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Claire Danes

All-Star Ranking:

Measurements : 5'7, 33-31-29

A native New Yorker, Claire Catherine Danes is the youngest of two children (her older brother, Asa, is a college senior), brought up, as she says, in a "very creative household." Her mother, a painter and teacher, and her father, a computer consultant, met in art school and have always encouraged their daughter's interests in the arts. At the age of six Claire began studying modern dance, which she still continues to do. At nine, she took an acting class at the Lee Strasberg Studio. In sixth and seventh grades she attended the Professional Performing Arts School in New York, a public school run by the city, where Claire gravitated again towards acting. In addition, she credits her love of gymnastics, which she pursued for several years, for teaching her discipline

Claire's acting career began with stage appearances off-off-Broadway, in productions of "Happiness," "Punk Ballet," and "Kids on Stage," in which she choreographed a solo dance piece. Among her television credits are "Law and Order," in which she plays a young model who kills her agent; "No Room For Opal," as Tyne Daly's daughter; and "The Coming Out of Heidi Leiter," as a gay woman's sister. Claire made her film debut at the age of 11 in the role of a molested child in "Dreams of Love," with Milos Forman as executive producer. She also appeared in a short film, "Thirty," created for fashion designer Geoffrey Beene; and in a film festival short, "The Pesky Suitor," with Sully Boyar. Claire recently completed production playing the role of Beth in Columbia Pictures' upcoming release, "Little Women," with Winona Ryder and Susan Sarandon.

When she is not working, Claire likes spending time on her school studies, especially the humanities and science. She tries to keep up her interest in dance, and wants to continue with her new enthusiasm for surfing while she's living in Los Angeles.

Claire and her family make their home in New York with a cat, Fifi-Champion.

Filmography

• Flora Plum (2004) (pre-production) .... Flora Plum
• Shopgirl (2004) (post-production) .... Mirabelle
• Compleat Female Stage Beauty (2003) (post-production) .... Maria
  
  
• Rage In Placid Lake, The (2003) .... Girl at Seminar
• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) .... Kate Brewster
  ... aka T3 (2003) (USA: promotional abbreviation)
  ... aka Terminator 3 - Rebellion der Maschinen (2003) (Germany)
• It's All About Love (2003) .... Elena
• Hours, The (2002) .... Julia Vaughan
• Igby Goes Down (2002) .... Sookie Sapperstein
  
  
• Brokedown Palace (1999) .... Alice Marano
• Mod Squad, The (1999) .... Julie Barnes
• Misérables, Les (1998) .... Cosette
  ... aka Misérables, Les (1998) (Germany)
• Polish Wedding (1998) .... Hala

• Rainmaker, The (1997) .... Kelly Riker
  ... aka John Grisham's The Rainmaker (1997)
• U Turn (1997) .... Jenny
  ... aka U Turn - Ici commence l'enfer (1998) (France)
• Mononoke-hime (1997) (voice) .... San, The Princess Mononoke
  ... aka Princess Mononoke (1999) (USA: US version)
• Romeo + Juliet (1996) .... Juliet
  ... aka Romeo and Juliet (1996)
  ... aka William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996) (USA: complete title)
• To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996) .... Rachel Lewis
• I Love You, I Love You Not (1996) .... Daisy/Young Nana
• "Lifestories: Families In Crisis" (1995) TV Series
• Pesky Suitor, The (1995) .... Lisa
• Home for the Holidays (1995) .... Kitt Larson
• How to Make an American Quilt (1995) .... Young Glady Jo Cleary
• Little Women (1994) .... Beth March
• "My So-Called Life" (1994) TV Series .... Angela Chase
• More Than Friends: The Coming Out of Heidi Leiter (1994) (TV) .... Katie Leiter
  ... aka Coming Out of Heidi Leiter, The (1994) (TV)
• Dreams of Love (1990)