Claire Danes

Claire Danes was barely in her teens when she made a significant impact on primetime television with the startling authenticity, intelligence and complexity she brought to her starring role on the landmark drama "My So-Called Life" (ABC, 1994-95). Following the beloved show's early demise, Danes headed straight for dramatic feature films, maintaining her "thinking teen" persona in Baz Luhrman's "Romeo + Juliet" (1996) and the Academy Award-nominated "The Hours" (2002). While Danes branched out with comedies including "The Family Stone" (2005) and the fantasy "Stardust" (2007), it was character-driven dramas like "Shopgirl" (2005) that best showcased the actress' skillful embodiment of a vulnerable female on the verge of an empowered breakthrough. She once again found wide critical acclaim on television for her Emmy-winning performance in the title role of the biopic "Temple Grandin" (HBO, 2010), followed by a return to episodic series work as one of the stars of the espionage thriller "Homeland" (Showtime, 2011- ). Having successfully made the transition from small screen to feature films and back again, Danes remained one of the more impressive performers in either medium.