Alexandra Nechita Meets World

Summary

Pod Meets World: Alexandra Nechita Meets World – Episode Summary

Release Date: March 24, 2025

In this compelling episode of Pod Meets World, host Danielle Fishel, along with co-hosts Will Friedle and Ryder Strong from Boy Meets World, sit down with the extraordinary guest Alexandra Nechita, a renowned visual artist and former child prodigy. The conversation delves deep into Alexandra's remarkable journey from a young art sensation to a mature artist balancing family life and creative passion.

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1. Introduction to Alexandra Nechita

Danielle opens the episode by highlighting Alexandra's unique position as both a celebrated artist and a guest star on Boy Meets World. She sets the stage by recounting Alexandra's early achievements and her pivotal role in the season six episode titled "Better Than Your Average Corey."

Danielle Fishel [16:24]: "Over the seven seasons of Boy Meets World, we had some pretty interesting guest stars, ... this week's guest might be the coolest example."

2. Early Life and Artistic Beginnings

Alexandra shares her inspiring backstory, detailing how she escaped communist Romania as a baby and settled in California. By the age of two, she was already creating original drawings, progressing to watercolors at five and oil paintings by seven. Her first solo exhibition at eight years old marked the beginning of her illustrious art career.

Alexandra Nechita [20:42]: "I was so absorbed because it wasn't going back to you talking about your son. It wasn't that they didn't look at what I was making and going, wow, she's so talented."

3. Balancing Art and Education

The discussion moves to Alexandra's experience balancing her intense art schedule with her education. Despite her parents' demanding work hours, they supported her passion by converting their living space into art studios, allowing her to pursue her craft while maintaining academic responsibilities.

Alexandra Nechita [25:37]: "They make sure I do my homework first and don't worry, yeah."

4. Entry into Acting and Boy Meets World

Alexandra recounts how her growing fame in the art world led to opportunities in acting. Her natural poise and mature presence made her a perfect fit for a guest role on Boy Meets World, seamlessly integrating her real-life experiences into the show's narrative.

Alexandra Nechita [46:56]: "When this came up, it only made sense because it was also an opportunity to fit into a storyline of normal kid life."

5. Navigating Fame and Family Support

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around Alexandra's relationship with her parents and their unwavering support. They safeguarded her from the darker aspects of the art and entertainment industries, ensuring she remained grounded and focused on her passion.

Alexandra Nechita [43:35]: "My parents worked very tirelessly to protect me from that."

6. Evolution of Her Art and Current Projects

Alexandra discusses the evolution of her art, including how moving her studio has influenced her creative process. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining a personal connection with her work and the challenges of managing creative demands alongside family life.

Alexandra Nechita [72:43]: "When you have to trust that your kids are actually understanding and they, how can you truly understand until you've been in the shoes?"

7. Reflections on Being a Child Prodigy

Reflecting on her past, Alexandra shares insights into the pressures and expectations placed upon her as a child prodigy. She highlights the delicate balance between nurturing her talent and ensuring her personal growth remained unburdened by external pressures.

Alexandra Nechita [68:00]: "The burnout for me was not between me and the act of art making. The burnout was, I can't keep up with the demand of the work."

8. Future Endeavors and Community Engagement

Looking forward, Alexandra outlines her plans to transition into functional art, making her work more accessible to a broader audience. She also speaks passionately about public art's role in communities and her commitment to fostering creativity in the next generation.

Alexandra Nechita [82:28]: "I would love to create an entire, like, landscape of work that is functional, that's beautiful, that's representative of who I am and that people can actually afford to buy."

9. Closing Thoughts and Connection with Hosts

As the episode wraps up, Danielle, Ryder, and Will express their admiration for Alexandra's journey and contributions. They reflect on the importance of supportive parenting and the enduring legacy of Boy Meets World in fostering meaningful connections.

Danielle Fishel [84:38]: "Alexandra, thank you so much for being here with us. ... you're even more interesting and fascinating than you appear on paper."

Will Friedle [81:40]: "Aggravating, not intimidating."

---

Notable Quotes

• Alexandra Nechita [20:42]: "I was so absorbed because it wasn't going back to you talking about your son. It wasn't that they didn't look at what I was making and going, wow, she's so talented."

• Danielle Fishel [16:24]: "Over the seven seasons of Boy Meets World, we had some pretty interesting guest stars, ... this week's guest might be the coolest example."

• Alexandra Nechita [46:56]: "When this came up, it only made sense because it was also an opportunity to fit into a storyline of normal kid life."

• Alexandra Nechita [68:00]: "The burnout for me was not between me and the act of art making. The burnout was, I can't keep up with the demand of the work."

• Alexandra Nechita [82:28]: "I would love to create an entire, like, landscape of work that is functional, that's beautiful, that's representative of who I am and that people can actually afford to buy."

---

Conclusion

This episode of Pod Meets World offers an intimate glimpse into the life of Alexandra Nechita, celebrating her achievements and the supportive network that enabled her success. Through candid conversations, Alexandra illuminates the challenges and triumphs of being a child prodigy, balancing family and career, and evolving as an artist. Listeners are left inspired by her dedication, resilience, and the enduring impact of art on personal and communal levels.

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Follow Alexandra Nechita:

• Instagram: @alex_nikita

Stay Connected with Pod Meets World:

• Instagram: @podmeetsworldshow
• Email: [e-mail]
• Website: podmeetsworldshow.com

Transcript

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Past 10 years, a lot has come and gone in my life, but one thing that stayed consistent? A Samsung phone. You couldn't get me to change even if you tried. And trust me, many have. And now with my newest phone, the Galaxy S25 Ultra from Samsung, I have a true AI companion, making life easier and more efficient. And for years people have asked how my photos look so good and I can't yell it loud enough. It's because I have a Samsung. And with the new 50 megapixel ultra wide lens, it's even better for beautiful scenic views and a little extra room for a few more family members to fit in the frame. You're welcome Uncle Pete. Are you ready to let this mind blowing new phone do more for you so you can do you? Then trust me and get your Galaxy S25 Ultra [e-mail] Did you know that the average person will spend over a year of their life just flipping between channels and looking for a movie or TV show to watch? And that's why I'm happy to tell you all about the solution. DirecTV. It's a better way to watch whatever you want to watch. It gives the viewer a seamless experience. Avoiding that frustration we all know juggling live TV and apps, just trying to find something new and everything is right there on your home screen in one place. With personal recommendations specifically set for you. Reality TV, hard hitting dramas or your favorite 90s sitcom. It'll learn what you like and have it waiting. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for DirecTV [e-mail] it's Danielle.

[Will Friedle]

Fishel, Ryder Strong and Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

Are you a small business owner launching a company or dreaming of starting one?

[Will Friedle]

Then check out season three of Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories from Ruby Studios and Intuit QuickBooks.

[Ryder Strong]

Join hosts Austin Hankwitz and Janice Torres as they talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their businesses.

[Danielle Fishel]

You don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.

[Ryder Strong]

Listen to Mind the Business small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Ryder Strong]

I had the weirdest experience. We were at south by Southwest and so we were running around with, you know, all different groups of friends and filmmakers. It was an amazing time, by the way. It was just a wonderful festival. And one of our friends who lives in Alaska was had was like, oh, let's meet up for dinner. And we met, we met her for dinner and there was another woman there who was like her old friend from high school who happened to be in town. So we hadn't met her. And I showed up late, but I was all dressed up because we were going to a premiere. And so I was like, oh, hey, nice to meet you, Stephanie. I'm Ryder. And then we sit down and then we proceed to order Sushi Talk. We're like 35, 45 minutes into our meal, we get into a really a conversation I've been having a few times lately, which probably would be good pre show chat or other time. This whole conversation about whether you hear a voice in your head while you read or. Yeah, it's called Irv. Like internal narrative. I don't know. Anyway, so we're having that conversation and me and this woman Stephanie are the two people at the table who do hear voices in our head, like while reading. And so like Alex and our friend Ashley is like, what are you guys talking about? We're gonna. And so like Stephanie and I are like, yeah, you know, and she's looking at me. She goes, yeah, you're right. Or strong. And I'm like, yeah. She's like, oh my God.

[Alexandra Nikita]

It was like in the middle of.

[Ryder Strong]

The sentence, in the middle, I'm like, oh, did your internal narrative voice just come out? Like, what?

[Alexandra Nikita]

What?

[Ryder Strong]

She's like, oh my God. I would have dressed Better. My God, Ashley, why didn't you. I' this is the weirdest moment.

[Alexandra Nikita]

And she.

[Ryder Strong]

It's like, it took you this, like, we're in a. Like, and we're having dinner. Like, we're splitting sushi. Like, what? It was such. And then she, like, couldn't get over it. And then it was just, you know, we were just teasing her mercilessly. But it was so. It was so funny. It was like, right, like, you know that, like, the reality of a person being in front of you versus somebody that you grew up with or, like, had teen. It was like, it had nothing to do with, like, looks or it was just, like, it took her that long. And then she was, like, genuinely flustered and, like, kind of fangirl. And it was like, like, none of this, like. And she's like, I know. And I knew that Ashley knew you too. I should have put this together.

[Will Friedle]

You're wearing a Boy Meets World T shirt.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Oh, my.

[Will Friedle]

What was I thinking?

[Ryder Strong]

But that must happen so many times, you know, where it's like, it's such a delayed realization and people just don't say it out loud or, you know.

[Will Friedle]

How often did you get recognized while you were there?

[Ryder Strong]

All the time.

[Alexandra Nikita]

All the time.

[Ryder Strong]

Since I shaved. Since I shaved. I'm like, you know, and like, Alex is so pissed because she wants me to grow the beard back. And I'm like, no, I kind of.

[Alexandra Nikita]

This is great.

[Ryder Strong]

We're getting into every party anywhere. You know, we need a table. Like, everyone's, like, coming up. And like, I was like, I'm kind of liking being famous for the first time in my life. Don't take this away from me. Like, so many podcast now. It's like, so many.

[Will Friedle]

It's just so funny because I just went home. I'm. Airports, cars, whatever. Just crowds and crowds of people out to dinner. Not a single time.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, you got to shave. You just got to.

[Ryder Strong]

Just got to shave, man.

[Will Friedle]

I don't think that would do it either, frankly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Would you try it? Would you try it? Sure.

[Ryder Strong]

I don't care if you shaved and grew your hair down to your shoulders, like, peak will era hair.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, I think. I think we could get peak will back with just. It's getting pretty long.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Getting pretty long.

[Will Friedle]

I don't know if you could get peak will back. I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Will Friedle]

I mean, I kind of like the gray in the beard is the thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

I enjoy the gray in the beard. I like the gray in your beard, too. And I like your beard. I'm just saying this is a social experiment.

[Will Friedle]

Oh. Just to see if I get recognized. Because I do not get recognized. And I think both of you thought I was lying until we're always together.

[Ryder Strong]

Only leave your house to walk your neighborhood, so.

[Will Friedle]

No, that's not true.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm out all the time.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was just traveling the tour. I mean, we. I was with him. I traveled with him everywhere last year.

[Will Friedle]

Recognized?

[Danielle Fishel]

No, he does. Not at all.

[Will Friedle]

It's so strange to me where it's.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, I. I think. Will you shave for our first live show? Maybe for the live show. See?

[Will Friedle]

Will you get a tattoo?

[Danielle Fishel]

I'll think about it. I'll think about it.

[Ryder Strong]

All right, we're gonna break.

[Danielle Fishel]

Here's the biggest problem. Here's the biggest problem for me with the tattoo, guys, because I have been thinking about it. Where am I gonna put it?

[Will Friedle]

Your neck?

[Danielle Fishel]

That's a.

[Will Friedle]

Like, right here. Like a gang tat.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

I said we did teardrop. I like teardrops, but with. With globes.

[Alexandra Nikita]

With globes. A globe.

[Danielle Fishel]

A globe Teardrop.

[Will Friedle]

It's how many laughs we've killed. It's like how many times we killed it on stage.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just boom. Then I don't need one.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

I don't know where I'd get it either.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know. I don't know. Ryder already knows his spot.

[Ryder Strong]

I think so.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Do you?

[Alexandra Nikita]

Where are you gonna go?

[Ryder Strong]

Well, I have the inside of my arm, so I would probably just do the other inside of my arm.

[Danielle Fishel]

But it would depend on what it is. Cause, like, you kind of want something. Yeah. Like, you have to figure out what.

[Ryder Strong]

The shape would work pretty perfectly.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. I know. I don't know where I would put mine. Like, maybe I don't want it to be in a spot that, like, people can see all the time. So. Yeah. I don't know.

[Will Friedle]

I'm doing my left nipple.

[Danielle Fishel]

You won't ever be shirtless.

[Alexandra Nikita]

You've already said.

[Danielle Fishel]

But, I mean, your whole goal is to. Is to be so ripped that you are walking around shirtless all the time.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, yeah, exactly. Well, that's. Yeah, that's the plan. I watched a movie last night where the. It's an awful movie, but the. The lead character, he's just got an eight pack, and there's times he's literally one point on an airplane, no shirt on, and I'm like, yep, that's it. That's 100% correct.

[Danielle Fishel]

I just saw a really good play. I went and saw 44 the musical the Barack Obama musical that's played. Playing in Culver City right now.

[Will Friedle]

And I'm sorry, is it about Barack Obama or starring Barack Obama? Because those are two very different things.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's about Barack Obama, about his presidency. It's so freaking good. I'm actually going again. But two of the performers, all of the performers are beautiful, but two of them are in the kind of shape that make you go, gosh, so what is the full routine? Like this very clearly requires a level of dedication that's just like, wow, this is really. It's truly like your body's a work of art. And while I was watching the play, I was like, you know what? Yes, I do want that. I'm willing to do it. And then literally I woke up in the morning and was like, but I do also have to have dessert after breakfast. And I'm realizing I just don't have that. I don't have it. It's a.

[Alexandra Nikita]

It's.

[Ryder Strong]

I mean, when you.

[Will Friedle]

They're talking about like the Ryan Reynolds shredded on camera stuff like that.

[Alexandra Nikita]

The.

[Will Friedle]

The Channing Tatum stuff, like, it's super unhealthy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, yes. I also don't know that all of that's natural. The people that I'm talking about. It was not an unnatural. It's just truly. I think they probably eat a lot of protein, very little carbs, and they eat a lot of vegetables, they drink a lot of water, and they are regularly in the gym.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Right.

[Ryder Strong]

That's part of being a stage actor for them. You know, it's like part of the. They have the shows at night and they probably spend most of their day prepp.

[Danielle Fishel]

So they're also dancing and it's part of like their body is an instrument in ways that mine will never be.

[Will Friedle]

Well, mine's an instrument too. It's just a tuba. So, you know, you need a good brass section too, Danielle.

[Ryder Strong]

You know, the big crane's gotta drop me in.

[Will Friedle]

I'm a tympani drum.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's what I am.

[Will Friedle]

I'm a timpani drum. Yeah. So it's just the way it works.

[Danielle Fishel]

Welcome to Podmeats World. I'm Danielle Fishel.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm Ryder Strong.

[Will Friedle]

And I'm Will Friedle.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.

[Will Friedle]

Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

For many, the American dream means starting your own business and working for yourself.

[Ryder Strong]

If you're a small business owner, launching a company or dreaming of starting one, then you'll not only want to make sure you're using a platform like Intuit QuickBooks, but you'll also want to check out season three of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Over the seven seasons of Boy Meets World, we had some pretty interesting guest stars, from Nancy Kerrigan to Jim Abbott to Vader to Tom Bosley, who played himself, but was also kind of Mr. Cunningham, but was also involved in the FBI's campaign against Russian espionage. Anyway, we never went the easy route when it came to stunt casting. It's actually one of the more endearing aspects of. We weren't your typical family sitcom, so we didn't cast your typical cameos. And this week's guest might be the coolest example. Once dubbed the petite Picasso, at just 12 years old, this child prodigy changed the landscape of art. In the 90s. She escaped communist Romania as a baby and settled in California, where by the age of two, she was creating original drawings with pen and ink. Then at 5, watercolors. At 7, she graduated to oil and acrylics. And at 8, she had her very first solo show. And then she never looked back. She was a phenomenon, appearing on Oprah and the Rosie O'Donnell show while traveling the world to display her pieces, the new toast of the art scene. Before she was a teenager, she had already sold millions of dollars in work, far outliving any naysayers calling her a gimmick with celebrity collectors like Alec Baldwin, Calvin Klein, Leah Aoka, and Little Richard. And somehow, for some reason, she still took time out of her busy schedule in 1998 to spend a week on the Boy Meets World set to play herself as a major character in the season six episode better than your average Corey. And I'm gonna tell you, she was a natural. She can't just be good at one thing, apparently. Stay in your lane, Artie McArtson. When we started this podcast, we hope to bring back some people we didn't expect to reunite with. And this week, we have done it. Welcome to Pod Meets World, the most cultured guest star we've ever had. Sorry, Robin Leach. It's Alexandra. Nikita.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Good morning.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh. Hi.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Hi. Wow. This is awesome.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just a few co workers reuniting 30 years later.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Unbelievable, right? Oh, man. Hi. Hi. Hi. Wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh. Well, thank you so much for being here. We obviously want to dig deep into your appearance on Boy Meets World and how you had the gall to not only be a child prodigy, but also a very. But before we jump into that, I want to get A little into toddler art. My son is five and his art is alarming, alarmingly bad. I look at you when I ask this. Why is he so bad at art?

[Will Friedle]

It's a fair question.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Well, you know, it's so funny. I also, I have a nine year old and a three year old and everyone is always like, oh my gosh, are they talented? Are they talented? I'm like, I don't think so. No, not really. Like, I don't know, I want to be nice, mom, but also, like, it's kind of crappy. So, like, I don't know, you know, but. And it's so funny because my daughter is always complaining. She's like, I like, am I not supposed to be good at this? Because you're good at this. I was like, I don't think that's how this works. Yeah, right. It's not guaranteed. You know what it is? I think more than anything, the idea that they're doing something, especially now, you know, like when we were kids, doing things with our hands was sort of what we just the only thing we could do because we didn't have iPads and we didn't have all these other distractions and, you know, preoccupations and interests and whatnot. So I think it's less about how. What the quality of his work is and much more about the fact that he's like, sitting down and mixing colors and using his hands and getting dirty. And I think that's. You have to find the glory in it that way. And then, like, you know, maybe one day he will get better. You never know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Yes. He's also better at certain types of art. When I give him a canvas and paint, I'm actually very impressed when he takes a pencil and he tries to draw anything, it's like, it's barely. I mean, even then I'm like, also, why are they so small? So small. There's a whole page here. Why is everything so small?

[Alexandra Nikita]

Well, I'm always looking for a studio assistant, so you never know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, great. Please keep him in mind. When did your parents start to realize, like, oh, what she's doing is not typical?

[Alexandra Nikita]

It's funny because you have two answers to this question. If you ask my mom, you get one answer. If you ask my dad, you get another answer. My dad was like, she's quiet. She's out of trouble. There's not a bunch of kids in our apartment. I don't care what she does. You know, that was kind of like the. The energy surrounding that at that point and then you had my mom. I'm, you know, an immigrant. I came here when I was two years old. I didn't speak English until I was really in kindergarten. You have my mom that took the, you know, really, like, sentimental, emotional concern, like, oh, my gosh, she's going to be a weirdo route because all she does is sit here and color and she doesn't have any friends. And no one comes into the house. Meanwhile, no one was coming to the house because my dad made it very clear no one should come into the house. You know, my parents were working crazy hours. This was back in the 90s, you know, my mom and dad came here. We have a wild story. We reunited when I was only two years old. My dad left when my mom was six months pregnant with me, by the way. Like, no way for him to, like, slip into her DMs and be like, love you, babe.

[Will Friedle]

Right?

[Alexandra Nikita]

I was like, no, back in the day. And they just left on this, like, agreement of, like, hope and love and respect and admiration and I'll, like, catch you in the States, basically, you know, and so, oh, my gosh, a wild, wild story. Just that in and of itself is amazing and one of the proudest things that I'm a part of. But I think, you know, you had once. Once we were here and settled and they're working and I had a babysitter and all these things, it was very nerve wracking for my mom to see that. I was so absorbed because it wasn't going back to you talking about your son. It wasn't that they didn't look at what I was making and going, wow, she's so talented. Like, look at the skill set. Look at her use of color. It was more of like, wow, there's nothing else that interests her. She's obsessed.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, yeah. Concern.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Concern, truly. And. And, you know, at one point, they had taken away. I was like, loving coloring books. They did taken away my coloring books. And then, you know, they give me plain sheets of paper. And I having only known a coloring book, I kind of made my own. I'd, like, stapled 10 sheets together, draw an outline with a Sharpie, and then color those in. And so I think they only got wind of this being more than just a hobby or whatever, you know, when my third grade teacher called them into, like, a parent teacher meeting and kind of like, okay, let's talk about the fact that during free time, all she does is draw. And my mom's like, I know. I don't know what's Going on.

[Danielle Fishel]

We're very concerned.

[Alexandra Nikita]

My dad's like, isn't it good? You know?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alexandra Nikita]

She doesn't like boys. She draws. Like, this is win, win, you know. And so they, at that point, I think I had my. They made a very grave mistake. They took me to an art store and asked, like, probably, you know, a college kid who was smoking a lot of pot, like, what should she do next? Because she paints and watercolors all the time and, and coloring books. And he's like, I don't know, oil paints. So I started painting with oil paints by the time I was like seven, eight, which is not recommended, by the way, or a 17 or eight year old. And I'd accumulated like, I don't know, 50, 60, 70 canvases at this point. And my third grade teacher in this, in this meeting, you know, my mom's like, yeah, I don't know, it's all she wants to do. And we're at work all day and my grandma was, had moved here to raise me at that point. And you know, my mom is telling me all she does is want to paint and we make sure she does her homework first and don't worry, you know. Yeah. And he's like, okay, well, you know what else? And she's like, why don't you come over and see? So I was like the kid whose third grade teacher came to her house. Very strange. And you know, at this point, I had kind of monopolized the space that we were living. We lived in a townhouse at the time. And my parents had moved all the furniture to the middle of the living room to make room. To make room for me to paint on the outside of the couches, which is so crazy, right? And he came and he saw all this and he said, oh, we should have an exhibit for her at the library. And I, no idea what that meant. I was like, cool, party cupcakes, let's do it. And I had my first exhibition when I was 8 years old at the public library in Whittier, which is where I lived at the time. And we hung like 60, 70 canvases on the wall. And that was basically, I mean, I think it was that moment that sort of solidified to my parents that like. And even then, honestly, I think it took more than that. But they realized like, okay, this is a great way to keep her. And I think having little kids, you realize how valuable it is to keep them interested and excited and curious and exploring constantly. And I think given their insane work schedule and sort of that disconnect that we were suffering inevitably because they were working all day long. They were happy to know that I had something that kind of centered me, ground me. That they still had like, reigns over in a way, but was truly my own thing. So I think it's probably around then, like when I was like, you know, 8 years old, when they're like, were.

[Ryder Strong]

They appreciators of art? I mean, did they know like the quality of the work or were they just like, oh, it's. No.

[Will Friedle]

No.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, really? Okay.

[Alexandra Nikita]

No, definitely not.

[Ryder Strong]

So they weren't advising you. They weren't like saying, hey, look at this great painting by Picasso, look at this. And like any of that, it was just you kind of free, free rein.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Well, so I had seen my first Picasso in person. The LA County Museum of Art was hosting this insane retrospective and it was April Fool's Day, 1994, and that my parents, my parents took me to that exhibition the first time. That was the first time that I had like a physical encounter with his work. I mean, anything that I was exposed to was whatever the public school system was offering at the time, which was a lot more than it is now. But that's another conversation for another day. But you know, they, it was, it was limited because, yeah, they didn't have sort of the lifestyle of like going to museums and going to galleries and like, those are things that I try to do with my kids now. But no, again, I think it was the sort of relentless obsession that I had with it that was the most. Like, my mom at one point tried to get me to like tap dance instead of draw. You know, I was like, I'm tap dance. Like, this is so weird. You know, like anything, just like show us that you're not weird. You know, I think that's sort of the calling, you know? Yes, it turned out that I was just so deeply like, I loved it. I loved colors. I loved how you could mix one color with another color to get another color. I love that I could say things without like confrontation of having to say them. There's all these elements, especially at really such a formative age when life is just weird and awkward as it is. You know, that I had this other language where there was no judgment, there was no. It was just like me and my thoughts and whatever I wanted to say and do, you know, later on, once I started traveling and getting a lot of exposure, judgment was abundant. But, you know, I still tried to keep my private experience of like making things as non judgmental and as fun and as honest and as open. It was like a diary. It was literally a visual diary for me. Growing up. I might go to the zoo and I'd come home and I'd paint a painting about going to the zoo, you know. So.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Alexandra Nikita]

No, I mean, I don't, I don't think in, in the moment. I think retrospectively I could look back and be like, wow, all everyone did is make stick figures and lollipop trees and rainbows and like I made weird faces with three eyes and you know, I think so in that sense, I don't. I had a hard. You know what it is? My parents did a really good job of not making me feel ostracized, you know, and I also had an incredibly open relationship, particularly with my mom at that age where, you know, I'd come home and tell her about any bullying episode. I'd come home and tell her about someone teasing me. You know, I had very ethnic lunches growing up, being Romanian, you know, there's a lot of reasons that I wasn't the most popular kid. And so because I had that rapport with, with my mom, especially both my parents, but especially my mom. Like, I think it helped sort of keep a very. I was like even keeled and level headed for the most part. So I never, even if I was really good, I was just like, this is what I like to do and that's it. I didn't figure that out until later, that I had a skill set that I was just maybe naturally born with, that I cultivated the older I got and the more that I, you know, made art.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow. And so how then do you make the jump from the Whittier Public Library exhibition into like the blue chip art scene? What's. What happens after that first exhibition?

[Alexandra Nikita]

So that first exhibition led to a lot of, you know, the world is so different now, right? Like back then it's like being in the local newspaper was like all the jam, you know, and like doing like the local news things at 5pm Turn it on. Turn it on. You know, it's like now it's like how many TikTok views does it have? How many? It's a completely different sense of sensationalism and viewership and audience and all that. And you guys know that better than I do. But I think I garnered a lot of this local kind of hype and excitement and enthusiasm. And the story itself was pretty novel in that here's this little short blonde girl in pigtails. Rewatch that episode.

[Danielle Fishel]

We talked about how much they tried to make you look.

[Ryder Strong]

They tried to make you look so young.

[Danielle Fishel]

So young. And you look like a contestant contemporary of Ben.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

No.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, she's also just. You had so much poise, so much presence. You just.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, you're.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're.

[Ryder Strong]

You had, like, an adult, like, very mature presence.

[Alexandra Nikita]

I.

[Ryder Strong]

You know, just naturally. Or maybe because of your experiences leading up to that. But yeah, you definitely, like, they were. They were working hard. It was like, especially next to Lindsay.

[Will Friedle]

Ridgeway, who's like a foot and a half tall at the time.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Will Friedle]

It was like, wait, wait, they're the same age.

[Ryder Strong]

How is that possible?

[Alexandra Nikita]

It is so funny. I, Like, I had such a. Wow. It was really awesome watching all that. But, you know, I. I ended up having a few of these local shows, if you will. Like, after the. The library, there was this really cool hipster guy that owned a bookstore slash gallery slash coffee shop. He's like, let's hang some paintings on the wall. You know, like, okay. Like, again, my parents. You have to understand, my parents are working these crazy shifts, like, barely making ends meet. They're trying to support a very expensive habit at this point, because I'm wanting canvases and paintbrush. I mean, I don't know when the last time you guys went to an art store is, but it is no joke.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alexandra Nikita]

You know, and so my mom, she loves to tell this story of, like, she's like, I always ask her, like, can you, like, dilute the paint? Like, just, like, make the tube last for, like, a week instead of a day? Like, is that possible? It's like, no. This is what I feel, Mom. I have to use all of the 25 deals. And so. And so, you know, they. They try to do their best to continue supporting this and, you know, our lives and all the other things in between. And so, you know, when they had this opportunity, the guy's like, okay, sure. My dad was like, okay, sure. Like, like, let's give you this many paintings. We priced them out at a couple hundred bucks each. He had an event, and, like, the entire, like, everything on the wall sold, you know, and I think that's when everyone's like, wait, what? Wait, hold on a minute.

[Danielle Fishel]

Is there a chance to make money at this?

[Alexandra Nikita]

Because, you know, the incentive and the impetus behind that first exhibition had nothing to do with commercialization or giving me the platform to be a famous artist or. It was sheer. Like, there's a lot of crap in our house, and we would love to put it somewhere else, at least so I can, like, vacuum that Was like, my mom's, like, you know, rationale behind it. And at that first show, in fact, there was a gentleman who came up to me to buy a painting, and I was, like, offended. I was like, what? No, these are mine. You can't buy this. You know, like, no way. And then he went to my dad. My dad's like, look, I can't convince her. You got to go back and talk to her. And so he came back with this whole, like, pitch. It was because it was April. Mother's Day was coming up. You know, I need to get a gift from my mom. Oh, you're so nice. I'm like, all right, 50 bucks. So I sold this, like, tiny 8 by 10. It was my first painting I ever sold for $50. And. And, you know, again, like, yes, $50 then was more than $50 as today, for sure. But still, it wasn't this. It didn't open up this idea that, okay, here, we're gonna. We're going to kill it. We're going to crush it. Like, let's go, you know? And so this. This next series of shows that I had that also started creating and galvanizing a lot of attention and a lot of publicity. You know, it was like, really just this wild domino effect, because in life, it is. So I found, at least in my experience, you know, everyone's always, like, waiting for things or working towards things, but sometimes things just happen. Like a ton of bricks falls on your head, and it just happens. And it could be in an email today or back then, a phone call or someone knocking on our door or whatever it was. And so I had a few of these coffee house exhibitions and a collector of an artist that was represented by a publishing company that I ended up by signing with, saw my work and went to, like, the head of the art publishing company and says, you have to see this little girl. She's amazing. This guy's like, I work with artists on their way out. Like, literally on their way out, you know, like, who have an entire lifetime of work to support their pedigree and their history and all these things. And, like, she's nine. Like, no, thanks. Like, she's gonna be a teenager, and she's gonna, like, you have no idea what this is. It's a fluke. It's a flash on the pan. It's, you know, the whole thing. And. And. And this man was like, you know, he kept persisting. He's like, look, I'm one of your biggest buyers. Like, I just want you just. Just give her Give her a chance, come, you know, come to her studio or whatever. At that point, I think he had bought something from the, from the coffee shop gallery place, met me, had come to the studio, something like this. And so I think, you know, when, when, when they walked into. My parents had converted our, at the time we were living in Norwalk and they converted our garage into a studio. And you know, when he walked into the garage and saw these, like really large scale canvas, you know, the dichotomy between this little, you know, girl and these big pieces was like very impressive. And it added so much to the sensationalism of the story and all of that. And so he walks in and is kind of like, oh, wow. And then I start, you know, articulating my thoughts on the work. And I think that the work, you know, the sort of impressive scale of everything, my ability to communicate as well as I was able to communicate at that age, naturally, for whatever reason, maybe because my mom made me read all day long, all the time, which I hated her for that. And there's, I mean, I thank her for forcing that on me more than anything in the world. Like, she made me keep a vocabulary journal.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Alexandra Nikita]

By the way, I still keep one. But, you know, she would make me keep a vocabulary journal of words that I had, like, didn't know. And it was all, it was what caused this. It's really funny because, like, now I have my own kids and I'm trying to find ways to like, you know, burden them with consequence so they learn lessons or whatever. Very different time that we're living in that doesn't work as effectively as it did for us. But, you know, I had asked her one too many times what the word negotiate meant and she was pissed. She was like, okay. She's like, okay. You know, obviously you're not paying any attention to any of this. So we're going to start a vocabulary journal. And at the end of the month when you prove to me that you not only know all those words fully and wholly and immersively, like, I need to see you, I need to hear you. I have my own list. I need to hear you use them in conversation with us. This, this, this, like, we'll take you to SeaWorld. I was like, oh, sick. Like, great, let's go. So. But I don't, you know, it's just, I, I think that.

[Will Friedle]

So she was literally negotiating with you about the word negotiate.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Hands down, Hands down. You see how that works? But it's really funny because there's all of these things I think coupled that, you know, created for a great, you know, PR story at the very least. Right. And so everyone around, and most were much older. White men were like, all right, this looks good. You know, she can hold a conversation. She can talk about the work. She's poised. She's all these things. Talented. People like the work. They resonate with the story and the, you know, authenticity. The family story is this true American dream. I mean, it was like a banger. Like, you got it all at once.

[Will Friedle]

You're clicking all the boxes, ticking all the boxes, definitely.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Yep, 100%. And so I think that that created this excitement. And I mean, fast forward. I was 10 years old, and, you know, after lengthy conversations and my parents explaining to me, you know, at this point, they'd already lined out what the requirement of production would be, what kind of tours we were looking at. I mean, I was in fourth, fifth grade. This would have meant that I'd be missing, you know, majority of my school year, traveling. Big, big sacrifice, big responsibility, big commitment, you know, and so I agreed. I was excited. I was like, let's go. And I signed my first deal. My father on my behalf, my parents on my behalf. But I there was there, too, inside of a cozy little booth of Sizzler. Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

And all the dreams come true.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Ice cream, love Sizzler, fried shrimp salad. Live. Like, why can't I just eat all that and not die tomorrow? You know? And so that's basically, in a very abbreviated way, the dynamic and the unfolding of this whole story.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, the art world, much like Hollywood, isn't necessarily known for its kind and caring inhabitants. There's obviously sharks and con men everywhere. How are you as a child navigating this? And how is your family navigating that world as well?

[Alexandra Nikita]

You know, that's the thing. I was never faced with that side of it and that reality. And I think my parents worked very tirelessly to protect me from that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Great.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Whether it was, you know, conversationally, whether it was building 100 LLC around my brand, whether it was doing whatever they needed to do to just really keep me, me and my autonomy separate of the mess that inevitably was gonna occur. It's almost as if they had a crystal ball. There was a lot of things that went wrong, a lot of greedy people involved. And I was always held steadfast in this cocoon and not left unaware so that I could be taken advantage of. But really, just like, we got you. You keep making stuff. If you love it, you keep doing it. When you stop loving it, tell us we're here to scoop you out and save you. And so I think that that is entirely a testament to their parenting, to their also like their wherewithal, like my dad. It's so funny because I just moved studios recently. My studio has been at my parents house for the last 30 years by the way, this year is 30 years since I signed that first contract, which is crazy. But I just moved studios and I was coming across in my attempt to clean, which I'm terrible at doing, I came across all of these like cool finds and I was like, you know, all these like amazing discoveries and memories and just kind of, you know, it's seeing, it's just, it's like this real weird nostalgia that I experience and this amazing, fulfilling like story that I've created for myself with my parents. Because of my parents, because of my grandma's sacrifice. My grandma moved here when I was 4 years old, leaving her 16 year old son, my uncle and my grandpa to whom she was still very married, to raise me because my parents were working all like this is so much of a bigger story. And while yes, I was hard working and disciplined and responsible and had dignity and talented. Thank you. All of those things, it's such a team effort. That's the reality. And so I think I can't answer that question without recognizing them. They can't answer it without recognizing me, you know. So it's sort of this dance that we've just kind of danced our for the last 30 years together.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, it's a very similar story to what we talk about with what we do as well and with every child actor we have interviewed. It is impossible to say, to give the credit or to explain how one person's life happens without also explaining all of the different people and decisions and choices that were made in order to get you there. So that is a perfect segue into how do you end up on our Boy Meets World set. Were you 12 or 13?

[Alexandra Nikita]

I think I was 13.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, how does it come to you that they want you to have a starring guest role on Boy Meets World? Had you ever heard of the show?

[Alexandra Nikita]

Yes, I did. Of course I had very limited time. So it was a part of like, you know, my daily curriculum, if you will, or weekly curriculum. But I, that's actually, I have to like really dig dig to answer that because there's sort of this like weird sequence of interest that people kind of expected me to naturally have because I was now suddenly in the public eye. So it's like, ooh, she's good on tv. She should act like, you know, she's cute, she should. We should dress her. Oh, we should, you know, whatever it was. And so I think I personally didn't take that initiative to try to delve into an entirely different space because, again, I was so deeply consumed by, by making art and that's all I cared about. But I ended up like, yeah, there was a lot of people around me at the time and, you know, people were always saying, like, she should act, she should act, she should model, she should do this, she should do that's. Like, I can't even get my kids from, like one basketball practice to another. Like, I don't know how my parents had jobs, did all this. So at one point or another, I end up by getting signed with, with wme and I had an agent and I did the whole thing. I was going to auditions. Like, I. I, like, had really fun experiences and it was great, but I'm simultaneously not even juggling, but really like, like nurturing this whole other career that's full force, full fledged, taken off. So I think it was a hard balance. But when this, when this came up, it only made sense because it was also an opportunity to fit into a storyline of, like, normal kid life, right? Because my life and my story had taken on such a different, like, you know, paradigm and such a different space. And it was like. I think I also, for me, it was important to remember that I'm not so strange and that I'm not so different and that there was, you know, I still had a pool to want to connect to things that made sense for my age, you know, and. Are you kidding me? I mean, I can't tell you guys how many people reach out to me on an absolute regular basis. Like, I am a really good, like, embellisher. And this is being said in full transparency and honesty, like, constantly going, oh, my gosh, I saw you on this episode of Boy Meets World. I loved it. Or like, it just popped up again or whatever. You know, when I told our daughter, I didn't even know she knew. She knew, I think what Girl Meets World was first. And then, and then when I told her, she said what you just told me now. Like, this is like this huge. Like, everything else I did in life didn't match, right? That I was on an episode of Boy With World, and then it's like, oh, you're cool. Oh, my gosh.

[Danielle Fishel]

But wait, so you have an agent, you're with WME and you are auditioning, but you don't audition for Boy Meets World. Like this. This was written for you.

[Alexandra Nikita]

No.

[Will Friedle]

You should have seen who they were going to cast. A player.

[Danielle Fishel]

She had to audition to be Alexandra. Nikita.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So do you remember, like, we know that Michael Jacobs is a huge art fan. We're assuming Michael had been paying attention to your career. Do you remember getting the phone call or your agents getting the phone call with the ask, like, Michael Jacobs would like you to be on an episode of Boy Meets World. Do you remember finding that out?

[Alexandra Nikita]

I do remember. I do remember. And I was just so excited to get to do something different. Like that's, you know, I think the thing that makes me love art making and expression and self expression in general as much as I love it, is that there's never a promise, there's never a guarantee. There's never like a foreseeable trajectory. Like the journey can always take you to all these different places. And so whenever I was given an opportunity to do something outside of my comfort zone or outside of what I normally formally did, I was very excited as a child especially. And as a child, that was like, you know, living the crazy, whirlwind life that I was living. But I do remember, of course. How can I not? And I was like, all right, let's go. Let's do this. And I don't think I understood the scope of. I don't know that I understood at the moment. Like, this whole episode is gonna revolve around me and this story about, you know, finding yourself and appreciating your history. And it's just. It's such a. In looking back and in living this life that I've lived since then, I realized, like, it still tracks. Like that entire. The entire messaging of that episode still tracks and is so true to who I work so hard to. To be and who I'm hoping to, you know, also raise in my children. And this is like, it just. And that's the thing. It's like, no, like, what. What kind of programming does that anymore for, like, teenagers?

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, right.

[Will Friedle]

Nothing doesn't exist anymore. It doesn't. It's one of the things we talk about all the time is for some reason, somewhere, someone decided on some level at the networks that kids are totally different now and wouldn't appreciate stuff like this anymore. And I just think that's 100% wrong. So, yeah, this stuff like this just doesn't really exist. Disney Channel a little bit will kind of touch on this. But the kind of in between Young Disney Channel and, you know, old NBC, there's kind of nothing Anymore. And it's just this wasteland, unfortunately.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Well, you know what it was. It's just there was this perfect marriage of all the things that, you know, made being young cool, but then all the things that parents didn't want their children to sort of lose in. In the face of that effort of being cool, you know? So it's like, there's, like. You know, because, listen, I'm. I'm raised by very traditional people. And so, like, I'm 40 or I'll be 40 this year, and my dad, if I'm watching a sex scene with him, he will still cover my eyes like this. Dude, you gotta stop.

[Ryder Strong]

I have children. I have children.

[Will Friedle]

I know what this is about.

[Alexandra Nikita]

And so, like, even I remember, like, you know, like, the little, like, you know, the peck on the lips between Topanga and Cory and, like, stuff like that. That was still a little, like, taboo for my age at least, and for what I was allowed to be exposed to. But that's what brought in an audience to be like, okay, this is relatable. This is real stuff. And then you still had that wholesomeness. You still had that entire, like, vibe that I think, you know, it's so sad to see it kind of, like, dissipate or be. There's got to be a way to, like, reignite that and bring that back. I mean, you guys should just resurrect that whole concept on your own. I'm telling you, I'm here to support.

[Will Friedle]

You all the way.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Thank you. So you said this was something that had to be fit into your very busy schedule. Do you remember, were you there all week? Did you attend the table read straight through to tape night? Or were you there only for a couple of days? What are your memories about the work week.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Or any of that? I do remember craft service.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, please.

[Ryder Strong]

Priorities, man.

[Danielle Fishel]

When you're a kid, everybody remembers craft service. What? Tell us about your memories of craft service.

[Alexandra Nikita]

That was all I cared about. There was snacks and food galore and sweets and just. There was no. No. And, like, I was not allowed to, like, drink soda. I don't know what my dad thought was in Coca Cola, but, like, I was not allowed to drink it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Alexandra Nikita]

And so I was, like, having soda. I was like, let's do this. Like, I want to be a theater.

[Danielle Fishel]

Being an actor's where it's at.

[Will Friedle]

Do you remember giving us our scripts?

[Alexandra Nikita]

I don't. I don't.

[Will Friedle]

So you did. You gave us each a script, which I still have mine somewhere with a nice, like, the only Script I kept.

[Ryder Strong]

From Boy Meets World.

[Will Friedle]

You drew something for each of us.

[Ryder Strong]

No, really cool is your signature. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Yep.

[Alexandra Nikita]

It's so cool. Really cool.

[Will Friedle]

You drew us each our, like our.

[Ryder Strong]

Own personal little picture.

[Will Friedle]

And then you wrote something really nice on all our scripts. Yeah, it was really sweet.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Oh, that's awesome. Thank you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you have any memory of the tape night where you had a live studio audience taping? Okay, I do that.

[Alexandra Nikita]

I remember that. I remember because I think I was so overwhelmed with emotion. I like, weirdly, I've always loved public speaking. Like, I get this like, weird high from it. I've enjoyed it. I remember I was. I had to give a, like, acceptance speech at the Lincoln center in New York. I don't know, I was like also 12, 13, 14 around there. And I was so nervous up until I got on there and I was like, oh, I'm good. Practicing my speech and like running through my ideas and how I was going to flow through it all. And I was like sweating, sweating, sweating. And then I got up there. So I remember being so incredibly nervous because I was like, what if they don't clap? And what. And I don't know who it was, but I remember someone told me, like, we're giving them cues. Like, don't worry. Like, they know. They know. Okay. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

No way. Michael Jacobs used to always tell us, don't worry if they don't like your joke. I have a machine that thinks you're hysterical. So it's like, okay, all right, that's good to know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Were both of your parents at tape night? Like, did your grandmother come? Do you remember who was there?

[Alexandra Nikita]

I don't remember if my grandma came. My parents definitely came. My parents came everywhere. But probably mama came to. I have to look, you know, in going and having, doing this move, I'm coming across like things that have just been shelved for so long and I'm finding so many sweet memories. And I'm gonna go like, once I go through everything, I'm find. I tried to see if I could find anything, but there's like a whole nother attic at my old studio that I'm too scared to go into. There's just, you know, I'm working on digitizing all of that. So I'm. I'm gonna. It'll all come back to me, you know, once I get like a flash and a picture. I mean, that's the thing. I think the chaos of my life was so overwhelming that it almost worked as this double edged sword. Like it, you know, gave me all these wonderful memories and experiences. But a lot of those memories were kind of blurred because I was just like on autopilot a lot of the time. You know, like once I was in high school, I only attended school twice a week because I was on like Red Eyes every single week going for shows and different events. And I kind of carried that through. Once I was at ucla, I was able to model my schedule more to my liking, but same thing. And I think when you're in just that repetitive cycle of doing, while the production of the art wasn't the same, the experience of promoting the art and myself and all of that, it was a very well oiled machine, you know, And I was just like. I think that in many ways kind of like suppressed a lot of these memories because I was just trying to like get through it. Just get through it, you know? Right.

[Will Friedle]

So not to go back too far, but you mentioned something really interesting when we first started talking and then I'm curious as you're now moving studios and you're finding this old stuff. You said this essentially in your life is a visual diary. So when you find something, a piece you haven't seen in a while, do you instantly go back to what made? Just like you're reading a diary page, like you're right back to what made you paint that picture.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Yes, that's a great question. But it functions precisely as a portal. It is so bizarre. It literally. I look at a piece, I enter it and it's as if I'm like having this like, I don't even know this like psychedelic experience going back in time. It's the most bizarre thing because particularly with a very, very early work, before, you know, life gets lifey and you get jaded and things happen, particularly with that early work, I mean, I. It becomes like visceral, back to back into the past experience, you know, like where I'm. I can feel that feeling. I can feel the sentiment. I can often, like, I have smells that I associate with certain pieces. It's very strange. And I mean, listen, I can't make that claim for every single work because I am very productive and prolific and I make a lot of things sometimes for the sake of just exercising my hand. It's not always this deep, profound meaning or whatnot, but there are certain pieces, a lot of them, that do that for me. And I think so long as I have that connection with the work, I think I'm okay. During a very exhausting time of my life, I think I lost that a little bit. Which is really sad. As a creative, you don't want to lose that connection with what. Why you're making what. What you're making, you know, just do it for the sake of. Oh, whatever, because I have to fill up, you know, requirements or whatnot. But no, that's. That's. It's. It's so interesting. I wonder. I don't know if it's that way for every artist or every. Every person or, like, performers. Like, does that happen? Do you guys. I mean, of course, right? Because you have days. You remember certain things that you were going through that day, or, like, maybe something terrible happened in your personal life, but you still had to show up on set, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, yeah, yeah.

[Will Friedle]

I think you're kind of in a rarefied air, though, especially you. Because there's. You're not going to have a lot of artists, especially visual artists whose, you know, career goes back to the time when they're six and seven years old. So, yeah, I think you're.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're.

[Will Friedle]

You're probably in a very. That'd be a very, very boring reunion of artists who started at seven. I'm guessing There's. It's. Yeah, you're not going to be filling a Hyatt, so.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, but I think for, like, when we've been doing this rewatch, it's happened to all of us at some point or another, we're. Because we don't. We won't remember the episode. We won't remember, like, what happens next, but then suddenly we'll kind of remember the feeling in our body of, like, being there. And, like, that's happened to all of us at one point or another. And, like, sometimes it's about what's happening behind the scenes. Like, I'm like, I'm not. I'm I'm uncomfortable. Like, it's making my skin crawl or something. I was like, oh, right, that was a bad day on set. So it is a little bit of, like, you know, but it's not as conscious, you know, because we weren't the ones always creating. You know, our bodies were there, our voices were there. You're talking about having put so much mental exercise into why this thing exists. You know, a lot of times we didn't know why it existed. We were just sort of thrust out onto stage and, like, go, yeah. So, yeah, it's a little different.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.

[Will Friedle]

Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Alexandra Nikita]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, so after you do Boy Meets World, do you, do you do any other acting? Have you ever thought about continuing to act or acting again?

[Alexandra Nikita]

I, I, I. It's so funny. I did a bunch of different auditions. I remember I auditioned for Princess Leia. I did, I did like a bunch, like a bunch, a bunch a bunch. And it just like it was very, very hard to stay committed. That in, in and of itself is its own job. You know, like it's so funny because my dad's like my, our daughter loves theater. She's, you know, loves, loves and she's very theatrical and so it suits her. But you Know, my dad's like, you should get her into auditions. And you. I was like, yeah, who's gonna drive her? It's gonna drive her. Like, I'm gonna Uber her to auditions at 9. Like, what? Like, we can't. You know, he's like, But I think there was just so much going on, and our cups were all so full, and the travel schedule was so demanding, and it just wasn't a sustainable thing to. I couldn't nurture my studio time and honor my studio time wholly and do something else. I think that was kind of the issue, my interest and the fun that I had doing it. And, you know, I think I probably could have ended up being not bad at it if I. If I continued was there for sure. But it's, you know, it's kind of like picking and choosing, you know, it wasn't. It wasn't possible to do both at the same time, at least.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, I totally understand that. My mom jokes because I used to say I was a gymnast before I was an actor. My mom was like, no, Danielle, you were just in gymnastics. You took gymnastics. You took gymnastics. But I could not do them both because I couldn't commit to gymnastics class and also regularly be at auditions. So we. We all had to make a choice.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Absolutely sacrifices. I mean, listen, you guys were kids too. It's no joke. Like, it's, you know, you. You. You choose. And. And if you're lucky enough to have the guidance and support of wonderful people, parents, managers, agents, whatever it is, then that's your extra blessed. But, like, it's not, you know, I look back, I'm like, dang, I can't imagine my daughter having the schedule that I had. Like, I mean, I'm telling you, we can't study for 20 vocabulary words in five days. Like, I don't know. Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Will Friedle]

Well, wait, so you've talked about kind of different times you've gone through in your life. And with starting young, did you ever burn out? Was there ever a time where you were like, I'm done. I don't ever want to touch a paintbrush again.

[Alexandra Nikita]

So I never had that resentment towards the craft, so to speak. I think my resentment was towards the lack of understanding from the people that I was working with at one point in my life. And it's not that I'm blaming other people. Right. I think it's the expectation that began surrounding me. I think the fact that I showed up for so many years in a certain way that, you know, if I wanted to, like, reel it back A bit. It was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. We still need 20 red paintings or whatever, you know? And I think it was. And that's just. I think, becoming an adult and growing up and recognizing that, you know, people are trying to control you and that you do have your own identity, and you have to work on that. And so I. The burnout for me was not between me and the act of art making. The burnout was, I can't keep up with the demand of the work, which is a beautiful problem and was a great problem, but it was impacting the quality of the work, and it was making me feel like I wasn't excited anymore about going to share the stuff that I was making. And in that moment, I knew that I was hitting some kind of, like, a wall or a block or whatever you want to call it, because I thrive. I love being able to take the workout and talk about it like, that's the artist. I am. That's the artist. Maybe it's because it's how I was trained to be or told to be. It doesn't matter. I love doing that. You have a lot of artists, contemporaries of mine, that literally don't even show up for their own openings, you know, or, like, the work must speak for itself. I'm like, cool, bro. That's great. But, like, also, like, not everyone has this ability like you. I've always made an effort to try to get people to be cool with art. Right. Because I, as a child, I think I can speak for all of us. Probably, like, the only exposure to art that you would have is, like, when you were forced to write a report and you have to go to the museum that one time in your life.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Alexandra Nikita]

And then when you, like, stuck your nose too close to a canvas, like, there'd be a security guard swatting your face out of the way because, oh, my God, you know, so there's this, like, elitism that's always associated with art. There's always, like, you're not smart enough, you're not rich enough, you're not educated. And I hated that. I hated it because for me, it felt like such a primal need to. To connect with the emotions attached to a painting or a sculpture. Like, I wanted to, like. I want, you know, go up to a canvas and smell it, and I want to go up to a bronze piece and touch it. And, you know, and so that's why I'm, like, obsessed with public art. And I think it's so important, like, within, like, you know, the life of any community. I think that, you know, I just, it's really. It's been a. There's certain things that have taken a greater level of importance for me now that like I've kind of gotten out of like the chaos and I've been able to sort of create my own design, if you will, for what I like. You know, I'm still having my shows a couple of times a year with galleries that I want to work with. I'm constantly in my studio the best I can be. But then I'm also surrendering a bit of that time so that I can be with my kids, so that I could do other projects that I'm working on, you know, delving into different spaces. And I think it's just kind of, it's ebbs and flows. It's never like you just. There's not really like a certain mold that you, that you fit. Like, I just had this like runoff kind of cycle that I was obligated and I felt very responsible to so many people to maintain, you know, from my family to you know, at one point over 20 employees, to like, you know, no joke, like I'd come home from school at 3pm I had a guy whose sole job was to bring reproductions of my pieces. So like lithographs. And I would sit for like two hours and sign after school. And sometimes, depending on edition releases, I would sit and sign before school at like 5 to like 7 in the morning when I left. You know, like these are weird expectations and not like it wasn't this like bohemian artist experience that like one day I will live on a goat farm and it's gonna happen. But until then, right? Yeah. No, like I didn't get that like, like whole like on the beach in Tahiti and I'm just painting and then there's like someone coming to take my paintings and then I fly and put a dress on and go to New York. Like this is the whole thing, you know, and, and I think that I, I wanted to always because I was born of true, real passion. And it wasn't born of my parents capitalizing or exploiting or you know, whatever. I think I always had that as a foundation and that's what kept me so deeply connected, even when I felt like exhausted, you know.

[Ryder Strong]

And now I'm curious from an artist.

[Will Friedle]

Standpoint because you said that your, your studio had been in your parents house for like 30 years. Have you noticed that the art has changed now that the location has changed?

[Alexandra Nikita]

Great question. So my studio was outside of the physical home, but yeah, so what began happening. What began happening is, you know, boundaries get blurred and everyone gets real cozy and excited and, and you know, when, before I had children, I was able to like come in with a more kind of clear schedule. Like I'm in the studio for eight hours today or I'm painting all night and sleeping till 2pm tomorrow because I can, you know, and, and when I had that sort of approach to the work process, it was less impacted by everyone else, if that makes sense. You know, like it just. I now, because I am at the mercy, I'm an underpaid employee to my children and I basically just have to do everything, want to and have to, but do a lot of things that take me away from my studio. I find like windows of time now. So it's like three, four hour block or. My husband is a wonderful co parent and so he's very supportive and sometimes I'm like, I need to be in the studio before I lose my mind. Like, I'm not cooking dinner for the next three days. No one talks to me unless the house is crumbling. Like, please do not call me two times in a row. I will go nuts. Like, everything's okay. You've got this. I have to go, I have to go, I have to go. You know, and so it's, it's, it began happening where I was like, you know, coming in. I had this like sacred period of 2, 3, 4, 5 hours. Sometimes I'd make things. Sometimes I would just sit there because sometimes you can't just. Just turn on a button and start painting. And then, you know, my dad would come home early and he'd be like, I bought a bottle of wine. I'm like, dad, it's 2:30pm Like, I have three hours in here before I have to go. Do you know, second grade math? Like, I can't, like, no. And also like, please leave. Like, please leave. I love you, but like I want to be in here by myself. So, you know, it's, it's. That wasn't the urge for the move. The move just had to happen. It was natural, like. But I realize now that there are certain things that just the experience in my studio was no longer just mine with my work, which is what I loved most about it and why I held so steadfast to it in the most egotistical, selfish way. I mean, I think that is the greatest part of any part of the art experience for any artist. I mean, there's something about us that loves this solitude and loves this time with your own thoughts and with your own feelings. And, you know, when there's constant people intercepting that with the purest of intention, it's really messing up the flow. Especially when the flow is limited now. And it's not, you know, me staying up from midnight to 6:00am like, you know, I'm working on crunch time here and I want to try to see what I can do. And like, so in that sense, it's been really beautiful for me to kind of like, I'm in and out at any time. I don't feel bad if like the dog barks because I went through the side gate at 1 in the morning. I don't. There's like all these things that they weren't even problems or impediments, but now I can look back and be like, those were subconsciously kind of affecting the way that I was connecting with this process of making my art. And so, you know, it's. I, I think the, the work, I don't know if it's necessarily different, but I'm surely living it in a different way. So it must, it must be in some capacity because. Yeah, it must be.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, the theater of your high school, Lutheran High of Orange county, is now named after you. I'm just wondering if we could possibly say that it's because of your work on Boy Meets World. Are we, Are we allowed to.

[Ryder Strong]

You're welcome.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Honestly, you should all be up there with me. You know, it's so crazy because I received such deep support from my alma mater. They, like, off the bat, were like, let's go. As long as you can keep a certain gpa, we're with you again. I was only attending school two times a week. I remember my parents approaching a lot of the LA high schools. And, you know, I think at that point there's such a flux of child actors. They're like, no, Right? Yeah, we're not dealing with this. No. You know, and, and the good and the bad that that comes with, with, with all of that. And so I couldn't go. I ended up going to school in Orange county because they were basically the only ones who were willing to take this ride with me. And, you know, I think I always return back to this, like, real appreciation. Like, whatever the reason is that they chose to say yes is irrelevant because it was the right thing at the right time for me. You know, it's what I needed. I needed another brick added to, you know, this house of my life and experience that we were building that I was lacking. I needed that extra, like, cushion and guidance and support, and we got you, and you can do this also. And, you know, you have certain responsibility for your grades, but if you cover that, like, we're happy to, like, take the ride with you, you know. And so it was again, a lot of these, these, these realizations have come only well after the fact. You know, I was obviously deeply grateful for them and all of that, but only now, years later, can I understand, like, that was also a big commitment for them and truly a big risk. I mean, I was a teenager. They didn't know if I was going to go off the rails at any point. I mean, why not? You know, and, and so huge liability, and they still did it. And so I'm so grateful for them. I think they understood that sense of gratitude and respect, and it was mutually a mutual sentiment that we shared. And so they decided to build this beautiful performing arts center that's really become kind of this important staple in the community there. They do amazing production. I was just there a couple of months ago, like two months ago, and I saw, you know, this entire theater and arts programming that they're running. Like, I was in the AP art class, like, working with some of the kids. And like, it's just, I'm, you know, really proud to be associated and affiliated with anybody who recognizes how important the arts still are. And, you know, like, even in the face of all of the surge of social media and technology and all the things, like, you still need your designers and you still need your creative eyes and like, don't tell me AI. Like, I don't want to hear it. Like, yeah, use it for efficiency. No problem. Like, I'm all about it, by the way. I needed Cliff Notes of a book that's being read in the fourth grade. And I was like, I'm not reading 300 pages right now. Absolutely not. ChatGPT. Could you please tell me in a few words? I literally, I. It's as if I just discovered ChatGPT, by the way, in the last two weeks. And I got caught red handed. And my daughter's like, can you download it on my iPad? I was like, no, no, no, I can't.

[Danielle Fishel]

Absolutely not. Yeah, this is my mommy's tool, not yours.

[Ryder Strong]

The right to bypass reading. You have to do it.

[Alexandra Nikita]

But, you know, it's. It's so, it's so funny because I, I want. I still really believe. I believe that it's not a lost cause. I believe that there's, you know, we have to honor that, you know, that part of the brain. And it's not about your skill set. It's not about how good you are or how trained you are. I think that this. This need to just find something where you can be your Us. You and your truest you, and just like whatever that is. Dancing, kicking around a soccer ball, I don't care, you know, but it's like, really reconnecting with that impulse to self express. And. And, you know, I obviously sustain the visual arts for very obvious reasons, but I. I think it comes down to anything that is able to generate this space to pause.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Alexandra Nikita]

And. And. And. And maybe say something thoughtfully and not just because it's clickbait and quick and fast and, you know, it's like. So. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Alexandra, thank you so much for being here with us. Thank you for being a part of the legacy of Boy Meets World. It's really been so wonderful to have you. You are infinitely more fascinating than I ever. I mean, you were. You were fascinating on paper, but talking to you, getting to know you a little bit better, you're even more interesting and fascinating than you appear on paper. So thank you. Thank you for bringing that to us and sharing it with us. And honestly, it's a little intimidating when you think about how great you were coming into what we did and doing it so effortlessly, and yet none of us could step into what you do and do even a fraction of what you can do.

[Will Friedle]

Aggravating, not intimidating.

[Alexandra Nikita]

We're irrationally angry. Thank you. Thank you guys for being a part of one of the most meaningful memories in my life. I'm so grateful. And thanks for giving me street cred with all the kids these days.

[Danielle Fishel]

I appreciate it, really. Thank you. It's been such a joy to see you and have you. Thank you so much.

[Alexandra Nikita]

So emotional. I don't know why. Thank you.

[Will Friedle]

Are you doing any shows around here that we can come and say hi and see your work and all that good stuff?

[Alexandra Nikita]

My studio is open to you guys anytime. But, yeah, I am. I'm having. I'm doing a show in Park City. I'm doing a few things outside of the state. I just did an event at the end of the year, this year, sort of announcing that I'm moving into the home space. So I'm gonna create, like, functional art, basically. Oh, I can actually show you this. Here is my handy dandy candle holder.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is gonna be one of the pieces.

[Alexandra Nikita]

This is gonna be one of the pieces also.

[Will Friedle]

Cool.

[Alexandra Nikita]

So I'm taking. You know, the thing is, like, with 30 years of IP, I could literally sit and never make anything again, which Is. Is obviously not going to happen, but we realize we have all this incredible. These assets of images that, like, also, like, if you bring in and create the right team, it doesn't have to be stuff that I'm sitting there dissecting all day long. Like, if we work collaboratively with people who can see things through a different lens, it just makes sense to bring the work into a much more, like, tangible situation. And, like, a lot of my collectors, like, great. Obviously they can afford the paintings, but their walls are filled up, so they're like, what's next? And then there's a lot of people who, like, like, don't have the ability. Like, I collect art, but half the things I want to buy are well outside my means, you know, and so I would love to create an entire, like, landscape of work that is functional, that's, you know, beautiful, that's representative of who I am and that people can actually afford to buy. So that's where we're at.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, that's awesome.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love that.

[Alexandra Nikita]

But until then, I will see you guys.

[Danielle Fishel]

Until then, where can people find you? Also, yes, we will come visit for sure. But where. Where can people find you? What is your Instagram? Where can people see what you're doing?

[Alexandra Nikita]

My Instagram is Alex Underscore Nikita. I love Instagram. I don't know how to use any other social assets. Okay. And that's the only place. And I'm very sharing on there sometimes. To sharing. I get phone calls a couple times a day going, close friends only, please. So, you know, but that's. That's the best place. And I. Actually, for me, it's been a wonderful platform. Like, I know everyone has. Has love, hate relationships with these things, but I've maintained such a nice, like, it's given me the chance to. To say the things when I don't, you know, necessarily have it all figured out in the studio, and I use it all the time.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, we will find you there. And I hope our listeners find you there as well. Thank you again so much. It was so great to see you. We will be in touch to make plans to come visit.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Thank you so much. Much. I can't wait. Thank you. Thank you, guys. This is so fun. Bye. So great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, wow. My gosh.

[Ryder Strong]

We're going to that studio, guys.

[Danielle Fishel]

We are going to that studio.

[Will Friedle]

I didn't even want to get into it, but I was so drawn to the piece that she was sitting in front of. The colors of that and the horse. Oh, man, it just looked amazing. Yeah, looked amazing.

[Ryder Strong]

What A life. That's so cool, man.

[Danielle Fishel]

So cool.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, it's so, you know, what's, you know what's really cool about it to me is how much she clearly is an artist because of. Of process, not end result. Do you know what I mean? Like, I feel like a lot of like even when I think about the things that I've always wanted to do, like be an actor, be a writer. Half the time I hate the process, you know, I mean like, I love being, I love being on set, but I hate auditioning, I hate, you know, going acting. I hated all the, of all the work, which. But you have to, you have to.

[Will Friedle]

Love all the process, right?

[Ryder Strong]

And with writing, like, I've, you know, very only recently come to this realization. Like all my life I've been writing as if I'm going to someday not have to write again.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Do you know what I mean?

[Ryder Strong]

Like, oh, I'm gonna write the thing that's gonna be big enough so that. And I'm like, wait to what? All I'm gonna wanna do is keep writing, so stop being like, enjoy the process. And she seems like from the get go it was like this meditative like self like it was like loving herself, you know, it was like part of like, I'm just gonna do this because this is how I am becoming who I am gonna be.

[Danielle Fishel]

And it was therapeutic for her. Everything.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, it was like, it's like part of her being that she's just gonna take the hours every day to do. And like that's so cool. And I think that's reflected in the work. Right? Yeah, that's why it's.

[Danielle Fishel]

Even when she said. And then sometimes I would just sit there because you can't just flip this, the switch and be like, if I, I, you know, listening to her talk about being a mom and her limited hours of things and I think, yeah. You know those times where it's like, okay, I've got to prep for the show, I'm directing next week and I've got an hour and a half and I've got to read the script and I've got to bring. Break it down. And it's like if I then had to sit there and couldn't do the thing, I would be like, oh my gosh. And yet for her, it, like you said, it's so much of it is just like that's the process and that's what I'm doing today. And that's okay. The. Yeah. That grace and acceptance of it, of it all is. And that she loves it.

[Alexandra Nikita]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Also once, once again, a through line, we keep seeing supportive parents. Yes, completely supportive parents that are not throwing you into any business they're not doing for any other reason. And whenever you hear, as any sort of young entertainer, artist, whenever you hear, do it till it's no longer fun and then find something else, it just takes such a weight off of everything. And yeah, it's great to hear that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Also the trust they placed in her to say, you know, like when she made that decision that she was going to go on tour with her work and she was like many, many conversations and them really explaining to me what it was going to require. It's like, you know, when you, when you have, you have to trust that your kids are actually understanding and they, how can you, how can you truly understand until you've been in the shoes? But you have to go, okay, I've prepped you. You want this? Of course, if you change your mind, we'll back out. But like, this is a big decision and they, they trusted her. It's, it's, yeah, really great. Well, thank you all for joining us for this episode of Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram Pod Meets World show. You can send us your emails. Podmeetsworldshowmail.com and we've got Merch.

[Will Friedle]

We've got new T shirts for you. We're also going back on tour. You're Rider Strong merch.

[Danielle Fishel]

Podmeetsworldshow.com Rider Strong, send us out.

[Ryder Strong]

We love you all. Pod dismissed. Podmeetes World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle and Rider Strong, executive producer producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Sugbash, producer Matty Moore, engineer and Boy Meets World superban Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram odmeatsworld show or email us at podmeatsworldshowmail.com.

[Danielle Fishel]

The New Year's here. It's the perfect time to refresh those household essentials and score some cash back rewards with Colgate Palm olives.

[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

Upload it to cprewards.com that's cprewards.com and get up to a $10 digital Visa prepaid card.

[Ryder Strong]

Start your year fresh by earning cashback rewards with Colgate Palmolive rewards available while.

[Will Friedle]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Danielle Fishel]

This message comes from Greenlight Ready to start talking to your kids about financial literacy? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money app that teaches kids and teens how to earn, save, spend wisely and invest with your guardrails in place. With Greenlight, you can send money to kids quickly, set up chores automate allowance and keep an eye on what your kids are spending with real time notifications. Join millions of parents and kids building healthy financial habits together on Greenlight. Get started risk [e-mail] iheart Catch the new Hulu original comedy Mid Century Modern.

[Alexandra Nikita]

From the creators of Will and Grace, executive producer Ryan Murphy and director James Burroughs. When three best friends move in together, Palm Springs will never be the same. They're fun, they're fabulous, and they're turning life's lemons into spiked lemonade. Shake up a batch of cocktails, relax by the pool and get ready for some serious shave. Mid Century Modern stars Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Nathan Leigh Graham and Linda Lavin. Mid century modern premieres March 28, streaming on Hulu.

[Danielle Fishel]

For the past 10 years, a lot has come and gone in my life, but one thing that stayed consistent? A Samsung phone. You couldn't get me to change even if you tried. And trust me, many have. And now with my newest phone, the Galaxy S25 Ultra from Samsung, I have a true AI companion, making life easier and more efficient. And for years people have asked how my photos look so good and I can't yell it loud enough. It's because I have a Samsung. And with the new 50 megapixel ultra wide lens, it's even better for beautiful scenic views and a little extra room for a few more family members to fit in the frame. You're welcome Uncle Pete. Are you ready to let this mind blowing new phone do more for you so you can do you? Then trust me and get your Galaxy S25 Ultra now at samsung.com.