Claire Danes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Claire Danes
Danes in 2015
Born	Claire Catherine Danes (1979-04-12) April 12, 1979 (age 46) New York City, U.S.
Education	Lycée Français de Los Angeles
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Hugh Dancy ​ (m. 2009)​
Partner(s)	Billy Crudup (2003–2006)
Children	3

Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress. She has been acting in movies and TV shows since she was a teenager. Claire has won many important awards, including three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2012, Time magazine said she was one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Claire Danes first became well-known for her role in the 1994 teen drama series My So-Called Life. For this show, she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. She also got a nomination for an Emmy Award. In the same year, she made her first movie appearance in Little Women. She became even more famous for starring in the romantic movie Romeo + Juliet in 1996.

Danes has appeared in many other films like The Rainmaker (1997), Brokedown Palace (1999), The Hours (2002), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), Shopgirl (2005), and Stardust (2007). She also performed on Broadway in 2007, playing Eliza Doolittle in a play called Pygmalion.

In 2010, Danes played the main character in the HBO movie Temple Grandin. This role earned her a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. From 2011 to 2020, she starred as Carrie Mathison in the Showtime drama series Homeland. For this role, she won two more Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2022, she also starred in the series Fleishman Is in Trouble.

Claire Danes's Early Life and School

Claire Catherine Danes was born on April 12, 1979, in Manhattan, New York City. Her mother, Carla Danes, was a sculptor and artist. Her father, Christopher Danes, was a photographer. Claire has an older brother named Asa, who is a lawyer.

When Claire was a child, her mother ran a small day care center called "Danes Tribe" from their home. Later, her mother also helped manage Claire's acting career. Claire's father worked in construction and as a photographer. Claire was named after her grandmother, Claire Danes.

The Danes family lived in an artist's loft in New York City. Claire went to P.S. 3 and P.S. 11 for elementary school. She attended the Professional Performing Arts School for junior high. She also went to the New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies, where her future Homeland co-star Morena Baccarin was also a student. Claire spent one year at The Dalton School before moving to Santa Monica, California, with her parents. This move was for her role in the TV show My So-Called Life.

Claire graduated from the Lycée Français de Los Angeles in 1997. In 1998, she started studying at Yale University. She studied psychology for two years but then left college to focus on her acting career.

Claire started taking dance classes when she was six years old. She also took acting classes at age 10. She appeared in theater and video projects in New York City. Even though she continued to dance, Claire said that acting became her main focus by the time she was nine. When she was 11, an audition led to roles in several student films. She signed with an agent at age 12.

Claire Danes's Acting Career

Early TV Roles

In 1993, at age 13, Claire Danes got her first big acting job. It was for a TV show pilot called Dudley. Later that year, she played a teenage character in an episode of Law & Order. She also appeared in an episode of HBO's Lifestories: Families in Crisis.

Then, she starred as 15-year-old Angela Chase in the TV drama series My So-Called Life. The pilot episode was filmed in March 1993. For her role, she won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Emmy Award. Even though the show only had 19 episodes, My So-Called Life became very popular and still has many fans. In 1995, she was in the Soul Asylum music video for "Just Like Anyone".

In 2010, Danes returned to television in the HBO movie Temple Grandin. This movie was about a real-life autistic animal scientist. Claire won many awards for this role, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. The film was highly praised, and Temple Grandin herself said Danes's performance was excellent.

From 2011 to 2020, Danes starred in the Showtime series Homeland. She played Carrie Mathison, a CIA agent who has bipolar disorder. For her work on Homeland, she won two Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2012, Time magazine recognized Danes as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

In 2022, Danes took on the role of Cora Seaborne in the Apple TV drama series The Essex Serpent. This show was based on a novel from 2016.

Film Appearances

Danes in Toronto, promoting Stardust in 2007

Claire Danes played Beth March in the 1994 movie Little Women. After My So-Called Life ended, she got many more film roles. These included Home for the Holidays (1995) and I Love You, I Love You Not (1996).

Her first main role in a big movie was in 1996. She played Juliet in Romeo + Juliet. The director, Baz Luhrmann, called her "the Meryl Streep of her generation" when she was only 16. Later that year, she reportedly turned down the lead female role in Titanic.

In 1997, Danes played Kelly Riker in The Rainmaker, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. She also appeared in U Turn. In 1998, she played different characters, including Cosette in Les Misérables.

In 1999, she voiced a character in the English version of the animated movie Princess Mononoke. That same year, she played Julie Barnes in The Mod Squad and starred in Brokedown Palace.

Claire took a break from acting to attend Yale University. She had made 13 films in five years. In 2002, she returned to movies. She starred in Igby Goes Down. Later that year, she was in the Oscar-nominated film The Hours. The next year, she was cast in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. She also appeared in Stage Beauty (2004), Shopgirl (2005), and The Family Stone (2005). In 2007, she appeared in the fantasy movie Stardust, which she called a "classic romantic comedy." She also appeared in the drama film Evening and the thriller The Flock in 2007. Her film Me and Orson Welles was released in 2008.

Stage Performances

Danes started her career in New York City theater. She performed in shows like Happiness and Punk Ballet. In 2007, Danes made her Broadway debut. She played Eliza Doolittle in a new production of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion.

In March 2016, Danes performed in the play Dry Powder at The Public Theater. She acted alongside John Krasinski and Hank Azaria.

Other Work and Personal Life

Danes at the 2012 Time 100 Gala

In 1995, Claire Danes was the main character in the music video for the song "Just Like Anyone" by Soul Asylum. In 2012, Danes recorded the audiobook for Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Her performance won an Audie Award in 2013. In 2013, she hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo. In 2015, Claire Danes received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Claire Danes has been in therapy since she was six years old. She finds it a helpful way to understand herself better.

In 1998, officials in the Philippines banned Claire Danes from entering Manila or the country. They also stopped her films from being shown there. This happened after Danes made some comments about Manila. She later apologized for her remarks, but the ban was not lifted.

Danes and her mother support the charity Afghan Hands. This group helps women in Afghanistan become independent and earn a living. Claire also supports DonorsChoose, a website where public school teachers can ask for help with classroom projects. Claire Danes believes in feminism and has spoken about how women are not always well-represented in Hollywood.

Family Life

Claire Danes met actor Hugh Dancy while working on the film Evening in 2006. They announced their engagement in February 2009. They got married in France later that year. Claire and Hugh have three children: two sons born in 2012 and 2018, and a daughter born in 2023.

Claire Danes's Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Stage Plays

Awards and Recognitions

Emmy Awards (Primetime)

The Primetime Emmy Award is a special award given in the U.S. for excellent work in primetime TV shows.

Golden Globe Awards

The Golden Globe Awards are awards given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. They celebrate great work in both film and television.

Screen Actors Guild Awards

The Screen Actors Guild Award is an award given by SAG-AFTRA. It celebrates amazing acting in movies and primetime television.

Critics' Choice Awards

The Critics' Choice Awards are given by the Broadcast Film Critics Association. They honor great work in both movies and television.

Satellite Awards

The Satellite Awards are yearly awards given by the International Press Academy. They are often mentioned in entertainment news.

People's Choice Awards

The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show. The winners are chosen by the general public.

See also

In Spanish: Claire Danes para niños