'Boy Meets World' Star Danielle Fishel Recalls 'Creepy' Experiences With Older Men On Set

Stephanie Soteriou / BuzzFeed
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Danielle Fishel was just 12 years old when she was cast as Topanga Lawrence in the ABC sitcom
Danielle Fishel was just 12 years old when she was cast as Topanga Lawrence in the ABC sitcom

ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Danielle Fishel was just 12 years old when she was cast as Topanga Lawrence in the ABC sitcom "Boy Meets World."

The series ran for seven seasons between 1993 and 2000 and chronicled the life of main character Cory Matthews alongside his friends and family.
The series ran for seven seasons between 1993 and 2000 and chronicled the life of main character Cory Matthews alongside his friends and family.

ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

The series ran for seven seasons between 1993 and 2000 and chronicled the life of main character Cory Matthews alongside his friends and family.

Rider Strong was 14 years old when he was cast as Cory’s best friend, Shawn Hunter, and Will Friedle was 17 when he landed the role of Cory’s big brother, Eric Matthews.
Rider Strong was 14 years old when he was cast as Cory’s best friend, Shawn Hunter, and Will Friedle was 17 when he landed the role of Cory’s big brother, Eric Matthews.

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Rider Strong was 14 years old when he was cast as Cory’s best friend, Shawn Hunter, and Will Friedle was 17 when he landed the role of Cory’s big brother, Eric Matthews.

The actors have remained incredibly close friends in the decades since
The actors have remained incredibly close friends in the decades since

Tommaso Boddi / Getty Images for iHeartRadio

The actors have remained incredibly close friends in the decades since "Boy Meets World" ended. Just last year, Fishel, Strong, and Friedle launched their rewatch podcast, "Pod Meets World," where they speak openly about their memories and personal experiences on the show with special guests.

Fishel also revealed that her agent and father forced her to boycott a table read because of a huge pay disparity between her and her costars.
Fishel also revealed that her agent and father forced her to boycott a table read because of a huge pay disparity between her and her costars.

ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Fishel also revealed that her agent and father forced her to boycott a table read because of a huge pay disparity between her and her costars.

She later exposed a dark side of child fame when she recounted being catfished by a grown man who pretended to be a young girl in order to establish a regular correspondence with her. The man ended up showing up at Fishel's school and telling people that he was there to pick her up.
She later exposed a dark side of child fame when she recounted being catfished by a grown man who pretended to be a young girl in order to establish a regular correspondence with her. The man ended up showing up at Fishel's school and telling people that he was there to pick her up.

ABC / Disney

She later exposed a dark side of child fame when she recounted being catfished by a grown man who pretended to be a young girl in order to establish a regular correspondence with her. The man ended up showing up at Fishel's school and telling people that he was there to pick her up.

And in Thursday’s episode of the podcast, Fishel detailed some more harrowing experiences from her childhood as a result of her
And in Thursday’s episode of the podcast, Fishel detailed some more harrowing experiences from her childhood as a result of her

Paul Archuleta / Getty Images

And in Thursday’s episode of the podcast, Fishel detailed some more harrowing experiences from her childhood as a result of her "Boy Meets World" stardom.

The gang were joined by Bruh Meets World hosts Ceej and TJ, who asked the cast what it was like to be “an object of desire at such a young age,” and how it impacted their “dating life and sexuality.”
The gang were joined by Bruh Meets World hosts Ceej and TJ, who asked the cast what it was like to be “an object of desire at such a young age,” and how it impacted their “dating life and sexuality.”

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The gang were joined by Bruh Meets World hosts Ceej and TJ, who asked the cast what it was like to be “an object of desire at such a young age,” and how it impacted their “dating life and sexuality.”

Now 42, Fishel admitted that she’d only recently processed how being sexualized as a child had affected her growing up, before going on to recall some of the “creepy” experiences she’d had with older men while on set.
Now 42, Fishel admitted that she’d only recently processed how being sexualized as a child had affected her growing up, before going on to recall some of the “creepy” experiences she’d had with older men while on set.

ABC / Disney

Now 42, Fishel admitted that she’d only recently processed how being sexualized as a child had affected her growing up, before going on to recall some of the “creepy” experiences she’d had with older men while on set.

As a child, Fishel didn’t realize that what was being said to her was inappropriate, but in hindsight, she now knows that it was “absolutely wrong.”
As a child, Fishel didn’t realize that what was being said to her was inappropriate, but in hindsight, she now knows that it was “absolutely wrong.”

ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

As a child, Fishel didn’t realize that what was being said to her was inappropriate, but in hindsight, she now knows that it was “absolutely wrong.”

“As a kid, I always wanted to be older,” she began. “I wanted to be an adult, I wanted to be seen as an adult, so getting adult male attention as a teenage girl … I didn’t think of it as being creepy or weird.”
“As a kid, I always wanted to be older,” she began. “I wanted to be an adult, I wanted to be seen as an adult, so getting adult male attention as a teenage girl … I didn’t think of it as being creepy or weird.”

ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

“As a kid, I always wanted to be older,” she began. “I wanted to be an adult, I wanted to be seen as an adult, so getting adult male attention as a teenage girl … I didn’t think of it as being creepy or weird.”

Fishel went on, “It felt like validation that I was mature and I was an adult and I was capable. And that they were seeing me the way I was, not for the number on a page. And in hindsight, that is absolutely wrong.”
Fishel went on, “It felt like validation that I was mature and I was an adult and I was capable. And that they were seeing me the way I was, not for the number on a page. And in hindsight, that is absolutely wrong.”

ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Fishel went on, “It felt like validation that I was mature and I was an adult and I was capable. And that they were seeing me the way I was, not for the number on a page. And in hindsight, that is absolutely wrong.”

Fishel added, “Even directly to me, I had people tell me they had my 18th birthday on their calendar. I had a male executive, I did a calendar at 16, and he specifically told me he had a certain calendar month in his bedroom. And at the time, my first thought was a little bit like … oh … but the immediate thought after that was, 'Yes, because we are peers and this is how you relate to peers.'”

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Fishel added, “Even directly to me, I had people tell me they had my 18th birthday on their calendar. I had a male executive, I did a calendar at 16, and he specifically told me he had a certain calendar month in his bedroom. And at the time, my first thought was a little bit like … oh … but the immediate thought after that was, 'Yes, because we are peers and this is how you relate to peers.'”

Reflecting on the long-term impact that childhood fame had on her, Fishel said that it made her bad at setting boundaries because she was worried that people would think that she thought she was “too good for them” if she held “expectations” of how she should be treated and spoken to.
Reflecting on the long-term impact that childhood fame had on her, Fishel said that it made her bad at setting boundaries because she was worried that people would think that she thought she was “too good for them” if she held “expectations” of how she should be treated and spoken to.

ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Reflecting on the long-term impact that childhood fame had on her, Fishel said that it made her bad at setting boundaries because she was worried that people would think that she thought she was “too good for them” if she held “expectations” of how she should be treated and spoken to.

“I didn’t want anyone to think that I thought I was better than them or that they were not good enough for me,” she explained, before revealing that she didn’t start to work on this issue until her late 30s.
“I didn’t want anyone to think that I thought I was better than them or that they were not good enough for me,” she explained, before revealing that she didn’t start to work on this issue until her late 30s.

Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images

“I didn’t want anyone to think that I thought I was better than them or that they were not good enough for me,” she explained, before revealing that she didn’t start to work on this issue until her late 30s.

In 2014, Fishel reprised her role of Topanga for a
In 2014, Fishel reprised her role of Topanga for a

Mark Sullivan / WireImage

In 2014, Fishel reprised her role of Topanga for a "Boy Meets World" sequel series, "Girl Meets World," which starred 13-year-old Rowan Blanchard as Topanga and Cory’s daughter, Riley, and 15-year-old Sabrina Carpenter as Riley’s best friend, Maya.

Strong and Friedle also had cameo appearances in
Strong and Friedle also had cameo appearances in

Ron Tom / Disney Channel via Getty Images

Strong and Friedle also had cameo appearances in "Girl Meets World" over its three seasons, and the cast members were asked how they used their own experiences as child actors to support their young costars.

“It’s such a fine line to walk because we’ve all talked about how sets operate in ways that most normal workplaces would never,” Fishel said, explaining that generally actors are very “touchy-feely,” hug all the time, and would even give each other piggyback rides to set.
“It’s such a fine line to walk because we’ve all talked about how sets operate in ways that most normal workplaces would never,” Fishel said, explaining that generally actors are very “touchy-feely,” hug all the time, and would even give each other piggyback rides to set.

Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

“It’s such a fine line to walk because we’ve all talked about how sets operate in ways that most normal workplaces would never,” Fishel said, explaining that generally actors are very “touchy-feely,” hug all the time, and would even give each other piggyback rides to set.

She also touched on the narrative that the cast and crew become your “family,” and that while she didn’t want to seem as if she was “being rude” or wanted her coworkers to “stay away,” she also didn’t want them to feel obliged to treat her like a family member.
She also touched on the narrative that the cast and crew become your “family,” and that while she didn’t want to seem as if she was “being rude” or wanted her coworkers to “stay away,” she also didn’t want them to feel obliged to treat her like a family member.

Ron Tom / Disney Channel via Getty Images

She also touched on the narrative that the cast and crew become your “family,” and that while she didn’t want to seem as if she was “being rude” or wanted her coworkers to “stay away,” she also didn’t want them to feel obliged to treat her like a family member.

Friedle then confessed that his occasional experiences on
Friedle then confessed that his occasional experiences on

Ron Tom / Disney Channel via Getty Images

Friedle then confessed that his occasional experiences on "Girl Meets World" “threw” him because he had enough distance to be able to recognize “inappropriate” behavior.

“I got to come in and occasionally kind of look at the entire thing that was happening, and you saw a lot of those traits,” he said. “Someone 13, 14 would be sitting on someone’s lap who is 35. And there’s nothing overtly sexual about it, but it’s still just inappropriate.”
“I got to come in and occasionally kind of look at the entire thing that was happening, and you saw a lot of those traits,” he said. “Someone 13, 14 would be sitting on someone’s lap who is 35. And there’s nothing overtly sexual about it, but it’s still just inappropriate.”

Mindy Small / Getty Images

“I got to come in and occasionally kind of look at the entire thing that was happening, and you saw a lot of those traits,” he said. “Someone 13, 14 would be sitting on someone’s lap who is 35. And there’s nothing overtly sexual about it, but it’s still just inappropriate.”

“And, like, in my mind, yeah, because they’re my age, so for me it’d be a normal conversation,” he went on. “But in retrospect, that man was 45 having that conversation, or 30-something; that’s messed up.”
“And, like, in my mind, yeah, because they’re my age, so for me it’d be a normal conversation,” he went on. “But in retrospect, that man was 45 having that conversation, or 30-something; that’s messed up.”

ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

“And, like, in my mind, yeah, because they’re my age, so for me it’d be a normal conversation,” he went on. “But in retrospect, that man was 45 having that conversation, or 30-something; that’s messed up.”

Strong and Friedle also had negative memories of the attention that came with their fame as teenagers. Strong bluntly said, “I hated it; I think I’ve been pretty open about that. When I was reduced to that 'teen idol' thing, it just made me so uncomfortable. I’ve been a serial monogamist my entire life, and I think that part of that was in response to feeling overwhelmed by the exposure.”

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

Strong and Friedle also had negative memories of the attention that came with their fame as teenagers. Strong bluntly said, “I hated it; I think I’ve been pretty open about that. When I was reduced to that 'teen idol' thing, it just made me so uncomfortable. I’ve been a serial monogamist my entire life, and I think that part of that was in response to feeling overwhelmed by the exposure.”

He went on, “The way that women approached me, or treated me, or reacted to me made me go inward. It made me shier than I probably would have been.”
He went on, “The way that women approached me, or treated me, or reacted to me made me go inward. It made me shier than I probably would have been.”

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He went on, “The way that women approached me, or treated me, or reacted to me made me go inward. It made me shier than I probably would have been.”

And Friedle admitted that being unpopular with girls at school made him question the authenticity of women who wanted to date him once he was famous.
And Friedle admitted that being unpopular with girls at school made him question the authenticity of women who wanted to date him once he was famous.

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And Friedle admitted that being unpopular with girls at school made him question the authenticity of women who wanted to date him once he was famous.

“I had a very interesting relationship with it because I came from my town — where I was not popular, I could not get a date, girls did not like me — to being on a show where stars wanted to date me,” he shared. “It was really weird. When I finished the first season of 'Boy Meets World,' I went home and couldn’t get a date for my prom.”
“I had a very interesting relationship with it because I came from my town — where I was not popular, I could not get a date, girls did not like me — to being on a show where stars wanted to date me,” he shared. “It was really weird. When I finished the first season of 'Boy Meets World,' I went home and couldn’t get a date for my prom.”

ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

“I had a very interesting relationship with it because I came from my town — where I was not popular, I could not get a date, girls did not like me — to being on a show where stars wanted to date me,” he shared. “It was really weird. When I finished the first season of 'Boy Meets World,' I went home and couldn’t get a date for my prom.”

“It was a weird juxtaposition to me because it put me on guard,” Friedle added. “Like: 'Why all of a sudden now are these beautiful women paying attention to me and they want to date me, where the girls I grew up with don’t want to have anything to do with me? It must be because I’m on TV,' which then felt fake.”
“It was a weird juxtaposition to me because it put me on guard,” Friedle added. “Like: 'Why all of a sudden now are these beautiful women paying attention to me and they want to date me, where the girls I grew up with don’t want to have anything to do with me? It must be because I’m on TV,' which then felt fake.”

ABC Photo Archives / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

“It was a weird juxtaposition to me because it put me on guard,” Friedle added. “Like: 'Why all of a sudden now are these beautiful women paying attention to me and they want to date me, where the girls I grew up with don’t want to have anything to do with me? It must be because I’m on TV,' which then felt fake.”

Friedle also explained that before he met his now-wife, he spent most of his life being more comfortable when alone, and would go years without dating.
Friedle also explained that before he met his now-wife, he spent most of his life being more comfortable when alone, and would go years without dating.

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Friedle also explained that before he met his now-wife, he spent most of his life being more comfortable when alone, and would go years without dating.

In other episodes of the podcast, Strong and Friedle have recalled their “creepy” and “horribly uncomfortable” intimate scenes as young actors, and repeatedly voiced their wish that they’d had an intimacy coordinator on set at the time.
In other episodes of the podcast, Strong and Friedle have recalled their “creepy” and “horribly uncomfortable” intimate scenes as young actors, and repeatedly voiced their wish that they’d had an intimacy coordinator on set at the time.

ABC / Disney

In other episodes of the podcast, Strong and Friedle have recalled their “creepy” and “horribly uncomfortable” intimate scenes as young actors, and repeatedly voiced their wish that they’d had an intimacy coordinator on set at the time.

Both stars often had to make out with background actors as part of their characters’ heartthrob personas, with Friedle previously pointing out that eventually both he and Strong had a new person to kiss every week.
Both stars often had to make out with background actors as part of their characters’ heartthrob personas, with Friedle previously pointing out that eventually both he and Strong had a new person to kiss every week.

ABC / Disney

Both stars often had to make out with background actors as part of their characters’ heartthrob personas, with Friedle previously pointing out that eventually both he and Strong had a new person to kiss every week.

He also acknowledged the “power disparity” between him and Strong and the background actors, explaining, “Because we’re regulars on the show, so we have a job and we know we’re going to have a job, and it puts the [guest] actor in a position of saying, ‘I’m not gonna say I don’t want you to put your tongue down my throat.’”
He also acknowledged the “power disparity” between him and Strong and the background actors, explaining, “Because we’re regulars on the show, so we have a job and we know we’re going to have a job, and it puts the [guest] actor in a position of saying, ‘I’m not gonna say I don’t want you to put your tongue down my throat.’”

ABC / Disney

He also acknowledged the “power disparity” between him and Strong and the background actors, explaining, “Because we’re regulars on the show, so we have a job and we know we’re going to have a job, and it puts the [guest] actor in a position of saying, ‘I’m not gonna say I don’t want you to put your tongue down my throat.’”

In January, Friedle recounted adult men on the crew trying to make him seem “more sexual” during a makeout scene in Season 2. He said, “It creeped me out a little bit in retrospect. I know we’re not trying to dismantle everything we’ve done and all that kind of stuff, but it was a moment of being surrounded by a bunch of older people telling us how to make this scene look more sexual.”

ABC / Disney

In January, Friedle recounted adult men on the crew trying to make him seem “more sexual” during a makeout scene in Season 2. He said, “It creeped me out a little bit in retrospect. I know we’re not trying to dismantle everything we’ve done and all that kind of stuff, but it was a moment of being surrounded by a bunch of older people telling us how to make this scene look more sexual.”