‘Boy Meets World’: Original Topanga Actress Claims She Was Fired for Not Being ‘Pretty Enough’

Boy Meets World nearly had a completely different Topanga, and now the original actress in the role claims that she was fired for not being “pretty enough.” While fans know Danielle Fishel as the sweet and quirky sitcom character, it was actually Bonnie Morgan who was first offered the role. During a recent episode of Pod Meets World, Morgan told hosts — and former Boy Meets World stars — Fishel, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle how the role seemed to be tailored-made for her at the age of 12.

“Even the name was out of my parents’ love history,” Morgan recalled. “It was the coolest thing ever.” She stated that playing the character in auditions was “easy” and she was certain she had the part, until she didn’t. “It was the weirdest day of my life. Even as a kid I was like, ‘What’s going on here?’ I came in and all the adults were very short with me.” She went on to recall being pestered by series star Ben Savage, who played the lead role of Corey Matthews, at a table reading, which caused her to feel “nervous.”

This led her to have trouble with her lines, she says, which in turn led director David Trainer to be noticeably upset. The next day she found out she did not get the part. “The director said that I couldn’t take direction, which was one thing I’d never been accused of,” Morgan recalled. “My agent immediately fought back on that one. It came out very quickly to my agent that the director didn’t think I was pretty enough. Literally did not think I was pretty enough, so that meant that a grown man, a boss, could lie and tell me I was untalented because the fact was he didn’t think I was pretty.”

Morgan would go on to become an accomplished contortionist and actress. She has done stunt and acting work in films such as The Ring franchise and Minority Report. Morgan has also appeared in a number of TV series, like Criminal Minds, CSI, and Star Trek: Discovery.

The new claims come just days after the Pod Meet World hosts stated that Matthews “ghosted” them a few years ago, and has ceased all contact. In a recent interview about the podcast with Variety, the three co-stars revealed that Savage, the series’ lead star, hasn’t spoken to any of them since 2019. “He disappeared – I wish I knew why, to this day,” Friedle, 46, told the outlet. 

“We didn’t have a fight. There’s no falling out. There was no animosity,” Friedle continued. “He just woke up one day, and decided ‘I don’t want this person in my life anymore.’” The actor later shared that he “finally sent a text saying, ‘I’ve known you for 30 years, what’s going on? I’m gonna call you every day until you tell me not to call you anymore.’” However, the actor gave up after “a month” of silence from Savage.