Boy Meets World’s Danielle Fishel was almost fired on the first day of set aged 12

Boy Meets World may have won the hearts and love of a generation when it first aired in 1993, but it wasn't always smooth sailing.

And nobody knows that better than Danielle Fishel, who played the love interest of the show's protagonist, Cory Matthews.

ABC

Fishel's character, Topanga Lawrence, started off the show as the hippie vegan type who was often an outcast at her school.

As the series went on, she grew in confidence and was soon known for her popularity and academic success.

The character was featured in all seven seasons of the ABC sitcom, which ran from September 1993 to May 2000.

Fishel reflected on the role whilst appearing on Pod Meets Girl and admitted that her time on the show didn't get off to the best of starts.

Her episode also featured director David Trainer being interviewed by the usual hosts, Rider Strong and Will Friedle, who also appeared on Boy Meets World.

Initially, Fishel, then 12, had been hired to play a smaller role on the show before being selected to replace the original actress cast for the role of Topanga.

Sounds like a great opportunity, right?

Yeah, but there was one issue.

Fishel apparently had a habit of talking really fast, which can be tricky when you're an actor.

Obviously it's in the best interests of everyone if the audience can understand what you're saying.

Because of this, Fishel claims that the series' creator Michael Jacobs wanted her fired from the show.

Ouch.

ABC/GMA

Well, as they say in Jerry Maguire, it's called show business, not show friends.

Recalling the awkward moment, Fishel said: "Michael starts off the notes by saying, 'Danielle, I'm going to give you your notes all at one time, at the end and I'm going to give everyone else their notes now, because if I made everyone sit here through all of the notes I had for you, we would all be here for hours and no one would ever get to go home. So you're just going to wait for the end,'

"From that moment on, my eyes welled up because, you know, I'm now in front of everybody — all the producers, all the writers, all the cast and all eyes are on me for a second. And then he just quickly moved on."

Geez, that's rough.

When it came time to give feedback to Fishel, her mother was brought down from the studio audience and made to sit with her daughter.

Fishel recalled: "He went through every single one of my lines and what he wanted and what I wasn't doing right and how slow I needed to talk."

The story affects Fishel even today as a 45-year-old woman, as she admitted to sweating whilst recounting the story.

ABC

Fishel continued: "What I know specifically was said is, 'All I know is, if you don't come back tomorrow doing this entirely differently, you are also not going to be here,' referencing the girl I had replaced."

Fortunately, Fishel managed to turn things around and got a very complimentary response when she participated in rehearsals the next day.

Jacobs reportedly said: "Let's give Danielle a round of applause, you did exactly what I asked of you. Thank you, thank you. Congratulations, it was wonderful."

That's the thing about negative feedback, isn't it?

It never feels great to hear it when it's being said, but it can help you in the long run.

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