Celebrity Nooz: Danielle Fishel

Danielle Fishel (Actress) as Topanga Lawrence - Boy Meets World

Updated: 1/15/09

Name: Danielle Fishel

Birth Name: Danielle Christine Fishel

Born: May 5, 1981, Mesa, Arizona

Claim To Fame: Danielle shot to stardom with her role as Topanga Lawrence on the 1990s TV sitcom Boy Meets World.

Family Life: Her parents are Rick Fishel, a medical equipment sales executive and Jennifer Fishel, a homemaker. She has one younger brother, Christopher Fishel. Her most well-known relationship was with Lance Bass, who revealed that he was gay in 2006. Fishel has said that his sexuality was not a shock to her.

Info: At the age of 10, Fishel was discovered while performing in productions of The Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan at a community theater. She began doing voice-overs and commercials, including a bunch as a Barbie Girl for Mattel. She appeared on the hit show Full House as a character named Jennifer, and also had a small role on Harry and the Hendersons. Fishel's mother became her full-time manager.

In 1993, Fishel began playing Topanga Lawrence on ABC's pilot series Boy Meets World. Although originally written as a small part, Topanga quickly became a recurring role. The show earned her a spot on the cover of Seventeen magazine in December 1998. She took home a 1998 Young Star for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series.

Since the series ended in 2000, Fishel has 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: College at Sea (appearing again as "Marla" from the first film), the action film Gamebox 1.0 (playing a dual role), and The Chosen One, an independent animated film in which she provides the voice of the lead female character.

Trivia: Owns 130 pairs of shoes.

Was chosen as one of Teen People Magazine 21 of the hottest stars under 21.

Dated actor Devon Sawa.

Wears a size 7 shoe.

Born on the same day as British R&B singer Craig David.

On December 20, 2007, Danielle was arrested for drunk driving in Newport Beach, California. She was released, then re-arrested, shortly thereafter, when Los Angeles County Police discovered a warrant on her for missing a hearing on a prior DUI case. Upon a tearful plea to the judge, she was released.

All time favorite dessert is frozen yogurt.

Where Are They Now: Fishel became a spokesperson for the Nutrisystems Diet following her 2006 appearance on The Tyra Banks Show, where she discussed her dramatic weight loss using the system. She also became a special correspondent for The Tyra Banks Show, starting in early February 2007.

This past August, she began hosting The Dish for the Style Network, where she makes fun of the latest pop culture icons in a format similar to sister network E! Entertainment Television's The Soup. Fishel also was a guest star on the round table on an episode of Chelsea Lately.

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