Danielle Fishel Can Dish It, Can You?

Danielle Fishel — best known for playing Topanga on the 90s sitcom Boy Meets World — is back on The Style Network hosting new episodes of The Dish starting @ 10PM ET/PT on Saturday, May 23. Tune in for an unsophisticated look at supposedly sophisticated subject matter. JustJared.com sat down with the 28-year-old actress earlier this year, so check out the interview:

JJ: Why did you decide to go from acting to hosting?

DF: I have a lot of different interests and I feel like there aren’t that many opportunities and great shows out there unless you’re doing reality, which I just haven’t done yet. I just thought hosting was a natural segue.

JJ: Would you want to do a reality show?

DF: The only reality show I would really want to do is Dancing With The Stars. [My ex-boyfriend Lance Bass] had just had such a good time there. He loved the training, he loved doing the tour. I’ve never done it before and I love to do things that challenge me and scare me a little, and that would definitely do that.

JJ: What’s a typical day like shooting for the Style Network?

DF: Our days are usually about 12-hour days but I actually only have to be there one day a week, so it’s not so bad. I get there about 11 in the morning, start the voice over, and then we go into a writer’s meeting to punch out the script. From there, we get the executive notes, we do a teleprompter read and then have dinner. We start the show at 8:30 and are usually done between 10 and 11.

(Click inside to continue reading JustJared.com‘s interview with Danielle Fishel…)

JJ: What do you do the other six days of the week?

DF: I’m in school full time. I’m going to school at a J.C. (junior college) in Orange County. I’m getting my psychology degree but I’m actually on a break right now. I’m trying to enjoy my break before it becomes crazy.

JJ: Onto fashion, who are some of your favorite designers?

DF: I love Theory, Black Halo. I love Seven of All Mankind Jeans. I’m a big comfort and style person. I think you need to wear things that are both. You can’t just go for one or the other. I’m not super picky, I just wear what fits me well, so I’ll shop anywhere.

JJ: Where do you like to shop in LA?

DF: Everywhere! I stay away from the Roberson stores because it’s so a “scene place.” I do a lot of online shopping actually. I’m huge into Nordstrom. I just love Nordstrom. I love their customer service and their easy return policy. There’s so much variety and so many designers that come into there. I’m also a big Bloomingdales fan. I also go into any boutiques I see when I travel. New York’s the best place. In Greenwich Village, there’s a place called Atrium that I love.

JJ: Do you ever work with a stylist for your look?

DF: For the show I do, but personally I haven’t used one but I may. I think I just know my body so well, I know what works for me.

JJ: Do you ever wind up on the Worst Dressed List?

DF: Well, I’m sure that will happen in the future. I still don’t really find that happening, but I also don’t find myself on the Best Dressed List. I’m not really going to many places where that’s happening. I have interviews with the people that are going to the award shows, not necessarily going there myself. So yeah, I’m sure that’ll happen at some point and that’s when I’ll need to work with a stylist.

JJ: Who’s the biggest red carpet train wreck?

DF: Oh, that’s a hard one. From Medium, Patricia Arquette. Well, I probably shouldn’t say she’s got bad fashion. She just doesn’t always hit it. She’ll find a pretty dress but then she doesn’t fit it properly. Or she’ll have something that fits properly but then it’s like, why would even want to have that fit properly? So she tends to miss it a lot.

JJ: Who knocks it out of the ballpark for you?

DF: I think Angelina Jolie always looks amazing. And I love Jennifer Garner too. She always look together and classy. And I love Rachel Bilson. She looks fun, age-appropriate, casual.

JJ: Onto dating, what was your favorite date with Lance?

DF: Hm, that’s a hard one. There was one time where he surprised me in New York when he wasn’t supposed to be there. And he popped out and surprised me with flowers and that was great. We also went to prom together. Our first date was to a Celine Dion concert and that was really fun. It’s really hard to pick with Lance.

JJ: When did you know he was gay?

DF: After we broke up.

JJ: The Celine Dion concert didn’t tip you off?

DF: No, it should have, though. Sometimes people forget that I was only 17. So I was in high school and he was traveling a lot and I was here doing the show. I think there were some times where I thought, I wonder why he’s not trying to be more physical with me. But at the same time, I was a really good girl and just thought he was trying to be a gentleman with me. He was a couple of years older. In my mind, it just didn’t occur to me that I really just wasn’t his type. My mom actually asked me a couple of questions after we broke up and asked me, “Do you think there’s a possibility?” And that was the first time I thought, well maybe. And then after we had been apart for a few months, I started hearing rumors of, “Oh I think he’s gay, he’s gone out with a guy.” And I was totally fine with that. It never made me upset or hurt, it was just “Oh.” And I wanted him to feel comfortable coming out to me, but he didn’t, for a long time. He had come out to a lot of other people before he came out to me. I think because he was afraid I was going to be hurt. But I was just so happy that he could finally be himself.

JJ: Fast forward ten years. What kind of guy do you go for now?

DF: I tend not to date people in the industry. I kind of remove myself from a lot of the stuff of the industry. I find that I don’t have that much in common with a lot of the people. I’m a homebody. I don’t really like the Hollywood parties, and go out just to be seen. That’s not really me. I find that I’m more attracted to guys that are in school, and working, just in a different industry.

JJ: Where did you go on your last date?

DF: Oh, it wasn’t a very good date. We just went to dinner and then had no plans after. It was kind of poorly planned. I think the best thing for a guy to do is to have a plan. And to not have it be like, “Well what do you want to do?” If you want to ask me out, have a plan.

JJ: What do you do when you’re home relaxing?

DF: I read a lot. I curl up in my bed and read. My favorite time of the day are my mornings. I wake up really early. The first thing I usually do is go to the gym. But I usually like to have two hours before I go to the gym. That’s just me and my dog on my couch with a cup of coffee, catching up on my magazines or book, watching the news, and then going to the gym.

JJ: What book are you reading right now?

DF: I’m actually not reading a book right now. At all. I was just reading for school. “Things Fall Apart.” I ended up liking it by the time I was done. I’m taking time off now before I have to start reading again for school.

JJ: Why are you studying psychology? Did you always have an interest in it?

DF: Well the only thing I ever wanted to do besides act, was be a teacher. And I would really love that idea. But I would like to make more than what teachers make, which is crappy because I’m sure a lot of people feel that way. I wish that teachers made more money so people would be encouraged to go do something like that. So I decided I wanted to work with children. So my focus in psychology is marriage and family therapy. And I ever use my degree, I’ll probably open my own practice and help children of divorce.

JJ: Why divorce? Have your parents split?

DF: No, my parents have been together since they were fifteen. So I think maybe that’s why. To be honest, I saw on an episode of Oprah, a psychologist who’s helping kids dealing with nasty divorces. I just had a feeling of I want to do that and help in that way. And divorce is so common, and a lot of adults don’t know how to handle it with children.

JJ: The Oprah effect!

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Be sure to catch new episodes of The Dish starting TOMORROW (May 23) @ 10PM ET/PT on Style Network. Get ready to dish!!!