How Pixar’s Inside Out inspired an episode of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place

Danielle Fishel may be best known for portraying Topanga Lawrence on Disney Channel’s Boy Meets World, the actress has since pivoted to directing. Among her recent work behind the camera include recent of episodes of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the actress-turned-director shared an iconic Pixar moment which inspired an episode of the series now fronted by Justin Russo (David Henrie). Fishel revealed to the trade how the switchboard scene in the episode titled ‘Potions Eleven,’ was inspired by Inside Out’s own ‘headquarters,’ which is home to Riley’s emotions. But in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, the life inside Justin’s mind takes on a new world of emotions if only for a few minutes. Spoilers follow for episode 11!

During a poignant yet calamitous moment, the scene takes us into the mind of Justin where multiple kids are running rampant. Fishel explained how the Inside Out reference was intentional, revealing: “It was part of the inspiration for the set deck, which, I saw the plans before I was actually ever on set; they sent me the drawing of what the set was going to look like, and it looked so futuristic and so cool, I couldn’t really even fathom what this was going to look like. So when I showed up on set and saw it, it was so beautiful.

She added, “It was also a tricky set, because it had to be kind of deep, and there’s a lot of action that takes place in it. So we needed to be able to have places for people to move; there’s the sliding wall, and so it was a little bit difficult to shoot in, but it was a really fun set.”

[Related: Boy Meets World Star Danielle Fishel Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis]

Though challenging to execute, the sitcom veteran knew exactly what she had in mind for the scene, and even acted it out like a play for the showrunners. “During rehearsals, like when the kids were in his mind, and then something was happening in the schoolroom set for our run-throughs — which is when we put on the show like a play for the writers and the producers — we would put the kids off to the side in whatever set David Henrie was in. So people didn’t have to run to the other set. They could just imagine they were in that set, and it helped with the timing, and it helped with the comedy.”

The Raven’s Home director also commented on how directing became her calling after working both on and off-screen for Girl Meets World, after considering a career in counselling. Fishel revealed that she was her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy as the opportunity for the Boy Meets World follow-up arrived, and had largely left acting behind.

“I was like, ‘Wow, that’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.’ Then, when I started directing, I realized, ‘Oh, this is very much what I’m supposed to be doing, being a director, and especially working with young people, really feels like a way of giving back to my young self.’”

Firmly positioned behind the camera, having directed almost 50 episodes of television, Fishel did hint that a return to acting remains a possibility given the right role. She teased a project she currently has in development where she “may” end up acting in, though she noted, “Directing is really where my love and my focus and my passion is.”

The Wizards of Waverly Place spinoff series centers on an adult Justin Russo — who after accepting mortality — lives an average life in Staten Island with his wife and two sons until his sister Alex (Selena Gomez) requests assistance with Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown), a child wizard-in-training.

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is streaming on Disney+.