesome memories for its fanbase.
If you want to relive those precious memories, get a Disney+ subscription to watch every season of the series. If you want to hear more stories like this, listen to Fishel, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle weekly on Pod Meets World through iHeartRadio.
