Interview: April Cover Girl Danielle "Topanga" Fishel

According to Urban Dictionary, Topanga means “beautiful or spectacular.” This isn’t a reference to the natural splendor of the canyon outside L.A.; it’s in honor of a TV character played by the gorgeous Danielle Fishel. The 31-year-old portrayed a smart, sassy teen by that name on the ’90s coming-of-age sitcom Boy Meets World. The show followed the exploits of typical teen Cory (Ben Savage), his pal Shawn (Rider Strong), and his girlfriend, Topanga. Well, our favorite couple is getting back together for a sequel series, Girl Meets World, in which Cory and Topanga are now the parents of a teenage girl. To celebrate this momentous pop-culture occasion, Danielle agreed to fulfill our decades-old fantasy and pose for a shoot of historic proportions. Please enjoy, and don’t worry…we won’t tell Mr. Feeny.

See Danielle Fishel's Maxim Gallery!

Where the heck did the name Topanga come from?
Michael Jacobs, who created Boy Meets World, says he was driving down the highway when production called and said, “We need a name for this character!” He happened to be driving past Topanga Canyon, so he said, “Topanga.” He says that if they had called him two miles later, I would’ve been named Canoga, which is the next exit.

Have you ever met anyone named Topanga?
I’ve met five little girls named Topanga, all after me, and I’ve heard about many more. People will tweet me, and I’ve had family members who have met other Topangas. It’s crazy and it’s flattering, but I never know what to say when they’re showing me their beautiful little girls. I’m like, “Really? Topanga!?”

Why do you think so many people feel an attachment to Boy Meets World?
We were in people’s family rooms every Friday for seven years. When I watch old episodes, it’s like watching home movies, so I imagine that other people feel the same way. ABC’s TGIF lineup was probably the one time a week when parents and kids all watched TV together.

Did you party with the rest of the TGIF crew, like Urkel or the Olsen twins?
One time we were all on a private jet going to Disney World, and my mom, dad, and brother were also with me. We had these four seats facing each other with curtains, so we had our own little private family area. Anyway, we were trying to take a nap, and all of a sudden Bob Saget walks down the aisle, rips open our curtain, and shouts, “Do you guys have any coke?!” Then he looks my dad in the eye, laughs, and closes the curtain. My mom was like, “What was that all about?”