Claire Danes

Name: Claire Catherine Danes

Introduction: Claire Danes is an acclaimed American actress known for her compelling and nuanced performances across film, television, and theater. Rising to prominence as a teenager, she has received widespread critical recognition for her intense portrayals of complex characters, earning numerous prestigious awards throughout her career.

Date of birth: April 12, 1979

Height: Approximately 5 feet 5.5 inches (1.66 m)

Place of birth: Manhattan, New York City, U.S.

Family:

Parents’ names: Christopher Danes (father, photographer and computer consultant) and Carla Danes (mother, sculptor, printmaking artist, and daycare provider).
Siblings: Asa Danes (older brother).
Spouse: Hugh Dancy (m. 2009), a British actor.
Children:
- Cyrus Michael Christopher Dancy (son, born 2012)
- Rowan Dancy (son, born 2018)
- A daughter born in 2023 (name not publicly revealed).
Relatives: Her paternal grandmother, Claire Tomasky, was also involved in theater and wrote a master’s thesis on William Shakespeare.

Profession: Actress

Nationality: American

Religion: Information not consistently available.

College or university attended:

Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles (High School)
The Dalton School (High School)
Professional Performing Arts School (Junior High)
Yale University (attended for two years, studying psychology, but did not complete a degree). She also studied at HB Studio and the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute.

Biography and What Famous For:

Claire Danes began her acting career at a remarkably young age, performing in off-off-Broadway productions and taking acting classes. Her breakthrough came at just 15 when she landed the lead role of Angela Chase in the critically acclaimed and cult-favorite teen drama series “My So-Called Life” (1994-1995). Her raw, authentic portrayal of adolescent angst earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and an Emmy nomination, catapulting her to instant fame.

She quickly transitioned to film, making her debut in “Little Women” (1994) and following it with a memorable role in Jodie Foster’s “Home for the Holidays” (1995). Her global stardom was solidified with her passionate portrayal of Juliet Capulet opposite Leonardo DiCaprio’s Romeo in Baz Luhrmann’s visually stunning and anachronistic adaptation of “Romeo + Juliet” (1996).

Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, Danes starred in a diverse range of films, showcasing her versatility:

Drama: “The Rainmaker” (1997), “Brokedown Palace” (1999), “The Hours” (2002), “Shopgirl” (2005).
Action/Sci-Fi: “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines” (2003).
Fantasy: “Stardust” (2007).

After a brief hiatus from mainstream projects, Danes made a triumphant return to television, garnering immense critical acclaim for two powerhouse performances:

“Temple Grandin” (2010): She delivered a transformative performance as the autistic scientist and animal behaviorist Temple Grandin in the HBO biographical film. This role earned her a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
“Homeland” (2011–2020): Her most iconic and enduring role, Danes starred as Carrie Mathison, a brilliant but bipolar CIA operative. Her intense, emotionally charged, and often controversial portrayal earned her multiple Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Drama Series, solidifying her status as one of television’s most respected actresses. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012, and she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015.

More recently, Danes has continued her strong run in television with critically acclaimed roles in miniseries such as “The Essex Serpent” (2022) and “Fleishman Is in Trouble” (2022), for which she received another Golden Globe nomination.

Have participated (Selected Filmography and Television):

Television: