William Daniels, 98, Supports DWTS’ Danielle Fishel in Rare Appearance

Originally appeared on E! Online

Danielle Fishel is giving Mr. Feeny his flowers.

During the Oct. 14 episode of Dancing With the Stars, the actress paid tribute to her Boy Meets World costar William Daniels—who played the stern-yet-supportive teacher on the ABC sitcom—with a special performance for the competition’s Dedication Week.

Adding to the nostalgia, the 98-year-old was on hand in the ballroom to cheer on Danielle and her pro partner Pasha Pashkov as they danced to the Boy Meets World theme song.

Bill—clad in a tan suit—leaned against a dark desk on the classroom set, before Danielle and Pasha popped out from behind to start their jive. At the end of the routine, they returned to the desk, where Bill was seated and holding a graded paper reading A+ in red.

During the show, Danielle explained how the actor supported her from the beginning on Boy Meets World.

“It was intimidating, but Bill who had already won two Emmys treated me like I deserved all the respect in the world as a fellow actor,” she said. “It’s been over 30 years since we met and I know how proud he is of me. He really means a lot to me.”

He also shared a special message during a video chat in rehearsal, saying, “I’m very proud of Danielle for all she’s doing. It’s a pleasure watching you.”

For more on the Dancing With the Stars season 34 cast, keep reading.

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Ahead of her performance, Danielle, 44, said “so excited” to honor her longtime friend and mentor, whom she appeared on the beloved series with from 1993 to 2000.

“It’s really a dedication to Bill and the role he has played in my life and the role Boy Meets World has played in my life,” she said on the Oct. 7 episode of her Danielle With the Stars podcast. “He’s such an inspiration to so many of us. And to be able to say thank you to him and to give him this platform for him to receive the love that he deserves is going to be very memorable.”

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Earlier in her DWTS run, Danielle gave a nod to another member of the Boy Meets World universe when she performed a dance to “Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter, with whom she appeared on the spinoff Girl Meets World from 2014 to 2017.

Danielle Fishel; William Daniels — Disney/Stewart Cook; Twitter

“I’ve known for Sabrina for over a decade now,” Danielle explained during the Sept. 30 episode of DWTS, “and I consider her to be like a daughter to me.”

The feeling was clearly mutual, as Sabrina, 26, took the time to wish Danielle good luck during her rehearsals.

“I’m so excited to see your dance,” the Grammy winner said in a video message shown in the episode. “I’m just so proud of you and I love you so much.”

For more on the Dancing With the Stars season 34 cast, keep reading.

Baron Davis