Claire Danes

Claire Danes

Danes in Toronto for a MuchOnDemand for promotion of Stardust, 2007
Born Claire Catherine Danes
April 12, 1979 (1979-04-12) (age 31)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Years active 1992–present
Spouse Hugh Dancy (2009–present)

Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress of television, stage and screen. She is best known for her roles as Angela Chase in My So-Called Life, as Juliet in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet and as Yvaine in Stardust.

Contents

Early life

Danes was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York.[1] Her mother, Carla, (born October 12, 1945) is a day-care provider, painter, and textile designer who later served as her daughter's manager, and her father, Christopher Danes (born May 6, 1944 in Austin, Texas),[2][3] is a computer consultant and former architectural photographer. Danes has described her background as being "as WASPy as you can get";[4] her paternal grandfather, Gibson Andrew Danes (1910–1992 in Litchfield, Connecticut), was the dean of the art and architecture school at Yale University.[5][6] She has an older brother, Asa, (born 1973) who graduated from Oberlin College and works as a litigation attorney for the law firm of Paul Hastings.

Danes attended the Dalton School in New York City, the New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies, the Professional Performing Arts School,[7] and the Lycée Français de Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California. In 1998, Danes went to Yale University, her father's alma mater. Oliver Stone wrote her letter of recommendation to Yale.[7] After studying for two years as a psychology major, she dropped out of Yale to focus on her film career.

Television

Claire Danes got her start as a guest star on Law and Order in an episode called "Skin Deep". She also appeared in an episode of HBO's Lifestories: Families in Crisis entitled "The Coming out of Heidi Leiter". In 1994, 15-year-old Danes starred as the 15-year-old Angela Chase in the television drama series My So-Called Life, for which she won a Golden Globe Award and received an Emmy nomination. The show was cancelled after only 19 episodes. However, the show has developed a large cult following in the years since it was cancelled.

Film

Following the cancellation of My So Called Life, Danes transitioned into film. She played Elizabeth "Beth" March in the 1994 film adaptation of Little Women alongside Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, Samantha Mathis, Trini Alvarado, Christian Bale, Susan Sarandon, and Gabriel Byrne. She also appeared as Holly Hunter's daughter in Home for the Holidays, which was directed by Jodie Foster. Danes appeared opposite French actress Jeanne Moreau, and Jude Law in 1995's I Love You, I Love You Not. She then played the role of Rachel in To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday.

Danes first leading role on the big screen came in 1996. She portrayed Juliet Capulet in Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo Montague. Later that year, it was reported that she turned down the female lead role in Titanic.[8][9] Danes, however, said that while she may have been considered for the part, she was never offered the role. In 1997, Claire Danes also worked alongside two acclaimed directors. She played abused wife Kelly Riker in John Grisham's The Rainmaker directed by Francis Ford Coppola, as well as the trashy, dim-witted Jenny in Oliver Stone's noir U Turn. In 1998, she played several very different roles: Cosette in Billie August's film adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel Les Miserables, and the pregnant teenage daughter of Polish immigrants (played by Gabriel Byrne and Lena Olin) in Polish Wedding. In 1999, she made her first appearance in an animated feature with the English version of Princess Mononoke. That same year she played the role of Julie Barnes in the big screen adaptation of the 1970s TV show The Mod Squad, and took the lead role in Brokedown Palace, alongside Kate Beckinsale and Bill Pullman. Then Danes left her career temporarily to pursue her education at Yale.

In 2002, Danes returned to the big screen. She starred alongside Susan Sarandon, Kieran Culkin, and Bill Pullman again, in Igby Goes Down. Later that year co-starred as Meryl Streep's daughter in the Oscar-nominated, The Hours, with Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, and Ed Harris. The following year, she was cast in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, followed by Stage Beauty in 2004. She earned critical acclaim in 2005 when she starred in Steve Martin's Shopgirl alongside Martin and Jason Schwartzman, and in The Family Stone opposite Sarah Jessica Parker and Diane Keaton. In 2007, Danes appeared in the fantasy Stardust, which she described as a "classic model of romantic comedy",[10] with Charlie Cox, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, and Sienna Miller, the drama Evening, and appeared in The Flock, opposite Richard Gere.

In 2010, Danes starred in the HBO production of Temple Grandin, a biopic about the eponymous autistic woman. She won the 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. The film was well received and Grandin herself praised Danes' performance.[11]

Theater

Danes got her start in New York City theater appearing in performances of "Happiness", "Punk Ballet", and "Kids Onstage" for which she choreographed her own dance. In April 2000, she appeared off Broadway in Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues. In November of that same year she appeared as Emily Webb in a one night only staged reading of Thorton Wilder's Our Town at All Saint's Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills. The production was staged by Bess Armstrong who'd played the mother of Danes' character on My So-Called Life. Also featured in the cast were several other My So-Called Life actors including Tom Irwin, Devon Gummersal and Paul Dooley.[12]

In September 2005, Danes returned to New York's Performance Space 122 where she'd performed as a child. She appeared in choreographer Tamar Rogoff's solo dance piece "Christina Olson: American Model" where she portrayed the subject of Andrew Wyeth's famous painting "Christina's World". Olson suffered from muscular deterioration that left her weak and partially paralyzed. "Tamar Rogoff uses her unique body-centric methodology to explore the ideas, spirit and physicality of a woman both rejected and revered.".[13] Danes was praised for her dance skills and the acting talent that she brought to the project [14][15]

In January 2007, Danes reunited with Rogoff and Rogoff's daughter and Danes' childhood friend Ariel Flavin to perform in Performance Space 122's "Edith and Jenny". In the two person dance performance, Danes and Flavin revisited their film and dance roots: "Danes and Flavin encounter their eleven year-old selves on screen, captured in their respective film debuts, Claire as Edith in Dreams of Love, and Ariel as Jenny in Coyote Mountain. Rites of passage unfold in fragments revealing the complexities of two fictional families. The lines between screen and stage, life and art, are blurred as Edith and Jenny, Danes and Flavin, form an alliance, stepping through and beyond their films and the fates of their families." [16]

Later in 2007 Danes made her Broadway theatre debut as Eliza Doolittle in in the Roundabout Theatre Company revival of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, directed by David Grindley at the American Airlines Theatre.

Personal life

Danes had her first onscreen kiss in an episode of My So-Called Life before she had one in real life.[17] After having a short relationship with Andrew Dorff, she met Australian singer Ben Lee at her birthday party and dated for almost six years, their relationship ending in 2003.[18] Beginning in 2004, she dated her Stage Beauty and Princess Mononoke co-star Billy Crudup, which generated negative publicity due to rumors that their relationship caused the end of Crudup's relationship to then-pregnant Mary-Louise Parker.[19] Both denied that they were involved prior to the end of Crudup's relationship with Parker. Danes' relationship with Crudup ended in December 2006. Shortly after rumors began to swirl that Danes was romantically involved with her Evening co-star Hugh Dancy. Danes confirmed on the June 27, 2007 episode of Late Show with David Letterman that she was dating Dancy. Danes and Dancy were married in a quiet ceremony in France in 2009.[20]

Controversy

In 1998, just after the filming of Brokedown Palace in Manila, she was quoted in Vogue as saying that Manila was a "ghastly and weird city."[21] She further remarked in Premiere that the city "smelled of cockroaches, with rats all over and that there is no sewage system and the people do not have anything—no arms, no legs, no eyes."[21] Kim Atienza, son of then-Mayor of Manila, Lito Atienza, responded to the comments by saying that, "those are irresponsible, bigoted and sweeping statements that we cannot accept."[21] Her films were subsequently banned from being screened in the Philippines.[22] Joseph Estrada, then-President of the Philippines, condemned her publicly,[23] and she was declared persona non grata.[24] Shortly after the incident, Danes attempted to clarify her comments saying "Because of the subject matter of our film Brokedown Palace, the cast was exposed to the darker and more impoverished places of Manila. My comments in Premiere Magazine only reflect those locations, not my attitude towards the Filipino people. They were nothing but warm, friendly, and supportive."[25] She issued a public apology in Entertainment Weekly to the City of Manila, and sent the city council an official letter of apology.[26]

Other Work

In 1997 Danes wrote an introduction to Neil Gaiman's "Death: The Time of Your Life"[27]

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1994 Little Women Beth March Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress
Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress Co-Starring in a Motion Picture
1995 How to Make an American Quilt Glady Jo Cleary
Home for the Holidays Kitt Larson Nominated — Young Artist Award for Best Young Leading Actress - Feature Film
1996 I Love You, I Love You Not Daisy/Young Nana
Romeo + Juliet Juliet Capulet Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress - Romance
London Critics Circle Film Award for Actress of the Year
MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance
YoungStar Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama Film
Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (Shared with Leonardo DiCaprio)
Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (Shared with Leonardo DiCaprio)
To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday Rachel Lewis Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress
1997 Princess Mononoke San (voice)
U Turn Jenny
The Rainmaker Kelly Riker Nominated — Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress - Drama
1998 Les Misérables Cosette
Polish Wedding Hala
1999 The Mod Squad Julie Barnes
Brokedown Palace Alice Marano
2002 Igby Goes Down Sookie Sapperstein
The Hours Julia Vaughn Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
2003 It's All About Love Elena
The Rage In Placid Lake Girl at Seminar
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Kate Brewster
2004 Stage Beauty Maria
2005 Shopgirl Mirabelle Buttersfield Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated — St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association for Best Actress
The Family Stone Julie Morton
2007 Evening Young Ann
Stardust Yvaine
The Flock Allison
2009 Me and Orson Welles Sonja Jones
2010 Temple Grandin Temple Grandin Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1992 Law & Order Tracy Brandt Episode: "Skin Deep"
1994 Lifestories: Families in Crisis Katie Leiter Episode: "More Than Friends: The Coming Out of Heidi Leiter"
My So-Called Life Angela Chase 1994–1995 (19 episodes)
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama
Young Artist Award for Best Performance by a Youth Ensemble in a Television Series
Nominated — Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Theatre
Year Title Role Notes
2000 "The Vagina Monologues" Westside Theatre
2005 "Christina Olson: American Model" Christina Olson Performance Space 122
2007 "Edith and Jenny" Edith Performance Space 122
2007 Pygmalion Eliza Doolittle American Airlines Theatre
October 18, 2007 – December 16, 2007

References

  1. ↑ "CLAIRE DANES". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 1996-10-15. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ST&s_site=dfw&p_multi=ST&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAF90B7870D073B&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2009-12-12. ; "Born and reared in Manhattan, Danes knew since..."
  2. ↑ "Craig Ferguson 2/5/10D Late Late Show Claire Danes PT2". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P15kcMOisy4. Retrieved 2010-04-10. 
  3. ↑ "Texas Births, 1926–1995". Familytreelegends.com. 1944-05-06. http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/20902?c=search&first=Christopher&last=Danes. Retrieved 2010-04-10. 
  4. ↑ "Movieline – December 1995". Clairedanes.com. http://www.clairedanes.com/print/movieline1295.html. Retrieved 2010-04-10. 
  5. ↑ "School Ties". American Way Magazine. 2005-10-15. http://americanwaymag.com/aw/travel/celebrated.asp?archive_date=10/15/2005. 
  6. ↑ Pace, Eric (1992-12-07). "Gibson Danes, Dean, 81, and Ilse Getz, Artist, 75". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9E0CE2D81430F934A35751C1A964958260. Retrieved 2010-04-30. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.superiorpics.com/claire_danes/ retrieved 2007-07-26
  8. ↑ Warrington, Ruby (2009-11-29). "Claire Danes: the secretive starlet". London: The Times. http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/celebrity/article6929555.ece. Retrieved 2010-01-22. 
  9. ↑ "Titanic. Man Overboard! After a production as lavish and pricey as the doomed ship itself, James Cameron finally unveils his epic film. But will it be unsinkable?". Entertainment Weekly. pp. 1–7. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,290182,00.html. Retrieved 2010-01-24. 
  10. ↑ Gould, Mignon A. (2007-08-09). "Q&A: Claire Danes". The Arizona Republic. http://www.azcentral.com/ent/movies/articles/0810danes0809.html. Retrieved 2007-08-13. 
  11. ↑ "Claire Danes bring range to autistic animal expert in 'Temple Grandin' - LA Daily News". Dailynews.com. 2010-02-06. http://www.dailynews.com/travel/ci_14332908. Retrieved 2010-08-14. 
  12. ↑ "Forum :: View topic - Claire Danes and Tom Irwin reunited :: MSCL.com - "My So-Called Life" TV show tribute". MSCL.com. http://www.mscl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=3267. Retrieved 2010-08-14. 
  13. ↑ "Performance Space 122 > Performance Page". Ps122.org. http://www.ps122.org/performances/christina_olson_american_model.html. Retrieved 2010-08-14. 
  14. ↑ "Dance Magazine". Dance Magazine. 2005-10-02. http://www.dancemagazine.com/reviews/November-2005/Christina-Olsen-American-Model. Retrieved 2010-08-14. 
  15. ↑ Deborah Jowitt (2005-09-20). "A Star Dances - Page 1 - Dance - New York". Village Voice. http://www.villagevoice.com/2005-09-20/dance/a-star-dances/. Retrieved 2010-08-14. 
  16. ↑ "Performance Space 122 > Performance Page". Ps122.org. http://www.ps122.org/performances/edith_and_jenny.html. Retrieved 2010-08-14. 
  17. ↑ "DVD Report – Being 15 isn't all it's cracked up to be". Boston Globe. 2007-10-28. http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2007/10/28/dvd_report/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Movie+stories. Retrieved 2007-10-28. 
  18. ↑ Blackman, Guy (2005-05-15). "Tomorrow belongs to Ben". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/news/Music/Tomorrow-for-Ben/2005/05/12/1115843308661.html. Retrieved 2008-01-02. 
  19. ↑ Susman, Gary (2004-01-14). "Boy on the Side". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,576458,00.html. Retrieved 2008-01-02. 
  20. ↑ Gina DiNunno (29 September 2009). "Source: Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy Marry in France". TVGuide.com. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Source-Claire-Danes-1010291.aspx. Retrieved 2009-09-29. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 "Claire Danes no thrilla for Manila". CNN. 1998-09-23. http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/News/9809/23/showbuzz/. Retrieved 2007-07-28. 
  22. ↑ "Claire Danes apologizes for Manila criticism". CNN. 1998-10-12. http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/News/9810/12/showbuzz/. Retrieved 2007-07-28. 
  23. ↑ Tacio, Henrylito D. (2006-08-26). "Filmed in the Philippines". http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/dav/2006/08/28/feat/filmed.in.the.philippines.html. Retrieved 2007-07-28. 
  24. ↑ "Manila Is Mad At Claire Danes". 1998-10-01. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/10/01/entertainment/main18857.shtml. Retrieved 2007-07-28. 
  25. ↑ "Claire Danes' harsh words on the Philippines [Archive". PinoyExchange. http://www.pinoyexchange.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-9489.html. Retrieved 2010-08-14. 
  26. ↑ Wolk, Josh (1999-09-07). "Re-Director | Movies". EW.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,84639,00.html. Retrieved 2010-08-14. 
  27. ↑ "Death: The Time Of Your Life Collection". Neilgaimanbibliography.com. http://www.neilgaimanbibliography.com/comics/timeofyourlife/deathttoyl-collection.html. Retrieved 2010-08-14. 

External links