Lynn McCracken Meets World

Summary

Pod Meets World: Lynn McCracken Meets World – Episode Summary

Release Date: May 19, 2025

In this heartfelt episode of Pod Meets World, hosts Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong, and Will Friedle sit down with the accomplished director Lynn McCracken. Lynn’s extensive career in television, particularly her pivotal role in shaping the beloved series "Boy Meets World," offers listeners an intimate look behind the scenes of a classic show that has endured over three decades.

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1. Introduction to Lynn McCracken

The episode begins with the hosts warmly welcoming Lynn McCracken, highlighting her impressive resume that spans directing episodes of "Boy Meets World," "Still Standing," "Fuller House," "8 Simple Rules," and "According to Jim." They emphasize her status as a two-time DGA award nominee and commend her for being one of the coolest individuals with the last name McCracken.

[13:12] Danielle Fishel: "Oh, it's so good to see you."

[13:24] Ryder Strong: "We have Simon McCracken on the show!"

2. Lynn’s Early Career and Transition to Television

Lynn shares her journey from high fashion photography in New York to the bustling television sets of Los Angeles. She recounts her beginnings as an assistant to photographer Adrian Buckmaster, working on L'Oréal campaigns and developing a passion for cameras.

[14:26] Lynn McCracken: "I was an assistant to a photographer... and I learned everything about cameras from Adrian."

Her move to LA was influenced by Michael Jacobs, a friend of her brother, who recognized her potential and invited her to explore opportunities in television. Lynn details her initial role as an executive producer's assistant on "My Two Dads," where mentorship from Arlene Grayson was instrumental in her growth.

[16:38] Lynn McCracken: "Michael Jacobs said, 'Hey, I sold a show and I need an assistant. Come to LA,' and that was the start."

3. Working on "Boy Meets World"

Lynn delves into her experience working on "Boy Meets World," describing the show's dynamic and the challenges faced. She highlights the complexity of working with Michael Jacobs, mentioning the protective environment they fostered for the young cast amidst the demanding nature of production.

[22:07] Lynn McCracken: "With Boy Meets World, Michael's track record was good, and we knew what we were filling."

She speaks fondly of the mentorship from David Trainor, who became a significant influence during her tenure on the show. Lynn emphasizes the importance of creating a safe and supportive atmosphere for the child actors, ensuring their well-being was prioritized.

[28:43] Will Friedle: "He just did for all of us... You were the one we would talk to."

4. Challenges and Learning Experiences

Lynn candidly discusses the difficulties of transitioning from stage management to directing, a path she hadn't initially anticipated. She reflects on the rigorous note sessions led by Michael Jacobs, which were both challenging and formative in her development as a director.

[55:20] Lynn McCracken: "Use your big voice. It's okay for you to use your big voice as the director."

One poignant moment Lynn recounts is directing the season six Christmas special, "Santa's Little Helper," which was emotionally charged and required meticulous preparation.

[49:10] Lynn McCracken: "It was my first episode directing... It was a very emotional episode."

5. Legacy and Impact of "Boy Meets World"

Lynn reflects on the lasting legacy of "Boy Meets World," expressing pride in how the show has remained relevant and cherished by fans over the years. She credits the collaborative environment fostered by the production team and her colleagues for the show's enduring success.

[80:15] Lynn McCracken: "I'm so proud of you guys. It's amazing what you're doing."

6. Personal Reflections and Future Endeavors

Towards the end of the episode, Lynn shares personal insights about balancing her career with family life, her experiences working on other significant projects like "Ellen," and her ongoing passion for directing family-oriented television. She underscores the importance of creating nurturing environments both on and off set for young actors to thrive.

[77:10] Lynn McCracken: "It's your job to create a safe environment for the actors to be able to create. That's the whole job."

7. Conclusion and Farewell

The episode concludes with a warm farewell, expressing deep gratitude towards Lynn for her contributions to "Boy Meets World" and the positive impact she has had on the hosts’ lives and careers. The hosts invite listeners to connect with Lynn and celebrate the shared memories that continue to keep the spirit of the show alive.

[87:06] Lynn McCracken: "Thank you. Bye, guys."

[87:38] Ryder Strong: "We adore you. Thank you so much for all of your contributions to Boy Meets World."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Lynn McCracken on Mentorship:

  "He was an incredibly generous mentor who taught me how to navigate a set."
  [28:59] Lynn McCracken

• On Transitioning to Directing:

  "Having executives see me as a director and recognizing my creativity was the hardest part of the transition."
  [54:27] Lynn McCracken

• Reflecting on Set Safety:

  "Protecting kids on set was my top priority because I couldn't protect myself."
  [77:10] Lynn McCracken

• On Legacy:

  "Seeing you guys 30 years later as adults with families is incredible."
  [83:28] Lynn McCracken

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Final Thoughts

This episode offers a rich and engaging exploration of Lynn McCracken’s pivotal role in "Boy Meets World" and her broader career in television directing. Through candid discussions and heartfelt anecdotes, listeners gain an appreciation for the dedication and passion that fueled the creation of a show that continues to resonate with audiences today. With insightful quotes and personal reflections, Pod Meets World successfully honors the legacy of a beloved series and the talented individuals behind its success.

Transcript

[Danielle Fishel]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.

[Ryder Strong]

Keaton went to school today dressed as a vampire.

[Danielle Fishel]

Why?

[Ryder Strong]

And well, you know, he's a costume kid, right? Like he's just, he's just in costume all the time. There was a short period for a few months where I thought we had gone beyond it, where he kind of just stopped asking to be in costumes. And I was like, great, we've outgrown this. And then, no, it just started all over again. And the other day he went dressed to school in a full, full deadpool with gloves, hands and everything. And when he came home, he wasn't wearing it. And I said, well, what happened to your costume? And he said, my teacher said that my gloves, I couldn't wear my gloves, but the gloves are attached to the costume, so he couldn't just take the gloves off. So she made him take it off. So to this morning when he was like, came downstairs with a vampire costume and he said, I want to wear this to school. And I said, we're not allowed to wear costumes to school. Remember last week you had to take it off? And he said, vampiros don't wear gloves.

[Will Friedle]

So he's a Spanish vampire. Yeah, I was gonna say, wow, that's even better.

[Ryder Strong]

And I said, okay. I mean, you're right. There's no gloves. And. And the vampire costume is a shirt and pants and a cape. And so he can get himself undressed because the other problem is with the full one piece costumes for Spider man or whatever, he can't unzip himself and then he's having to ask the teachers to help him go to the bathroom. And like, we're beyond that.

[Will Friedle]

Well, Spider man ask people. That's. That happens in real life too. That's a real, actual superhero problem that nobody addresses.

[Danielle Fishel]

Real life problem.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, it's a real life superhero problem which is like, hey, I just saved the bank, but I have to pee. Can somebody get me out of this?

[Ryder Strong]

You unzip me.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm telling you, he's not going to outgrow this. Like, because.

[Ryder Strong]

Really?

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh yeah. Indy's a costume kid. I was a costume kid. Like when you.

[Will Friedle]

Right, but when does it become like now you're the 16 year old kid dressed like Batman in school? When does it become weird? Is the question. I think it's fine.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, I used to keep lists of what Halloween costumes I would want. Like throughout the year. I would. And make a list of. And Indy does the same thing.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, so does Adler. So do other and Keaton. We talk about it all year long. Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

There was one Halloween. Indy had three separate outfits.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, Last year, both my kids had three different outfits.

[Will Friedle]

It's Halloween math class. When you're 14 and you just happen to be dressed like Deadpool, that's when people start to talk.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't think this is coming from you. Like the convention superhero guy.

[Ryder Strong]

I know. I was not thinking.

[Will Friedle]

First of all, superheroes in school are their regular human forms. They're Peter Parker, they're Bruce Wayne.

[Danielle Fishel]

But the idea that somebody would want to dress up and be whatever, let their freak flag fly in costume in school should be, like, great.

[Will Friedle]

Okay. I would say there's a time and a place. I would say school wouldn't be the time again, Keaton and Adler's age. Fine. I would say even Indy could probably get away with it. You're now eighth grade. Ninth grade, and you're going to school dressed in a superhero costume. People are going to talk.

[Ryder Strong]

Hey, should you be an adult man? The adult man in his Batman underwear?

[Danielle Fishel]

People to talk. That's amazing.

[Ryder Strong]

Maybe you do.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's what I'm saying. It's like. It's totally fine.

[Will Friedle]

It is. It's fine.

[Danielle Fishel]

I wouldn't want to do it.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, you're gonna. You're gonna get the rep as the kid. Oh, that's. That's the superhero kid that's gonna follow you around.

[Ryder Strong]

Great.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

You are the superhero kid.

[Ryder Strong]

What are you talking about?

[Will Friedle]

There's a way to do it. I never went to school dressed as a superhero.

[Ryder Strong]

When. When you showed up when I came home today, he had his cape. So he's got a cape with a big satin thing that comes up here, and it goes all the way around. And so he. He walked into school today with the cape over his shoulders, and he walked in like. And Jensen said, he's a vampire. And all the teachers went, oh, just thinking he had a cape on. And Jensen said, yeah, he can turn you all into zombies and he can fly away like a bat. And then Keaton went and, like, ripped open the.

[Lynn McCracken]

Ripped.

[Ryder Strong]

Opened the cape and was wearing his full costume under there.

[Will Friedle]

And everyone was like, oh, wow. Well, first of all, it's great cape weather.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, yeah, totally.

[Will Friedle]

That's the first thing. Secondly, vampires don't turn you into zombies.

[Ryder Strong]

I know.

[Will Friedle]

They're vampires.

[Danielle Fishel]

Changing the mythology here. Yeah, you can't do that.

[Will Friedle]

That's not how that works. And he's gonna bite you and turn you into a werewolf.

[Danielle Fishel]

And if it's a full moon, he's gonna know.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, we have to do we have to just do whatever comes to mind? Because when he's in these moods and he's then dressed as a vampire, he like, he just wants to keep it going and we all have to play along. And we're also though like trying to like make breakfast and get him out the door for school. So we just say whatever comes to our mind. Like he'll us and like hit us on the arm and we're like, oh no, I'm a zombie. Like we, we.

[Will Friedle]

Totally inaccurate.

[Ryder Strong]

We become servants.

[Will Friedle]

Which is accurate. I mean that's how we learn. They lead to the master of the, the master's, you know, vampire, but not zombie. That's a whole different thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, well, sorry. This is the thing like when you realize when you have a kid is like, because you think, oh, playing make believe with kids is so much fun. But the reality is there's no rules. So it gets so boring. So cool. Now I'm a cloud now I'm a unicorn now. And you're just like, wait, hold on. Like, let's have some consistency. Can we roll some dice for whether you actually can do that or not? Like it's like without any boundaries. It's like the most boring thing to play as an adult.

[Ryder Strong]

Also, I have to work in all the normal day to day things into the playtime. So like vampire, your teeth need to be sharpened. Let me use your toothbrush to sharpen your teeth. Because if I just say like tie their shoes right. If I say like, stop. Enough playing. We have to go brush your teeth now. Oh, good luck. You just ruined the entire morning. So now it's about sharpening his teeth. And I might, I'm like, meanwhile it's 6:40 in the morning and I just tired. But, but listen, it's for right now. It's very cute and it's not yet a problem. It's not yet a problem. I will see what happens when we're, if we're still doing this podcast when he's 12, I'll let you know.

[Will Friedle]

Trust me, we'll hear about it.

[Ryder Strong]

Welcome to Pod meets World. I'm Danielle Fishel.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm Ryder Strong.

[Will Friedle]

And I'm Will Friedle.

[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

We have called the Boy Meets World cast and crew family many times on this podcast. With the everyday grind, both the good and the bad, the entertainment business can create that kind of dynamic. A group of people all striving for one common goal. To make something magical or in some cases something that is good enough. Well on our show, we were lucky to have actual family. Whether it was background actors, husband and wife Kevin and Tracy Thompson, directors and brothers Kevin Tracy and John Tracy, or Ben Savage and Fred Savage. It was no shock when we'd find out someone had a sibling, spouse, brother or cousin working on set. And this week's guest was one half of our favorite duo. She started as a first assistant slash stage manager for the show, then moved her way up to direct her first episode of TV ever, our recently rewatched season six Christmas special, Santa's Little Helper. And that was just the start. She'd go on to direct not only two more Boy Meets World episodes in season seven, but also Still Standing, Fuller House, 8 Simple Rules, and According to Jim to Just name a few. And she'd spend time on Ellen, Veronica's Closet and two movies. I most certainly have to ask her about later. She's a two time DGA award nominee and tied for first for coolest person with the last name McCracken. This week on Pod Meets World. It's someone we've been looking forward to talking to for quite some time. Time. It's director Lynn McCracken. Lynn, Lynn. Lynn.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, it's so good to see you.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yay.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh my gosh.

[Will Friedle]

We're so happy.

[Lynn McCracken]

My children.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know, but we're not children anymore.

[Will Friedle]

We're.

[Ryder Strong]

We're your old, middle aged at best. I mean, clinging.

[Lynn McCracken]

What a life you guys have.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh my gosh. Right?

[Will Friedle]

It's weird. Another one. You look the same. You look the same.

[Ryder Strong]

No, I don't know why. It is so good to see you reuniting with people we love 30 years after the fact of the time that we met is. I think none of us would, would argue is. It's just the best part of the podcast.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Amazing. Such an absolute joy. And seeing you is just right up at the top of that list. So can we talk about how your career started off in high fashion photography? That is a new one for us. I need to know more about that.

[Lynn McCracken]

I. I was an assistant to a photographer. His name is Adrian Buckmaster. And, and we did a couple l' Oreal campaigns and, and I learned everything about cameras from Adrian and his. You know, I had a love for cameras ever since I was a little kid. And being behind the camera, and it's so safe being behind the camera. You guys, you are the brave ones, right? I mean, you know this as being directors, it's like you get responsibilities, but it's, it's really a great place to be. And Adrian and We did a whole bunch of campaigns in New York. It's when I lived in New York and I had just graduated from the Neighborhood Playhouse. And I was, you know, his wife at the time. His. Karen Savelle was a good friend of mine. And that's how it all happened. So it was great. It was a great exposure.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow. Did you want.

[Will Friedle]

That was a camera pun. That was a camera pun. Did you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Did you think maybe you would stay in photography or were you immediately like, no, get. Oh, yeah. Okay.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's a very different world in some ways, right?

[Lynn McCracken]

It is. You know, it's interesting. It's. It's the film scene in New York, as I know if you've experienced. It's a very close knit and for a woman, it was very, very welcoming. So. And someone by the name of Michael Jacobs, who happened to be my brother's best friend, said, you know, hey, I sold a show and I need an assistant. So why don't you come out to LA and I'll get your side card and. And, you know, and. And you can kind of see what it's like out here. And, you know, and I was like, yeah, okay. But I was such a. I was such a New York snob at that point. I was just like, okay. So. But what ended up happening was I ended up going back and forth to LA and New York for a couple years and.

[Ryder Strong]

But what's the show he brought you out for?

[Will Friedle]

Dinosaurs. What was the first one?

[Lynn McCracken]

It was my two dads and Greg again. Yeah. And so I was, you know, this completely novice. Like, I knew nothing about television or anything. And, you know, here I am, the executive producer's assistant, and I'm just like, whatever. Thank God for Arlene Grayson. Arlene Grayson was my savior and mentor. So she came from New York, too.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Ryder Strong]

So many people have mentioned her.

[Lynn McCracken]

She was a great soul. Yeah. Really. She was just. I don't know that Michael would have the success that he did if it wasn't for Arlene, because she covered him on so many levels.

[Will Friedle]

So I've showed. I've showed everybody this. So when they come in. So when I first came to la, I knew no, nobody. I. I literally was here by myself. I had no idea. And Arlene was one of the first people that I met. And the first thing she did, of course, now I just dropped it. The first thing she did was write down her name and her phone number so I could always reach her.

[Lynn McCracken]

No way.

[Will Friedle]

Always. It's one of the first things I look at. It's right over my computer every time I'm doing my zooms. And so I look at Arlene's signature and just how nice she was. Every day when I sit down in.

[Lynn McCracken]

Here, I have a sideboard that was hers. Really? In my dining. I don't know if you. Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

Nope.

[Lynn McCracken]

Otherwise. Wow.

[Will Friedle]

Over there.

[Lynn McCracken]

Oh, yeah, that was hers. So great.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, she was amazing.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yeah, she's.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

So, anyway, so going back, even before.

[Ryder Strong]

Photography, did you and Jeff grow up making movies together? Doing, like. Did you. Were you guys. Were you guys doing it from the time you were kids?

[Lynn McCracken]

No, there was a. There's a slight age gap between us.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, okay.

[Lynn McCracken]

He's the oldest and I'm the youngest.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay.

[Lynn McCracken]

And I think he got out of Dodge as soon as he could, and when he did, I was still in single digits, so.

[Ryder Strong]

But how far apart are you guys?

[Lynn McCracken]

I don't think he wants me to say. There's a couple of years. There's just a couple of years between.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Lynn McCracken]

But, you know, he. He is the biggest inspiration, though, because he. After he was in the Air Force, and. And he went to New York, and he's the one who said to me, because I was at the University of Illinois, and he's like, if you're serious about theater, then you have to go to the playhouse. And. And that's what I did. And then. And that was the beginning of my journey with Sandy Meisner.

[Will Friedle]

So now, did you always want to be behind the camera, or was there. Did you want to be an actor at one point?

[Lynn McCracken]

No, in college, I was a playwright directing major. And. And so a lot of directors actually came out of the playhouse as well. And one of my favorites at the time was Mark Rydell, and he came out of the playhouse with Diane Keaton and all those in that crowd. And I think on Golden Pond was. Had just come out. And so I was just a big fan of his. And so. But working with. I think one of the last few years with Sandy Meisner was really an amazing experience. And. And so I thought, well, yeah, I'll be an actor. Okay, whatever. And I could not do the business side. I don't know how you guys do it. The rejection was just. I could. I don't have the. I didn't have the sk for it. And. And then, of course, Adrian was helping me with photography, and so I was like, you know, I really want to be a filmmaker. And that's when Michael said, well, you go to LA and see what it's like out here.

[Ryder Strong]

So. So you move out to la. You're working on My Two Dads, but you're just Michael's assistant. You're assistant to the executive. Are you paying attention to every aspect of the industry? Are you thinking about like, oh yeah. When and where do you decide how you, what you want to do? Did you know right away you eventually wanted to be a director?

[Lynn McCracken]

Well, I knew that, but I, I hit a point where the executives at Columbia Television were, took me, you know, took a meeting with me and, and they were like, you know, here you have two roads. You can come up and be an executive with us or you can go, you know, stay in production. And I was like, I want to be down there on the stage. I want to be, you know, because as you guys have mentioned many times, show night was. It's, it's intoxicating.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, it's a drug.

[Lynn McCracken]

It is, it is. And, and Elvin Ivory was the first stage manager and he was kind enough to take me under his wing and, and so I, I transitioned to being his assistant and, and then we did Fresh Prince of Bel Air and we, we went on to do all sorts of other shows together and then a little show called Boy Meets World. And Michael bro.

[Danielle Fishel]

Was that your first time being a stage manager then was on our show?

[Lynn McCracken]

No, no, no, no. I'd been on a few shows with Elvin and, and, and he was a great guy. He was a former ABA basketball player who, like seven feet tall. He was like, you know, he was like six something. And he was the kindest man ever. And, and we did a couple shows and then I did, I followed a director, Matthew diamond, on a few shows.

[Will Friedle]

I worked with Matthew.

[Lynn McCracken]

We worked with Patti LaBelle on out all Night and that's where I brought Steven and Steve. Steve was my second stage manager. And, and then, and then we came over to. I think that's the order. I could be missing a show in there, but, you know. And then Steve and I came over to Boy Meets World.

[Will Friedle]

Where does Boy Meets World rank for sets for you that you worked on? And you could be honest. Be honest.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, be honest.

[Lynn McCracken]

That has to be a really complicated answer because there are so many great moments in my career that I've been able to experience and life changing moments. And with Boy Meets World, you know, Michael's complicated. You guys have discussed that ad nauseam and I don't go into that. And our relationship was incredibly complicated and so, and it got more so. And, but with David Trainor, he turned out to be my mentor. Great guy, mentor. And, and I was really Sad to leave Boy Meets World, but I was really happy to continue and be an associate director which was in the booth. Camera coordinator with him on the next show with Betty White and Maria Osmond. So, you know, I traveled with David at that point.

[Ryder Strong]

That's where you left. That's where you went when you left us. You went with David.

[Lynn McCracken]

I went with David because I got elevated to the next.

[Will Friedle]

Did you do that 70s show?

[Lynn McCracken]

No.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Lynn McCracken]

I did Ellen after that.

[Will Friedle]

Gotcha.

[Lynn McCracken]

So. And that was one of the life changing moments for me was working on the coming out episode on la.

[Danielle Fishel]

So did you meet David Trainor on Boy Meets World set when he came to direct? Okay.

[Lynn McCracken]

Is that where we met? I think that is where we met. Yeah. And because he had just come from Designing Women and stuff like that.

[Ryder Strong]

What do you think of when you hear Amazon prime delivery trucks outside your home?

[Danielle Fishel]

Your favorite streaming shows, of course, but.

[Ryder Strong]

There is so much more. Whatever you love, that's what prime is.

[Will Friedle]

Prime helps you get more out of whatever passions you're into and it helps you discover new ones.

[Ryder Strong]

Just today I bought a new makeup remover for my brushes and a few collagen masks that I sleep in. And Amazon prime is perfect for my never ending obsession with beauty products. Not only do I get what I need incredibly fast, I can find myself going down a rabbit hole for all new items I didn't even know existed. Nail brightening treatment? Yes. Green tea clay mask. Yes. Add it to the haul.

[Danielle Fishel]

And the fact that Amazon prime also puts hundreds of movies and TV shows right at your fingertips.

[Will Friedle]

It's more than just same day delivery. It's a place to explore your passions.

[Ryder Strong]

From streaming to shopping. It's on Prime.

[Will Friedle]

Visit Amazon.comprime to get more out of whatever you're into.

[Ryder Strong]

We all have that piece. You know the one, the thing that's so you. You've basically become known for it.

[Will Friedle]

And if you don't have yours yet, you'll find it on ebay.

[Ryder Strong]

Putting you on here fashionistas.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ebay is where you'll find those. One of a kind. Can't stop researching. Stay up dreaming about pieces again and again.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm talking that mew mew off the Runway. Red leather bomber, the cousteau Barcelona top.

[Will Friedle]

With the cowboy on it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Or that Patagonia fleece in the 2017 colorway.

[Will Friedle]

All these finds are on ebay and.

[Ryder Strong]

They even offer millions of main character pieces backed by authenticity guarantee.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ebay is the place for pre loved and vintage fashion.

[Ryder Strong]

Ebay things people love Ya girl loves her some jewelry. And for the record, I'm ya girl so imagine my excitement when I found out I get to talk to you about Pandora Jewelry. Every piece from Pandora is crafted with meaning, love and exquisite artistry. Whether it's sparkling lab grown diamonds or vibrant enamels, engravings and iconic charms, there's no better place than Pandora to express what's in your heart. Pandora makes sure your jewelry is a celebration of you with hand finished designs and playful cuts that make everything unique like it should be. Shop Pandora today in store or [e-mail] every day is a chance to be love. Let Pandora Jewelry remind you that love starts with you. Summer is right around the corner and you know what that means.

[Will Friedle]

Barbecues, Sunny days by the pool with my shirt on.

[Ryder Strong]

No unwanted hair. No one wants that. So we're here to remind you about Nair, the number one hair removal brand, the gold standard in the field.

[Will Friedle]

You can't go wrong with any of their products. They have the new luxe Wax for Less wait time in between waxes or.

[Danielle Fishel]

The dermatologist tested body and shower creams free of dyes, parabens, phthalates and sulfates.

[Ryder Strong]

But we're focusing on my favorite the wax strips. It makes for the easiest wax ever and it lasts up to four weeks, all while minimizing hair regrowth and most importantly, saving me time. I have a podcast to record, a Little League practice to watch and a bedtime of 8.30pm Nair is an actual lifesaver.

[Will Friedle]

You can achieve salon quality results at home, leaving you with stress free, soft, silky skin or as I like to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Call it, the Triple S. You heard the man. Get ready for summer. Buy Nair Wax strips at Walmart, Walgreens or cvs.

[Ryder Strong]

This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.

[Will Friedle]

Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Ryder Strong]

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

[Danielle Fishel]

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.

[Ryder Strong]

In every episode, hosts Austin Henkiewicz and Janice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their business and tackled the hurdles and challenges that come with being your own boss.

[Will Friedle]

From tracking money in and out to.

[Ryder Strong]

Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business Journeys.

[Danielle Fishel]

Listen to mind the small business success stories on the Iheart, Apple, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryder Strong]

What was it about David that. That, like, he. I mean, we remembered him, you know, also fondly, and yet we also remember he was. He had a very distinct style. What was it for you that you think, like, what is it about David that just drew you to him? What made him your mentor?

[Lynn McCracken]

He was a incredibly generous with his knowledge, and he taught me so many different things about how to navigate a set, you know, coming from the theater in New York as well, so we had a lot in common. One of the things he told me, and I don't know that he would remember this today, but he said, never become friends with the actors. You need them to respect you.

[Ryder Strong]

That's so funny.

[Lynn McCracken]

And I'm like, really? Okay. I was like, that's not how I've operated so far in my life, you know, But. But it made sense to me because he was, you know, he had to be the be all, end all, voice of everything, and so he had to garner all that respect. And it was just really interesting. And you guys were so young and so, you know, adorable.

[Ryder Strong]

We were impossible not to befriend.

[Lynn McCracken]

Well, it really brought out a maternal instinct. Instinct in me, you know.

[Will Friedle]

Right.

[Lynn McCracken]

And trying to take care of you guys and protect you as much as I could from production.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

Because, as you know, child doctors don't necessarily turn out as well as you guys, so. And I. I can. I can say that's because of your parents. I have to say, your parents were so involved on set and. And say hello to all of them, please.

[Danielle Fishel]

Of course.

[Lynn McCracken]

I just. They're. They're just yummy. And. And, you know, Ben's folks were really kind of led the charge as far as how to stick up for you, advocate for you guys.

[Ryder Strong]

Sure.

[Lynn McCracken]

You know, Lynn and I mean, everybody was just so great and easy to work with. And Arlene, between Arlene, myself, and. And your folks, I thought we created a pretty good bubble around you.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, for sure.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, Karen took over for that as well.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yeah. And then Karen stepped in. McCain was an executive first, and then she came on board as a producer, and she filled. And then some Arlene shoes. So.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We. We've mentioned many times that they're, you know, there. We've heard stories and things that were going on that we just go, oh, we didn't know any of that was happening. We.

[Lynn McCracken]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

No, we were so well insulated. And we now have realized that you guys were taking all the shrapnel, which is how we were able to be so well insulated.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Well, I think all of us think about that first season as just such a warm and fuzzy time, you know, and it's been. It's. It's been interesting to hear that. It wasn't always that way for everybody, but for us, I think that first season especially, I mean, you guys really set the stage.

[Lynn McCracken]

You know, it was imperative. It was imperative to protect you because so much was. Was going on behind the scenes and, you know. I know. Too many bodies buried.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, exactly.

[Will Friedle]

Amazing. Yeah. But, yeah, we just. We. It's. You know, you're finding out 30 years later that maybe your parents didn't have the most magical marriage ever, and you kind of, as an adult, are going like, wait, what? We put up in a storybook. It was a storybook. And it's kind of like, no, it really wasn't that time.

[Lynn McCracken]

Well, it was a job. It was a job for us. We wanted. For me, the important thing was trying to maintain childhood for you guys and Arlene, too, and everybody else. I mean, the crew was exceptional.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

From Richard Brown, the DP to. And then it was David Props. I mean, everybody was really, really great, and. And Steve did such a great job with you guys and. And then, consequently, has become such a wonderful director, so.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Did you know April Kelly?

[Lynn McCracken]

I met April early on. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay.

[Lynn McCracken]

She wasn't around much. Okay. So. And I know there was a lot of contention between Michael and April, so.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Lynn McCracken]

That was. You kind of had a pick a camp kind of thing.

[Ryder Strong]

Right. Do you remember the first time you met all of us?

[Lynn McCracken]

I do, I do. It was like the most, you know, the. We were all so nervous, and you guys came in and you were a little bit later.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

And I remember that so clearly the day that you came on board and. But with the. With the rest you guys, you were all so. Just so adorable. We were all just like, so nervous on how to get the rhythm going and how to get, you know, everything, you know, and you guys were all so nervous, and Ben was just like a deer in the headlights because, you know, he was trying to fill shoes of legacy for himself and, you know, and that was just all. I don't have any really specific.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, looking back at the episodes now, man. I mean, Ben was in every scene, everything, and had pages and pages of just. He's carrying the whole scene. And actually, this kid never got a break. I mean, our experiences, especially that first season we would have like a scene here and there. We'd come in and out. But he's carrying the whole show. So much work. It must have been just mind boggling.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yeah. In and scheduling that and all that kind of stuff was really interesting. And you know, the verboseness of Michael and his note sessions was legendary. Legendary and challenging.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, I know. I've thought about that so many times. How did you guys allow for that much time in the day to be like, well, we've got to rehearse all day. We have to do a run through at this time. And then we still need the kids to be on the clock for a min. Minimum of an hour to two hours sometimes.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

For notes after.

[Lynn McCracken]

Well, we knew that the teacher and that they would pull you guys. I mean. Yeah, we knew that from the note sessions and, and you know, and Michael would try to give the notes to the kids first and. And God bless Bill. And. And. And yeah. Just like he knew he had to wait until the end.

[Will Friedle]

Right.

[Lynn McCracken]

You know, really hard. And those note sessions were a bit abusive, I think.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. Was that now, curiously, was that par for the course for. For a Michael Jacobs show? I mean, all the shows that you were on with him, they were all note sessions that lasted that long. This. We weren't special.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay. It wasn't us.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, gotcha. Okay, fair enough.

[Ryder Strong]

Did you think from season one when you saw Boy Meets World, did you think the show's gonna be successful?

[Lynn McCracken]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Will Friedle]

So you're the one who thought it.

[Danielle Fishel]

The rest of us had nothing.

[Ryder Strong]

I've been so excited.

[Lynn McCracken]

That's me.

[Will Friedle]

That's me.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yeah. No, we. We knew. I mean, of course there were no guarantees and so we all had to wait for that pickup order and stuff like that. But. But you guys were. Were solid and. And so in the. I think wasn't. We were the TGIF lineup on.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

So it was. It was a tough spot to fill. But, you know, Michael's track record was good and.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. And that kind of stuff you said you remembered. You remember. Well, when I joined the show. What is your memory of when the character of Topanga was created and then I ended up in the part.

[Lynn McCracken]

Well, the day that we recast was. I think there's some misinformation out there.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay.

[Lynn McCracken]

In that. I think I read somewhere that the actress that was. Was replaced said that David said she wasn't pretty enough. Right.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes.

[Lynn McCracken]

It's not true. That is not. That is that. That's not. That's not the case. Not to say that she wasn't talented. It just. That she wasn't right for where the part needed to go. And Michael was really. I think David was concerned, and so. And he was concerned because of that, not because of looks. And.

[Ryder Strong]

And she heard that, to be fair, she heard that from her agent, that her agent is the one who told her that the director had said that. Now, this is, you know, telephone. Telephone. And. And to have been, you know, a child and to have a rep. Pass that along is just. Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

It's horrendous to have that information in your head, and I just hope she knows that. But it's way too late now.

[Ryder Strong]

It's never. You know what I think? Too late to change. Change the narrative, you tell yourself.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, because we also. We said that too, where even at the time we talked to Bonnie, it was just.

[Lynn McCracken]

Just.

[Will Friedle]

That was out of character for David. David would never have walked up to her and. Or any of that stuff. It just. That just wasn't David. So. Yeah, we also knew that there was. Again, it's just hearing what somebody said from somebody else. From somebody else on the phone 30 years later.

[Lynn McCracken]

Because I was right there next to David the whole day, the whole time. And it was pretty much just chemistry. It just wasn't. It wasn't clicking. And. And when I think Sally was it. Sally Steiner was that. Yeah, yeah. Brought you in. And it was like the clouds parted, and everything was like, oh.

[Will Friedle]

Here she is.

[Lynn McCracken]

That's the role. That's. And that's, you know, and. And it was right. And so it was the right move that David, you know, and Michael did. And, you know, and Here we are 30 years later about it.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Do you also remember earthquake week.

[Ryder Strong]

1994?

[Lynn McCracken]

Yeah. I mean, I remember getting a call from Mike or calling the production office saying, yeah, we're gonna go. And I'm like, no, we're not.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

You know, I said, my apartment building just shut, you know, pieces.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm off the foundation. What do you mean, we're going in?

[Will Friedle]

Yep. And it was. Right. It was the Fugitive episode, wasn't it, that. That week. And so Ryder had this big thing, and they put us in the giant, like, huge, cavernous stage where laughs go to die. And. Yeah, we're trying to do a table read while they're. There's aftershocks, and we. We start beforehand with a. I think it was Arlene somebody. It might have been you. Did you give us a speech about if. If there's another aftershock, Everybody's got to run under here. You Gotta say. And action. Like, okay, let's be funny.

[Lynn McCracken]

Go to the walls.

[Ryder Strong]

I know it's funny because you think of now, the safety meetings that you have on sets, and you think we all are kind of like, all right, thanks. If there's anything wrong, we'll run out to. Okay, we got it. That day, you're like, like, what do we do? What do we do? And tell me where and who do I. Okay, great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Good to know.

[Ryder Strong]

Safety.

[Lynn McCracken]

Safety. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

You start remembering what the flight attendant said during severe turbulence. You're like, okay, wait, what? My seat belt's done. Okay. Exits in front and back. Yeah, it was the same kind of.

[Lynn McCracken]

Thing the DGA makes. You have to say them and you know everyone's not listening. It's like, I know you're like, sorry.

[Ryder Strong]

To be the buzz kill, but I will be the person to save your life. If.

[Lynn McCracken]

You remember when that extra in the dance scene, we were working really hard and she collapsed. I don't know which dancing was this. Gosh, it was a big dance. And we. She was a. She. She just collapsed. And Steve, like, radios me, and I'm like. And I run back behind the set and. And all the extras are. I mean, we had a big. A lot of kids and. And I'm like, sitting there going, okay. And we had to get paramedics, and she had to go to the hospital.

[Danielle Fishel]

You don' it was a kid.

[Lynn McCracken]

It was a kid. Yeah. He collapsed. He got. She was dehydrated and she fainted. She was fine.

[Ryder Strong]

Was it the episode when you guys are writer and Ben are doing. Doing the band. You band on the run. Because it's like a school dance. Yeah, school dance.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, geez.

[Lynn McCracken]

Crazy.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't remember that at all.

[Lynn McCracken]

Disasters.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, my gosh.

[Will Friedle]

Did we have a kid board days on the set without someone collapsing? You had to erase it.

[Ryder Strong]

What do you remember about the death chair? Do you remember us joking about the death chair? The. The. The third friend to Corey and Sean that in the. That first season bringing in new actors.

[Lynn McCracken]

Oh.

[Ryder Strong]

And try and make. And then they get replaced. And we. We made the. We started calling that third chair the death chair. And I'll never forget the time when David asked me to sit in that chair for something and I didn't think anything of it. I was like, yeah, I'll sit there.

[Will Friedle]

And literally Ben was like, don't.

[Lynn McCracken]

Don't do it.

[Ryder Strong]

Do not, Danielle. And I was like, what? And he was like, do not.

[Will Friedle]

Don't.

[Ryder Strong]

If you want to keep your job, do not sit in the nutshell. And it really became like a thing. And then I was. Then I was scared to sit in it.

[Lynn McCracken]

Jeez, I don't remember that.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh my gosh, it was so crazy. What do you think of when you hear Amazon prime delivery trucks outside your home?

[Danielle Fishel]

Your favorite streaming shows, of course, but.

[Ryder Strong]

There is so much more. Whatever you love, that's what prime is.

[Will Friedle]

Prime helps you get more out of whatever passions you're into and it helps you discover new ones.

[Ryder Strong]

Just today I bought a new makeup remover for my brushes and a few collagen masks that I sleep in. And Amazon prime is perfect for my never ending obsession with beauty products. Not only do I get what I need incredibly fast, I can find myself going down a rabbit hole for all new items I didn't even know existed. Nail brightening treatment? Yes please. Green tea clay mask? Yes. Add it to the haul.

[Danielle Fishel]

And the fact that Amazon prime also puts hundreds of movies and TV shows right at your fingertips.

[Will Friedle]

It's more than just same day delivery. It's a place to explore your passions.

[Ryder Strong]

From streaming to shopping. It's on Prime.

[Will Friedle]

Visit Amazon.comprime to get more out of whatever you're into.

[Ryder Strong]

We all have that piece. You know the one, the thing that's so you. You've basically become known for it.

[Will Friedle]

And if you don't have yours yet, you'll find it on ebay.

[Ryder Strong]

Putting you on here fashionistas.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ebay is where you'll find those. One of a kind. Can't stop researching. Stay up dreaming about pieces again and again.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm talking that mew mew off the Runway. Red leather bomber, the Cousteau Barcelona top.

[Will Friedle]

With the cowboy on it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Or that Patagonia fleece in the 2017 colorway.

[Will Friedle]

All these finds are on ebay and.

[Ryder Strong]

They even offer millions of main character pieces backed by authenticity guarantee.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ebay is the place for pre loved and vintage fashion.

[Will Friedle]

Ebay things people love.

[Ryder Strong]

Ya girl loves her some jewelry. And for the record, I'm ya girl. So imagine my excitement when I found out I get to talk to you about Pandora Jewelry. Every piece from Pandora is crafted with meaning, love and exquisite artistry. Whether it's sparkling lab grown diamonds or vibrant enamels, engravings and iconic charms, there's no better place than Pandora to express what's in your heart. Pandora makes sure your jewelry is a celebration of you. With hand finished designs and playful cuts that make everything unique like it should be. Shop Pandora today in store or [e-mail] every day is a chance to be love. Let Pandora jewelry remind you that love starts with you. Summer is right around the corner. And you know what that means.

[Will Friedle]

Barbecues, Sunny days by the pool with my shirt on.

[Ryder Strong]

No unwanted hair. No one wants that. So we're here to remind you about Nair, the number one hair removal brand, the gold standard in the field.

[Will Friedle]

You can't go wrong with any of their products. They have the new Lux Wax for Less. Wait time in between waxes or the.

[Danielle Fishel]

Dermatologist tested body and shower creams free of dyes, parabens, phthalates and sulfates.

[Ryder Strong]

But we're focusing on my favorite, the wax strips. It makes for the easiest wax ever and it lasts up to four weeks, all while minimizing hair regrowth and most importantly, saving me time. I have a podcast to record, a little league practice to watch, and a bedtime of 8.30pm Nair is an actual lifesaver.

[Will Friedle]

You can achieve salon quality results at home, leaving you with stress free, soft, silky skin. Or as I like to call it.

[Danielle Fishel]

The triple S. You heard the man. Get ready for summer. Buy Nair Wax strips at Walmart, Walgreens or cvs.

[Ryder Strong]

This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.

[Will Friedle]

Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Ryder Strong]

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

[Danielle Fishel]

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.

[Ryder Strong]

In every episode, hosts Austin Henkiewicz and Janice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their business and tackled the hurdles and challenges that come with being your own boss.

[Will Friedle]

From tracking money in and out to.

[Ryder Strong]

Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.

[Danielle Fishel]

Listen to Mind the small business success stories on the Iheart app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryder Strong]

So at this point now you left. Did you leave us after season two? You went with David Trainor after season two. Okay, so did Jeff. Had Jeff directed any episodes in those first two seasons? Were you and Jeff ever on set together at the same time?

[Lynn McCracken]

Yes. And I'm trying to think, did he do one ep? I know he trailed. He. He trailed David.

[Ryder Strong]

Exactly. And I think he did. I think he did one episode in season two and so do you. Do you remember what it's so Funny.

[Will Friedle]

I have the vision of you saying he trailed David. Two of the tallest human beings you're.

[Ryder Strong]

Ever gonna see.

[Will Friedle]

Together. They're 13ft tall, one's trailing after the other.

[Lynn McCracken]

Richard Brown next to him too.

[Will Friedle]

And it's like such a strange image to see these two giant men, one trailing after the other.

[Ryder Strong]

Seriously. I remember both of them were able to like, take the length of the stage in what felt like five strides.

[Lynn McCracken]

Exactly.

[Ryder Strong]

Two huge men. So do you remember what it was like to work with your brother? Was that.

[Lynn McCracken]

Was it fun?

[Ryder Strong]

Was it awkward?

[Lynn McCracken]

Oh, yeah, it was very awkward. But it was so great because I was so proud of him and he's so capable and he. Yeah, and I forget who. I think it was. Kevin Tracy was the associate director.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, he was.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yeah, I know.

[Will Friedle]

We just talked about Kevin.

[Ryder Strong]

Tell me about the very first episode you directed and what you remember about that experience.

[Will Friedle]

Cause we just watched it.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes, we did.

[Will Friedle]

Just one.

[Ryder Strong]

Captain Santa's Little Helpers.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

So cute.

[Lynn McCracken]

It was great. I mean, it was my first episode of direct and I've been. I had episodes on other shows coming up and Michael wanted to make sure that Boy Meets World was my first episode. And I couldn't have been happier because it was like coming home. Arlene had already passed, so Karen was at the helm and that was. And Russell, and that was just really great. And Michael Shea was there and, you know, it was just a really great, great group. Dede, Michael, Steve, everybody. It was just really great. And Annie, were you nervous? Oh, my God, was I so nervous. And I just, you know, going through the. The week was. Was just, you know, it was an interesting episode. I mean, it was a very emotional episode, you know, with Ryder, with you, with. With Trina and.

[Ryder Strong]

And then Tommy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Will had some drama too.

[Will Friedle]

I have a full on Godalog. It's great.

[Lynn McCracken]

I was like, oh, I got a really emotional episode. That's. I couldn't remember when I watched it it a couple days ago, I was like, oh, my God. Yeah. All right, all right.

[Will Friedle]

We're also to the time, I mean, season six now they're throwing up new sets all the time. So we're in sets we've never been in before. There's new extras, there's kids. I mean, you had a lot to do in that episode.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yeah. And. And you know, and Matthew, it's so funny. He is the elf. I mean, he was so unhappy in that elf costume.

[Ryder Strong]

I remember him being so miserable in that costume. Yeah, he was like pissed. Pissed.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yeah, he was pissed.

[Will Friedle]

We Got him Gucci ears. I don't see what's the problem.

[Danielle Fishel]

We've talked about with Matt a lot. Like, I've talked to him a lot, but, like, he really, really cared about his clothing back in the day. Now he doesn't at all like he is now. He's a T shirt and jean guy completely now. But back then, he was, like, really into how, you know, he's presenting. We used to tease him about it all the time back then, but. Yeah, so that's funny that he actually really hated.

[Lynn McCracken]

Oh, he was so unhappy.

[Danielle Fishel]

I totally believe it.

[Ryder Strong]

So funny.

[Lynn McCracken]

You know, of course, Maitland and her. Her Santa Claus fantasy costume can't just be.

[Will Friedle]

Can't just be a Santa Claus. You got to be a sexy Santa Claus.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yeah. But the thing that stuck out to me is, like, I got a little ptsd because that first scene where Ben is talking to you, Danielle, and he's talking exactly like Michael. And I remember in the note session, Michael giving him line readings and how to do that monologue. And I was just like, I remember.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes. Especially season six and season seven. It is.

[Will Friedle]

He's leaning into it.

[Lynn McCracken]

He just surrendered. He surrendered.

[Ryder Strong]

He totally did. He was just like, you know what? I am. I'm supposed to be Michael Jacobs.

[Will Friedle]

I'm just.

[Ryder Strong]

That's it. I'm going for it.

[Will Friedle]

I'm doing it. Yep.

[Lynn McCracken]

Wow.

[Will Friedle]

And actually, the thing is, it works for Corey. It does, unfortunately. I mean, it works. And Ben is great at it. Yeah, but it is. I mean, there's times we're watching where. Where it's like, oh, yeah, that's just. That's a straight up Michael line just coming out of Ben's mouth.

[Lynn McCracken]

It's just Michael Ryder, you had such a hard, hard arc to. To. To in that episode. I mean, it was. It was really delicate in that. Heartbreaking when you tell her, you know, no, not ready at the end there, I was like, oh, pull on my heart a little bit at the end there. It was so well done.

[Ryder Strong]

Do you remember one of the things that came up for me in the episode was like. Like, all of a sudden, you know, we kept saying, like, okay, let's not think too much about reality. Let's just go, it was a Christmas. It's a Christmas story. Let's embrace it, whatever. But it did strike me as interesting. Why do you remember this being a topic of discussion? Why do Sean and Angela leave the house, go in apparently in a car ride or travel, don't talk about their relationship at all on the way. Wait till they Arrive at the school to talk about it, and then when they leave, they go back. Back to the house. Do you remember there? Do you remember why it needed to be in the student union? That they needed to have this conversation?

[Lynn McCracken]

Because that was the set that they wanted. Right.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay.

[Lynn McCracken]

It was just one of those things where it was like, didn't make any sense.

[Will Friedle]

Nope.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

At all.

[Ryder Strong]

And it's just like, you know what? We don't care. People aren't gonna care. Let's just have it here.

[Lynn McCracken]

I'll take the letters.

[Danielle Fishel]

Because we probably didn't have the backyard. It would have made perfect sense for us to just walk into the backyard, leave the house, go have. But we didn't have that set anymore. And so they were just like, oh, let's just use the student union.

[Lynn McCracken]

I think Feeny's house was gone. Not in that episode or something.

[Will Friedle]

Can I ask, as somebody who's the only person on this zoom who is not a director, what is the most difficult part of transitioning from being a stage manager to actually directing an episode? Episode.

[Lynn McCracken]

I think the hardest thing is having the executives see you as a director and seeing you be creative. That you're a creative and you're not just a, you know, brick and mortar kind of person. Right. I think that's the hardest thing in that transition. Had I known that, I always thought it was the natural transition. You know, you go down to the stage or stage manager and you. And you become a director.

[Will Friedle]

Right.

[Lynn McCracken]

No, you go to stage management and then you go into of producing. And so it was the one left turn that I didn't anticipate that was going to take a long time to make that transition. And then I remember on a show, there's a producer, Susie Greenberg, who told me, use your big voice.

[Ryder Strong]

Really? Use your big voice.

[Lynn McCracken]

It's okay for you to use your big voice as the director, because she knew me as an AD too. So it was like, oh, right.

[Will Friedle]

Wow.

[Ryder Strong]

I love that advice.

[Lynn McCracken]

So it was like, oh, yeah. I don't have to be the one who just sits in the back and listens and does everything. I actually get to use my voice.

[Will Friedle]

Susie Greenberg. Did she do Seinfeld as well? I thought so. Okay. Yeah, she's the one the Suzy is based after.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

There's an episode called the Suzie. Yeah, it's based after Susie Greenberg. That's cool.

[Ryder Strong]

That's cool. So when you watched the episode Santa's Little Helper, were you able to enjoy your work?

[Lynn McCracken]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

No.

[Will Friedle]

And you said you never wanted to be an actor. She just answered like an actor.

[Lynn McCracken]

Barely. Do I go back and watch any of them, But I watched it, and I was just like, oh, I could have done that better. I could have done that better. You know, And. And I. I might have. I might have stood up a little bit more and just said, can we lay off the music a little bit more?

[Ryder Strong]

Okay.

[Lynn McCracken]

No. And. And it's a little heavy. And. And. But, you know, I think, you know, when I. When I joked about having ptsd, part of it, too was, you know, between the dress show and the air show, that note session that comes after at dinner or whatever, Michael tore me. I mean, I had a great. I had a great week. Great week with you guys. Great month throughs. We. We did the dress show well, we were jamming. We finished early that day. I mean, I had it blocked. I had everything. It was great. Blah, blah, blah. So I'm, like, at dinner feeling really pumped and great, and he comes and he just rips me to shreds in front of everybody.

[Ryder Strong]

What did he say? About what?

[Lynn McCracken]

Oh, just criticizing everything that I. All my shots, all my this, how I could do this. Typical Michael. You know, just, you know, whatever. And so I was sitting on the steps of my. My trailer and just defeated. Defeated. Who comes walking up to me but my brother.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, there you go.

[Lynn McCracken]

And he just lifted me up and he was just like, it.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

But he was just like, you know, and he just brought me back to center. So you talk about the synergy between my brother and me and our careers and whatnot. He showed up at just the absolute right time and just, you know, was.

[Will Friedle]

Way of doing that for all of us.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Really? Yeah, he really did. Yeah, he would. Yeah, both of you did. Yeah, both of you did. Truly.

[Ryder Strong]

No, it's true.

[Will Friedle]

We talk about the. How you were. You were kind of our first. Well, I'll talk about myself. My first kind of conduit onto the set was you. I mean, it was. You were the one I would go to and talk to, and we'd go to you if we had any problems or go to you if we had any questions or go. I mean, it was. You were the one we would talk to. So you very much did for us what Jeff did for you that night. So that was very special to us. You both were. We talk about it quite a bit.

[Ryder Strong]

You both have such a comforting command of every situation. There's no, you know, when we talk about Michael being in charge, there's like, that kind of commanding.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Nope, there's not A. There's not a. An inch of that in you where you're like, oh, I'm a little afraid. But clearly this person is demanding, demanding that I respect them and that I listen to them. And so I think I. I think I'm going to you. But you guys, you're. You're so. You're both so capable, so in charge, and yet so comforting. There is an absolute safety of knowing.

[Will Friedle]

Natural born leaders, these people in charge.

[Ryder Strong]

And we've got it. Whatever it is.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yep.

[Ryder Strong]

We've got it.

[Will Friedle]

Follow you anywhere kind of people.

[Ryder Strong]

Correct.

[Will Friedle]

It's awesome.

[Ryder Strong]

So right off a cliff, I. Right off a cliff, Exactly.

[Will Friedle]

Exactly.

[Ryder Strong]

Another thing I wanted to ask about is, early on in your career, you were a second AD And a production assistant on two wildly different movies. Baps with Halle Berry and Curtis Hansen's Hand that Rocks the Cradle. Wow. This is the weirdest double feature ever. How did this happen? And what stories do you have from either of them? Them?

[Lynn McCracken]

The Hand that Rocks the Cradle was Annie Maniscalco.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes. The makeup artist.

[Lynn McCracken]

Our makeup artist was Rebecca De Mornay's makeup artist. And she and I were friends and she. I went out to visit her on set and the first A.D. oh, no, they were. They needed a P.A. so they asked me if I would stay and be a page day. And I said, yeah, sure. I didn't know what I was doing, but I was like, okay. And the first. The second A.D. the first A.D. was like this old grizzled first A.D. and he had a mental breakdown during the shooting.

[Ryder Strong]

Wow.

[Lynn McCracken]

Set. So the second AD Moved up to first AD and then I moved up to wow.

[Ryder Strong]

From PA to second AD Having never done it before.

[Lynn McCracken]

Well, I was already stage managing, so I had.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Will Friedle]

You know, then that first AD Got eaten by a lion. I was then made first AD.

[Lynn McCracken]

In charge of the. Of the babies. They were. And wait, you were literally the hand.

[Will Friedle]

That rocked the cradle?

[Lynn McCracken]

I was literally the hand of cradle who, like, brought the little babies to set and. And you know, and I was the baby wrangler.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow, that's awesome. Wow, that's great.

[Lynn McCracken]

It was great. I had such a great time on that movie and it's all because of Annie. So the Hand, the Rocks of Cradle is directed by Curtis Hansen and the cinematographer is Bob Elswit. I think Curtis, he did LA Confidential just after.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, such a good movie.

[Lynn McCracken]

But there were some really great stories. I mean, almost dying on the set. And I was one of the stunt drivers and I. What?

[Danielle Fishel]

Baby wrangler. Stunt driver.

[Will Friedle]

Baby wrangler.

[Ryder Strong]

Second AD Stunt driver, please.

[Danielle Fishel]

They were taking advantage of you. They were making you do everything. They were like.

[Lynn McCracken]

We were working in Seattle, so it was like anything goes, you know?

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my God, that's amazing.

[Ryder Strong]

Wait, so tell me the story about how you almost died.

[Lynn McCracken]

We were in downtown Seattle and we were running and gunning it with a camera inside the car. And Curtis and Bob had a way of doing things without talking to the ad department.

[Will Friedle]

Ah, sounds safe.

[Lynn McCracken]

I was in the back of the. The car and we had no traffic stops, no cops, no nothing. And we. I mean, the cars, it was.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, jeez.

[Lynn McCracken]

Almost all died.

[Will Friedle]

That's old school filmmaking.

[Ryder Strong]

So you almost get into a car crash, but you don't you make it. Are you then, like, that's it, we're done.

[Will Friedle]

We.

[Ryder Strong]

That we have to use that or did you do it again?

[Lynn McCracken]

Oh, no, that was it. That was. We got.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, that was it. Okay, you got what you needed.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yeah. And it was, you know, it was great. It was great filmmaking. It was. And then Rebecca was. She was so focused in her character. And Ernie, who played the. The handyman. They were. And it was really great. It was really fun. It was a really great first film experience because I got exposed to, like, everything.

[Ryder Strong]

And boy meets world crossover here. The dad in the hand that rocks the cradle was the man who played the first Alan Matthews.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, it was Matt McCoy.

[Ryder Strong]

Matt McCoy.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, okay. It was Matt McCoy, who is actually.

[Lynn McCracken]

Good friends with Jeff. And so it worked out. It was really funny. It's a small world.

[Ryder Strong]

Small world.

[Lynn McCracken]

You see my hand drop, like, earrings in it. And you see my.

[Will Friedle]

Like I said, acting, hacking is very important.

[Lynn McCracken]

She pulls out and it was like. Like, stunt driving was really fun. So it's amazing.

[Will Friedle]

Stunt driving. They're just like, all right, Lynn, you're the stunt driver now get behind the wheel of that semi, crash it into the building.

[Lynn McCracken]

Where's our stunt person? I went, I'll do it.

[Danielle Fishel]

God.

[Ryder Strong]

All right, you Dr. What do you think of when you hear Amazon prime.

[Will Friedle]

Delivery trucks outside your home?

[Danielle Fishel]

Your favorite streaming shows, of course, but.

[Ryder Strong]

There is so much more. Whatever you love, that's what prime is.

[Will Friedle]

Prime helps you get more out of whatever passions you're into, and it helps you discover new ones.

[Ryder Strong]

Just today, I bought a new makeup remover for my brushes and a few collagen masks that I sleep in. And Amazon prime is perfect for my never ending obsession with beauty products. Not only do I get what I need incredibly fast, I can find myself going down a rabbit hole for all new items I didn't even know existed. Nail brightening treatment? Yes please. Green tea clay mask. Yes. Add it to the haul.

[Danielle Fishel]

And the fact that Amazon prime also puts hundreds of movies and TV shows right at your fingertips.

[Will Friedle]

It's more than just same day delivery. It's a place to explore your passions.

[Ryder Strong]

From streaming to shopping. It's on Prime.

[Will Friedle]

Visit Amazon.comprime to get more out of whatever you're into into.

[Ryder Strong]

We all have that piece. You know the one, the thing that's so you. You've basically become known for it.

[Will Friedle]

And if you don't have yours yet, you'll find it on ebay.

[Ryder Strong]

Putting you on here fashionistas.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ebay is where you'll find those. One of a kind. Can't stop researching. Stay up dreaming about pieces again and again.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm talking that mew mew off the Runway red leather bomber, the Cousteau Barcelona.

[Will Friedle]

Top with the cowboy on it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Or that Patagonia fleece in the 2017 colorway.

[Will Friedle]

All these finds are on ebay and.

[Ryder Strong]

They even offer millions of main character pieces backed by authenticity guarantee.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ebay is the place for pre loved and vintage fashion.

[Ryder Strong]

Ebay things people love Ya girl loves her some jewelry. And for the record, I'm ya girl. So imagine my excitement when I found out I get to talk to you about Pandora Jewelry. Every piece from Pandora is crafted with meaning, love and exquisite artistry. Whether it's sparkling lab grown diamonds or vibrant enamels, engravings and iconic charms, there's no better place than Pandora to express what's in your heart. Pandora makes sure your jewelry is a celebration of you. With hand finished designs and playful cuts that make everything unique like it should be. Shop Pandora today in store or [e-mail] every day is a change chance to be love. Let Pandora Jewelry remind you that love starts with you. Summer is right around the corner and you know what that means.

[Danielle Fishel]

Barbecues.

[Will Friedle]

Sunny days by the pool with my shirt on.

[Ryder Strong]

No unwanted hair. No one wants that. So we're here to remind you about Nair, the number one hair removal brand. The gold standard in the field.

[Will Friedle]

You can't go wrong with any of their products. They have the new luxe wax for less wait time in between waxes or.

[Danielle Fishel]

The dermatologist tested body and shower cream. Free of dyes, parabens, phthalates and sulfates.

[Ryder Strong]

But we're focusing on my favorite the wax strips. It makes for the easiest wax ever and it lasts up to four weeks. All while minimizing hair regrowth and most importantly, saving me time. I have a podcast to record, a Little League practice to watch and a bedtime of 8.30pm Nair is an actual lifesaver.

[Will Friedle]

You can achieve salon quality results at home, leaving you with stress free, soft, silky skin or as I like to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Call it, the Triple S. You heard the man. Get ready for summer. Buy Nair Wax strips at Walmart, Walgreens or cvs.

[Ryder Strong]

This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.

[Will Friedle]

Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Ryder Strong]

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

[Danielle Fishel]

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.

[Ryder Strong]

In every episode, hosts Austin Henkiewicz and Janice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their business and tackled the hurdles and challenges that come with being your own boss.

[Will Friedle]

From tracking money in and out to.

[Ryder Strong]

Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.

[Danielle Fishel]

Listen to Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, despite having a, you know, a stern talking to on tape night of your first episode, everybody obviously very much like your liked your work because you came back to direct two more episodes of Boy Meets World in season seven. Is there anything you look back on, like Boy Meets World being your first job? Was there anything you very specifically point to and say, I learned X on directing Boy Meets World?

[Lynn McCracken]

That's a good question. Yes, I learned how important it is to be prepared. I knew that before, but I, I really, I got to see it in action and David really taught me how to do all my camera work. I mean camera shots and stuff in a way that it's been hard to transition to how things are done today. You're on the floor and you mark up your script in a different way now than we did then because back then we marked the scripts for the booth for the camera coordinator to to be able to have meetings with the cameras, the four camera operators, and they would assign shots to everybody. And so it was all done before you hit the floor, whereas now it's all done on the right. And so that transition has been was a little difficult for me to kind of figure out what my new system was going to be. So it was so ingrained the other way. But, you know, being able to have that split focus of four screens, four cameras.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

Something some people can do, some people can't. And single camera people coming into multi camera can't seem to do it. But multi camera people can do both. So. Yeah, I find. I don't know on that too, but.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, you would go on to have an incredible career in directing. You have two DGA Award nominations. And one very big job that you mentioned was First AD on Ellen, a show that got a ton of media attention when she became the first openly gay character on network tv. What was your experience of working on that show and working with Ellen?

[Lynn McCracken]

It was great. It was being a gay woman myself. It was, you know, not having to, like, use pronouns to talk about, which is what I had to be very careful of on Boy Meets World with you guys. I was very careful with. With all of that. And.

[Ryder Strong]

What do you mean? Explain. Expand on that more with us on.

[Lynn McCracken]

This world in that day and age, in that time, you just didn't. You weren't out, you weren't.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, right.

[Lynn McCracken]

You know, you just don't ask, don't tell kind of thing. And I. I never brought anyone to wrap parties or anything else like that. It was wow, you know, the beards, as it were. But that's just the time. That was just the time, you know, and. And I was so closeted, too. It was just kind of crazy. But on Ellen, I didn't have to be anymore, and so it was pretty great. And. But working with Ellen herself was a whole different experience because she comes. She came from the standup world, obviously. And, yeah, you got two takes and that's it. And you moved on, and you were lucky. And it had to be something really specific to make a third take.

[Ryder Strong]

Wow.

[Lynn McCracken]

Everybody had to come to the set frosty, right. And ready to go and. And be prepared. And it just. She was very conscious of the audience and the live audience, and that was her. And, man, it just flew. And she.

[Ryder Strong]

She.

[Lynn McCracken]

Was brilliant, a brilliant comedian. And. And so I learned a lot, a lot, a lot about comedy from her. One of my favorite moments is when Emma Thompson came on the show and they were. They were just improving with each other in front of the camera. And, you know, it's that thing of don't ask where you can't speak. And I'm behind the camera and I'm laughing so hard. I'm crying because I'm laughing. So I'm like, doubled over about to hit the floor because it was just so funny. So that was really great. But, you know, the highlight, obviously, was when the coming out episode. That was like a huge moment, you know, and reflective of the time, too, because it was all in secret. We knew it was going to happen months ahead of time. And, like, it's like being in the closet. You can't really talk about it. Right. And then. And suddenly, you know, it's getting closer and closer and. And she's getting impatient and Michael Eisner is, like, saying, no, I don't think we should do this. And, you know, all the politics are at play and all this kind of stuff. And, you know, we had amazing musical acts and, you know, big, big things happening. And, you know, we had a rock and roll episode where she got so tired of not being able to come out that she says on stage with, like, Bonnie Raitt and. And David Crosby and Sheryl Crow and all these. Because I'm gay and, oh, my God, you never saw people move so fast as to confiscate the tapes and the film and the.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, geez.

[Lynn McCracken]

It was crazy. But it was. It was really. It was really something else. That moment with Laura Dern in the airport when she said, I mean, it just. I still get chills today.

[Will Friedle]

Into the microphone for. That's, yeah. Great moment.

[Lynn McCracken]

And it's just like one of those historic moments I was so proud to be a part of.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, it must have really, like you said, it was such a moment of the times, but also for you, like, hearing that you were so closeted that you felt you had to keep that a secret from everybody. On Boy Meets World, it was. Was. It must have been.

[Lynn McCracken]

But.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. Yes, yes. But it must have felt very much like. I don't know, just like. It must have felt so, like, so special and.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, it's like a merging of the personal and the professional.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

You know, it's like you're creatively a part of something that's changing the culture, but it's also so reflective of what you had already gone through or were going through. That's amazing.

[Lynn McCracken]

Absolutely. And, you know, we sat there in a production meeting and. And there's a little Fritos cafe scene where K. D Lang was going to be playing guitar and Melissa Etheridge or whatever, and it's a coffee house, and there was one in West Hollywood, and Ellen looks to me and she goes, well, fill it with your friends. I want everybody in that scene to be gay. And I was like, okay, okay, I can do that.

[Ryder Strong]

That's awesome. That is so great.

[Lynn McCracken]

It's time to have that in, like a production meeting. I was just like, what?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Slightly different world than Boy Meets World, maybe on the set.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, another, another Boy Meets World tie in. Leisha Haley is a background actor in that scene.

[Will Friedle]

Is she really? Oh, that's awesome.

[Ryder Strong]

I didn't know that at the airport.

[Will Friedle]

That's great.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, cool. Cool. Like that.

[Ryder Strong]

So you have gone on to have an incredible career also, especially in family tv. You've done the Thundermans, a show we have in common. Raven's Home, Nikki, Ricky Dicky, and Dawn Fuller House. What do you love about working in family TV and maybe even specifically with kid actors?

[Lynn McCracken]

I think there's a kindness in, in, in the television shows. But, you know, I, I, someone asked me this a while ago, and they said, why do you work with so many kids? Blah, blah, blah, blah. And I just felt like it was, it was my job to protect kids. I don't, I couldn't protect myself, so I, I wanted to protect kids. You know, it's like, really interesting and, and, and, you know, one job begets another, begets another, and then you get kind of pigeonholed into a certain type of genre.

[Ryder Strong]

And I think you're right with the kid, with the kid aspect, the protective nature of kids. I also feel very similarly when I'm on set. I mean, my first directing job was on Girl Meets World, and I continued to do a bunch of family tv. And I think the overwhelming feeling I have every time I'm on one of those sets is I am so happy to be able to create the kind of comforting family environment we had people like you creating for us in that first and second season. And there is, there's such a nice feeling of knowing that, like, for a lot of these kids, this is their very first job or one of their very first jobs. They're gonna go on to hopefully have careers in this industry. And no matter what, they're not all gonna have incredible experiences. Some of them are gonna be really bad. But at the very least, I know if I'm there, there, it's going to be a good experience. Yeah. And that's a, that's a nice feeling.

[Lynn McCracken]

It is, it is. And it's a, it's a huge compliment because you bring what you're bringing you to this. And, and, and as you, as you know, we go from show to show to show to show, and we're always reinventing ourselves. We're always re, re establishing ourselves with this new crew, this new direct, this new staff, this new cast, and the Only constant is. Is. Is you. And you can only do what you. You can to make it a safe environment for the actors to be able to create. And that's. That to me, is the whole job is to create a safe environment for the actors to do what they're trained to do. Because when the kids don't know what they're doing, they're too young, too inexperienced, whatever, it's your job to help foster them. And I watch David did do that with you guys, and that just taught me so much. And it all goes back to. To, you know, the basics of, you know, just listen. Just. Just, you know, listen to your fellow actor. Listen to me. Let me be the buffer between you and the executives who are trying to give you a thousand notes.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

And sometimes shows work that way, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes, you know, the writers still go into the set to talk to the act actors and. And it gets confusing, you know, that. That to me was always the hard part of directing too. On sitcoms, especially not so much single camera. Single camera. You're kind of more respected, but yeah, camera, you know, it's. It's your job to help keep this noise over here at the monitors and, and let the actors be.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, finally, with all of the TV shows you have worked on, did you ever think Boy Meets World would be the one we are still talking about 30 years later?

[Lynn McCracken]

No, finally. But it's amazing. I'm so proud of you guys. I mean, it's really wonderful what you're doing and, and to give all these different people who've been associated with the show a voice and to speak their experience and to have that common denominator through it all of. There's just so much love, you know, respect and aside from the, you know, who shall not be mentioned. But if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be here today, so.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly right.

[Will Friedle]

You said it right. It's a complex relationship. I think it's a very complex relationship. Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

And I'm just, you know, seeing you guys right now. I'm seeing you when you're little. I mean, I still think, you know, like, I know you're adults and you have kids, married and whatnot. Thrilled for you and your journey. Danielle has been amazing. I mean, your strength right now is. Is tremendous. And I'm so impressed by you.

[Ryder Strong]

Thank you so much.

[Lynn McCracken]

Wish you all the good health for you in the coming journey with what you're.

[Ryder Strong]

Thank you. I'm so. Thankfully, it is mostly in my rear view. I'm just on A, I'm on a daily medication now that I have to take for five years. And so, you know, it's a matter of finding out what the side effects are, managing those when they pop up. But you know, treat, active treatment is, is behind me. I have my first post cancer mammogram in June, so there's a little bit of, of you know, anxiety wrapped up in that. Just sure. You know, odds are there's not going to be anything. But I think every time there will be another mammogram, there's always going to be some anxiety around it. But you know, I mean, truly, I don't ever want to say I'm like grateful for cancer because it just feels a little silly. But there have been some tremendous changes in me because of it that I am very grateful for. And one of them has just been recognizing that pre cancer I spent a lot of time doing very perfunctory, checking off boxes and making sure I was getting all of the things done and really not making any time for fun or just truly just enjoying life. And I'm in what I'm calling my season of yes. I'm saying yes to everything. I'm going, I make. I'm having lunches with everyone I've. I've ever wanted to have lunch with. I'm going to dinners, I'm seeing plays. I'm like, do doing things that maybe I won't get to bed until like 11 or 12. And like, yeah, pre cancer, Danielle was like, nope, you gotta be be asleep by 8:30. And so I, it's just, it's made me realize that life is really short and you never know when it's going to be over. And so I'm just having as many incredible experiences with the people that I love as possible.

[Will Friedle]

Yes to everything. Note to self. Ask Danielle for money. Oh yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Love that. Do it. You never know.

[Lynn McCracken]

I stepped back a little bit to be home with, raising my two boys.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

And, and there's, there's. I wouldn't do it differently.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Lynn McCracken]

I paid for it because I tried. When I was ready to come back to work more people were like, huh? Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

What? Where have you been? Yeah. How old were your boys when you, when you took a step back?

[Lynn McCracken]

Well, Chris was 2 and Nick was born. So I took a step back when they were little, little, little. I ended up being like the photographer for the preschool for, you know, in the elementary school and all that kind of. I just like was like immersed in all of that. Yeah. But you know, it's, it's it's interesting. The balance is really, really interesting. It's hard. It's hard, right?

[Ryder Strong]

I mean, it's hard. Writer does it, too. Writer. And writer's son is also in voiceover and. And is a real performative kid. So. Yeah, it's a nightmare.

[Will Friedle]

You all make it sound so wonderful.

[Ryder Strong]

Right?

[Lynn McCracken]

It's like, will, I'm sorry. We don't mean to.

[Will Friedle]

Are you kidding? No. I'm sorry for y' all. I'm good.

[Ryder Strong]

Will's about to be a grandfather.

[Will Friedle]

I'm about to be a grandpa, actually.

[Ryder Strong]

What?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. My stepdaughter's about to have our first grandchild, so I'm very happy. What? Yeah. About to be a pop copy.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, my God. It's gonna be so fun. I can't wait.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, I can't either.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, Lynn, truly, we cannot thank you enough for being here with us. You are, as we mentioned earlier, you are just one of those people whose names, whose faces, whose voice brings back a flood of positive memories of. Of endorphins. Where can we see you? Can we see you face to face? Can we give you a hug?

[Will Friedle]

Where are you?

[Lynn McCracken]

I'm in Studio City.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, God. Okay, let's go. Lunchtime. Lunchtime.

[Ryder Strong]

Let's lunch. In my season of yes, let's lunch.

[Will Friedle]

I'll yes that. I'll Yes a Lynn McCracken lunch.

[Ryder Strong]

I'll yes that all day, anytime. I'll be so jealous.

[Lynn McCracken]

Jeff has a show, his first art show.

[Will Friedle]

Yes, I know.

[Ryder Strong]

Is it this week?

[Lynn McCracken]

Weekend. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I think I got to send him a note, right?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, yeah, we got to send him something because we've been. I've been wanting a piece forever, and finally there's a chance of getting one, so I'm very excited.

[Lynn McCracken]

Tell them to anybody.

[Ryder Strong]

I know, I know, I know.

[Will Friedle]

It's killing.

[Ryder Strong]

I know, I know. Are they selling pieces at the show?

[Lynn McCracken]

He's starting to sell, so.

[Will Friedle]

Good, because I want one. I want one. I want.

[Ryder Strong]

I want to. I want to buy.

[Lynn McCracken]

I'd like to come to the show. And he's like, no, no, please. No, like, but it's your first show. And he goes, it's two hours in the gallery here in Connecticut. No, when I have a show in New York, that's when you come. I'm like, all right. You're not all right.

[Ryder Strong]

I mean, we'll be there, too. We'll be there.

[Will Friedle]

Excellent. Absolutely.

[Lynn McCracken]

But lunch? Yes, I would love to do lunch.

[Ryder Strong]

We will, Lynn, we adore you. Thank you so much for all of your contributions to Boy Meets World. And for the protective shield you placed over all of us and. And have continued. It's a warm, warm, fuzzy shield that I still feel to this day. And I hope to see you soon so I can wrap you in my arms with a big old hug.

[Will Friedle]

Great.

[Lynn McCracken]

I would love it. So good to see you.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay. Good to see you, Lynn.

[Lynn McCracken]

Thank you. Bye, guys.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow. Yeah. You know, like, think about how different Boy Meets World would have been without her.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, not just in terms of the experience. I actually, actually genuinely believe creatively it would have reflected on the show too. You know what I mean?

[Ryder Strong]

Like, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I think that us feeling comfortable, feeling safe is what allows. Allowed us to do the performances and allowed us to keep showing up and to care about it and allowed our parents to feel comfortable about.

[Will Friedle]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Agreeing this job and every aspect of it and like. Yeah. That it's rare. Unfortunately. She was a perfect stage manager. Perfect stage manager. And then, you know, you think about it, she left our show and her brother came in and it's like, so we. Between the McCrackens, we were okay. And that it's like so crazy to think that, like. Yeah, it's actually comes from really these two people. So much of what we think of as like, the positive time on Boy Meets World came from their, their actual influence and, and decisions that they made and. Yeah, just great. Amazing.

[Will Friedle]

Yep.

[Ryder Strong]

Just hearing her voice and seeing her face, that hasn't changed much and I was like, I'm 12 again.

[Lynn McCracken]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, I'm. I'm a little kid again. Yep. 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. Pod meets worldshowmail.com and we've got merch.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, we're buying merch.

[Ryder Strong]

In 5, 4, 3, podmeetsworldshow.com will send us out.

[Will Friedle]

We love you all. Pod dismissed. Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle and Ryder Strong, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Sudbaksh, producer Matty Moore, engineer and Boy Meets World superfan Easton episode. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon and you can follow us on Instagram @podmeats worldshow or email us at podmeatsworldshowmail.com.

[Ryder Strong]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.