Danielle Fishel revealed that “Boy Meets World” creator Michael Jacobs threatened to fire her on her first day.
The actress, who played Topanga Lawrence on the show, recalled her first rehearsal on the most recent episode of her podcast, “Pod Meets World.”
Fishel, who described her 12-year-old self as “bubbly, fast-talking [and] brave,” said she found it “very hard to speak slowly,” and that seemed to bother Jacobs.
She explained that at the end of rehearsals, Jacobs gave her some pretty harsh feedback and even threatened to fire her.
He told his co-hosts and former castmates Rider Strong and Will Friedle: “Michael starts the notes by saying, ‘Danielle, I’m going to give you all your notes at once at the end and I’m going to do it. Give everyone else notes now because if I sat everyone here through all the notes I have for you, we’d all be here for hours and no one would go home.
Fishel recalled being up all night and being coached by his mother to speak more slowly. Disney General Entertainment Con
She continued, “From that moment I remember my eyes filling up because I’m in front of everyone. All the producers, all the writers, all the cast and all eyes are on me for a second.”
After reviewing his notes, Jacobs, 67, told Fishel and his mother, “All I know is that if you don’t come back tomorrow doing it a totally different way, you won’t be here either.”
At 12 years old, Danielle Fisher was not prepared for the harsh criticism of the show’s creator, Michael Jacobs. Disney General Entertainment Con
Fishel proceeded to stay all night with her mother, who trained her to speak much more slowly. This apparently worked because the next day, Jacobs applauded her during rehearsals.
She told her co-hosts: “He gets up and all the writers get up next to him and say, ‘Let’s give Danielle a round of applause.’ You did exactly what I asked, thank you. Congratulations, it was wonderful’”.
Fishel, who had actually come in as a replacement for the original actress as Topanga, managed to score the role.
Fishel told the story to his podcast co-hosts and former co-stars, Rider Strong and Will Friedle. Getty Images
Commenting on the incident, Strong, 42, told her: “I can see that this still affects you. As I can see sitting here next to you, it still affects you.”
David Trainer, who was the show’s director and a guest star on the podcast, added: “Hearing that, you’re sweating, I’m angry.”
He also called Jacob’s behavior “hateful.”
Fishel was one of the main stars of “Boy Meets World” and was on the show for all seven seasons.
She also reprized her role as Topanga in the spin-off show, “Girl Meets World,” which ran from 2014 to 2017.