Claire Danes

Claire Danes is an Emmy Award-winning actress best known for her appearances in projects such as Romeo + Juliet, The Hours and Little Women. Danes grew up in New York’s SoHo neighborhood and attended elementary and middle school there before moving to Los Angeles due to an early acting job. She graduated high school from Lycée français de Los Angeles and briefly attended Yale University before dropping out to continue pursuing a career in the film industry.

Danes landed her first film job at the age of 13, appearing in an episode of the comedy Dudley. She went on to secure her starring role on My So-Called Life in 1993, which began airing the following year and earned her a mainstream following. In 1994, she acted in Little Women alongside Winona Ryder and Kirsten Dunst, a role that established her presence in film. She went on to star in movies like Romeo + Juliet (1996), The Rainmaker (1997), Les Misérables (1998), The Hours (2002) and Stardust (2007). She maintained her presence in television, joining the cast of Homeland as Carrie Mathison from 2011 to 2020. The role earned her two Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and multiple Golden Globes for Best Actress. Some of her later appearances include shows like Full Circle and The Beast in Me.

Danes was in a long-term relationship with singer Ben Lee from 1997 to 2003. She moved on with actor Billy Crudup, but the two parted ways in 2006. That same year, she met Hugh Dancy, and the pair tied the knot in 2009. They share children Cyrus (born in 2012), Rowan (born in 2018) and Shay (born in 2023).