Danielle Fishel, 44, said a recent breast cancer scare and subsequent treatment prompted her to seek more joy in life and helped spur her decision to join the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars.
Fishel disclosed that she was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), an early form of breast cancer, and underwent a lumpectomy in August followed by a margin revision in September. She told People she had considered a double mastectomy but that doctors recommended a lumpectomy because the disease was caught early. She also completed 20 rounds of radiation, which she said caused a rash so painful it "hurt to be awake." The diagnosis, she said, came as a shock after a mammogram detected an abnormality despite feeling and appearing healthy.
"The minute I was done with my cancer treatment, I thought to myself, 'If this has shown me anything, it has shown me that I am not experiencing enough joy in my life,'" Fishel told People. She said the call to join Dancing With the Stars arrived as she was contemplating how to cap off her recovery, and that she accepted the offer quickly. Fishel is partnered with professional dancer Pasha Pashkov.
Fishel told the Daily Mail that her physical aims for the show include getting "into the best shape of my life," noting the intensive rehearsal schedule she expects: roughly four hours a day, six days a week. She said her mental goal is the opposite of strictness — to give herself "a lot of grace" and to "try to feel what it feels like to feel proud of myself" while living in moments of joy.
The actress and podcaster shared news of her diagnosis in August on her podcast Pod Meets World. She also launched a show tied to the dance series, Danielle with the Stars, through iHeartPodcasts; her first guest will be partner Pashkov, with additional planned guests including Sabrina Bryan and Jodie Sweetin. Fishel has described arriving at rehearsals disguised and has recounted lighthearted moments — arriving in different character masks and bonding with fellow cast members — as she readies for competition.
Fishel is best known for her role as Topanga Lawrence on the 1990s sitcom Boy Meets World and later reprised that character on the Disney Channel series Girl Meets World. Since 2017 she has worked behind the camera, directing more than 50 multicamera television episodes on series that include Wizards of Waverly Place and Raven's Home; her work has earned Emmy nominations, according to her account. She also co-hosts Pod Meets World with former co-stars Will Friedle and Rider Strong.
Offstage, Fishel is married to writer and podcaster Jensen Karp and is the mother of two sons, Adler, 6, and Keaton, 4. She has also developed a clean and affordable hair-care line, Be Free by Danielle Fishel, sold online and through QVC.
As rehearsals proceed and the season approaches, Fishel has framed her participation in the competition as part of a broader effort to reclaim joy and to mark a new chapter after a health scare and intensive treatment.