Claire Catherine Danes, a renowned New Yorker, was born in the vibrant city of Manhattan, the daughter of Carla Hall, a dedicated day-care provider and artist, and Christopher Danes, a skilled computer consultant and photographer. She has an older brother, Asa, and is proud to be the granddaughter of Gibson Andrew Danes, a distinguished Dean of the Yale School of Art and Architecture. Claire's ancestry is predominantly German and British Isles descent.
Claire's educational journey took her to Dalton School, New York, followed by The New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies, The Professional Performing Arts School, and Lycée Français de Los Angeles. She then pursued her passion for psychology at Yale University from 1998, but eventually dropped out after two years to focus on her acting career.
Claire's breakthrough role as "Angela Chase" in the critically acclaimed series My So-Called Life (1994) earned her an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe award. Her subsequent film career was marked by notable performances in Romeo + Juliet (1996),opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, and in The Hours (2002),Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003),and Stardust (2007).
In 2010, Claire starred in the HBO production Temple Grandin (2010),playing the title character, and received widespread critical acclaim for her performance. She won an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award for her portrayal. Since 2011, Claire has played the lead role in the SHOWTIME series Homeland (2011),garnering immense critical acclaim and numerous Emmy and Golden Globe awards.
