Danielle Fishel and Lance Bass Gush Over Their 'Strong Friendship': 'There Are Few People Who Can Relate to Being a Teen Star'

Danielle Fishel and Lance Bass admit they're lucky to have each other through the ups and the downs.

"I’m so fortunate. This industry can chew people up and spit them out, but we’ve been able to ebb and flow. There were times I thought, 'Is this the end?' Before Girl Meets World, I was actually going to get my master’s in marriage and family therapy — and I was happy on that path. Then the show came along, I started directing… just being able to adapt has been huge. I think a lot of it also comes down to the relationships we’ve built. I’ll say it — we’re both good, authentic people. We’re easy to work with, we haven’t burned bridges, and that goes a long way," the Boy Meets World alum, 44, exclusively tells OK! about her and Bass' partnership with Metamucil to launch its new campaign. "You always want to evolve in an industry you love. I had no idea where I’d be this many years later, but I hoped I’d still be here doing what I love. I feel very lucky I’m still entertaining people —I haven’t been kicked out yet."

"It’s all about pivoting. And I’ve always said — you’d be an incredible talk show host. I love that you’re owning that now," the *NSYNC member, 46, adds.

The two, who both rose to fame in the '90s — Fishel on Boy Meets World and Bass as a band member of *NSYNC — dated for a year after meeting on the Boy Meets World set. They attended prom together before Bass came out as gay in 2006. To this day, they're besties.

"I mean, it’s great that we can still have such a strong friendship this many years later. There are very few people who can relate to being a teen star growing up in that era. No one really knows what you went through except someone like Danielle. I think that’s why we’ve stayed such great friends," the "Bye Bye Bye" singer shares. "And yes, we were boyfriend and girlfriend — that was intended — but I think it was our friendship that really kept us together. That’s what I always wanted. I just saw this amazing, incredible person. We went off to do our own things in life, but we always come back together. And here we are, all these years later, still having this incredible relationship."

Fishel also knows she's grateful to have a pal like Bass. "Like Lance said, there’s such a small group of people who really understand what it’s like to start in the entertainment industry as young as we did. When you make those connections and friendships, you don’t want to let them go easily — you hold onto them," she gushes. "We’ve held onto each other now for four decades, and we’ll continue to do so. The fact that we both now have families and kids of our own — and our kids get to spend time together — we were just talking about our Fourth of July plans. It’s really nice to see the next generation impacted by a friendship we started so many years ago."

Bass adds: "It’s true. People always say your teenage friendships are the ones that last forever — the ones you can really depend on. I feel that way. Everyone I was close with as a teen, I still talk to almost daily. Those are the people who will always treat you the same and bring you back down to earth when you need it," he says.

The Dancing With the Stars alum now has some words of wisdom to her younger self. "I’d say: don’t feel locked into what you think you know. Be open-minded. Take risks. Don’t be afraid to fail — because none of us know what we’re doing until we’re in it. Embrace failure," she says.

Lance states: "I learned way too late that it doesn’t matter what people think of you, especially as a kid, I cared too much — being closeted, worrying about others’ opinions. I was living for other people. Eventually, I learned: other people’s opinions of you are none of your business."

The pair have remained close over the years, and now, the performer is moving closer to Fishel, which means their kids can all hang out more.

"They’re close in age — adjacent," Fishel notes. "Mine are almost seven and almost five. They’ve only hung out a couple of times—we need to fix that."

Bass, who shares twins with husband Michael Turchin, says, "Mine are under four and a half. We will, especially since I’m moving closer to Danielle this summer."

"So the kids will definitely be getting together. We’re already planning pool parties," Fishel, who shares two boys with husband Jensen Karp, exclaims.

In the meantime, the duo — who look amazing — are excited about their latest partnership with Metamucil. Fibermaxxing is having a moment as people burn out on endless wellness fads—and the decade-long obsession with protein is finally making room for the other macro that actually keeps things moving and that 95 percent of Americans are deficient in.

Nutrition expert Amy Shapiro sat down with '90s icons (and friends) Fishel and Bass for candid conversations about their wellness routines, what they’ve learned and why fiber is the underrated foundation. Metamucil's psyllium fiber has been around for 90 years, delivering a simple, science-backed “biohack” that supports that supports digestive health, regularity, appetite control, healthy blood sugar and heart health by lowering cholesterol.

"Millennials, listen up — this is us talking to you. Get on Metamucil now," Bass says.

"Especially if you’re in your 30s — start early," Fishel adds. "It’s so funny — people message me and say, 'Danielle, you look great. What are you doing?' And I’m like, 'Okay, here it is — Metamucil in the morning, here’s my skincare…' That’s what we’re sharing now."

Bass echoes the same sentiment, saying, "I don’t think it’s about age —I think it’s about being smarter. We’re making better choices. People say our generation is aging really well because we weren’t glued to screens — we actually lived life. So apparently, we’re the best-looking demographic."