Danielle Fishel Felt 'Huge, Fat and Disgusting' Filming 'Boy Meets World' Episode About Her Character Gaining Weight: 'That Made Me Angry'

Danielle Fishel recently opened up about her discomfort with the Boy Meets World storyline that focused on her character, Topanga's weight, during an episode of her podcast, Pod Meets World.

The actress addressed the emotional challenges she faced when her weight became a source of humor on the show.

Fishel, who began her role at the age of 12 weighing 94 pounds, found herself at 19 weighing 115 pounds. “When I started the show at 12, I did weigh 94 pounds, and now I’m 19 and I weigh you know, 115 or whatever it is, and I have put on that weight,” she stated.

The weight gain became a focal point in the show's narrative, particularly in the season 7 episode titled "She’s Having My Baby Back Ribs."

In this episode, Topanga struggles with her weight after finding her pants too tight, leading her husband, Cory Matthews, to mistakenly believe she is pregnant.

Fishel reflected on the episode, saying, “I’m sure there was a part of me that understood why parts of it were funny then too.” However, she expressed confusion over why she took the storyline so personally.

During wardrobe fittings for the episode, Fishel wore jeans that were either a size 26 or 27, which equates to a size 2 or 4.

Despite knowing this, she felt immense pressure regarding her body image, stating, “I knew no matter how I feel about my own body, because I was definitely like, ‘I’m huge, I’m fat, I’m disgusting.’”

The actress highlighted the problematic nature of the storyline, emphasizing how it portrayed a size four woman's concerns about her body.

“I knew that, factually, a size four is something most American women would think of as being borderline emaciated, and yet we’re gonna do an entire episode around the fact that this size four woman has to be this concerned about her weight and her body, and that made me angry.”

Fishel's podcast cohost, Will Friedle, shared insights into their experiences during the filming of this episode.

The two actors were called into a meeting with show executives to discuss the storyline. To cope with the situation, they tried to approach it with humor. “We both, to protect ourselves, instantly went the laughing fun route,” Friedle explained.

As they revisited the episode, Friedle noted the discomfort surrounding physical interactions, particularly the numerous instances of characters touching Topanga's stomach. Fishel added, “I never put it together. I hate people touching my stomach.” This discomfort raises questions about the long-term impact of such storylines on both actors and audiences.

Fishel's reflections serve as an important reminder of the influence of television narratives on body image perceptions.

As she continues to share her experiences, fans are left to consider the implications of these discussions on future projects and the narratives presented in the entertainment industry.