Born and raised in Manhattan, Claire Danes found--while very young--her talent and love for performance. At age six, Danes began dance classes. At age nine, Danes was studying acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. However, her father (a computer consultant) and her mother (an artist) were new to show business. Nevertheless, they supported and encouraged their daughter throughout her early career up to this day.

Danes' early film career began around age 11 when she played a molested child in a student film produced by director Milos Forman, Dreams of Love. That year Danes also found her start in television on a special appearance on Law and Order.

Still later in 1992, Danes auditioned for My So-Called Life and opted do the pilot for this short-lived television series instead of accepting Steven Spielberg's offer for a small role in his Schindler's List. Spielberg's offer was turned down due to the inconveniences and energy required to shoot in Poland; tutoring for Danes was also a logistical issue that bent her away from Spielberg's epic.

In My So-Called Life, Danes portrays a red-headed teen Angela Chase who would soon become the icon and voice of teen angst on network television. The introduction of this critically acclaimed teen drama series however, only captured a limited audience according to television ratings. ABC cancelled the series after only one season.

The cancellation of Life stirred up support from critics and hardcore fans, both of the series and Danes. Although numerous requests to bring the series back flooded the network, Danes moved on to other interesting roles in film. And her fans followed.

One such fan was actress Winona Ryderwho also helped Danes obtain the role of Beth March in the cinematic adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women. This role was only the stepping stone for Danes to climb into other minor, yet influential film characters.

Danes later appeared in How To Make an American Quilt (1995) with Ryder, and Home for the Holidays (1995) directed by Jodie Foster soon followed. Danes's mentor, Foster encouraged the budding, young actress to attend college--specifically Yale University.

Being cast in the role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio was no easy task for Danes. Baz Luhrmann's modern cinematic adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet had caught the eye of Alicia Silverstone. Danes of course won the part of Juliet that would later give her a MTV Best Actress award and a growing, loyal following.

After deferring for a year, Claire will became a freshman at Yale University as a psychology major in 1998. She follows in her mentor's (Jodie Foster's) footsteps eighteen years after Foster graduated from Yale. Danes's late grandfather earned his doctorate at Yale in 1949, and was the dean of the School of Art and Architecture.