Claire Danes

Claire Danes
April 12, 1979
New York, New York

This triple Aries has always been serious about her career.

'I never thought of myself as a child actor. I knew I was a kid, but they weren't related. There was nothing I could do about being a kid and meanwhile I was an actress and I had something to say in my acting.'

Claire Danes's Tarot Reading

Claire Catherine Danes was born in Manhattan and grew up in SoHo. Her mother Carla Danes is an artist. Her father Chris is a photographer. She has one older brother, Asa who is a corporate attorney. She began modern dance lessons when she was six years old and continues dancing to this day -- most recently in a Gap commercial for 'boyfriend trousers.'

'I was a very confident child,' recalls Claire. 'I knew I wanted to be an actress from the age of 5. Madonna was my original muse -- around 5, I saw her perform on TV and I realized that performing could be one's vocation. Then, at 7 or 8, I realized that most actors don't make a lot of money and I amended my plan. But at 9, I seized my destiny. I made a formal announcement to my parents that I had to be true to my art. Money or no money, acting is my calling.' She was a student at the Professional Performing Arts High School in New York City and later on at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute. She stepped away from acting for two years to study psychology at Yale University. About her hiatus, she says 'I was told that my going to college wouldn't be good for my career. I think that's nonsense. It's good to empower yourself by cutting yourself off from this business every once in a while.' After one more year away from show business she decided it was time to get back in the game. 'Three years had passed since I had acted and I missed it. I missed it terribly.'

Her first film was Dreams of Love in 1990. She appeared in Geoffrey Beene 30 in 1993 and went on to play Beth March in Little Women in 1994. 1995 was a big year for Claire with roles in Dead Man's Jack, The Pesky Suitor, How to Make an American Quilt and Home for the Holidays. In 1996 she was in I Love You, I Love You Not, To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday and Romeo and Juliet opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. In 1997, she played Jenny in Oliver Stone's crime thriller U Turn with Sean Penn, Nick Nolte and Jennifer Lopez. The same year she played Kelly Riker in Francis Ford Coppola's The Rainmaker with Matt Damon, Danny DeVito and John Voight. In 1998, she appeared in Polish Wedding and Les Miserables. 1999 saw her in The Mod Squad and Brokedown Palace with Kate Beckinsale, a film about two women who get thrown in jail for smuggling while on holiday in Thailand. In 2002, she was in comedy/drama Igby Goes Down and played Julia Vaughan in The Hours with Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep. She made three films in 2003: It's All About Love with Joaquin Phoenix and Sean Penn, comedy The Rage in Placid Lake and action thriller Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2004, she starred opposite Billy Crudup in Stage Beauty and in 2005 appeared in Shopgirl and The Family Stone. By April of 2007, she had already completed work on three films: The Flock opposite Richard Gere, Evening with Meryl Streep, Glenn Close and Vanessa Redgrave and fantasy drama Stardust with Robert De Niro, Sienna Miller and Michelle Pfeiffer. Between 1992 and 1997 she also appeared on numerous television shows including 'Law and Order' and 'Lifestories: Family in Crisis.' She played Angela Chase in 19 episodes of 'My So-Called Life,' winning a Golden Globe for her performance. In 1997 she also hosted 'Saturday Night Live.'

Sun in Aries tells us Claire is spontaneous, enthusiastic and assertive. She believes in the power of positive thinking and considers herself a powerful person. She requires the freedom to do things her own way and works very well independently. Sun quincunx Uranus indicates that at times she may feel an uncontrollable urge to radically alter her direction in life -- hence the time-out from acting. When her life is becoming too predictable, she may do something to upset the status quo, sometimes without realizing why or how she is doing this. These impulses may seem at odds with her conscious intent and desires for herself and can be unsettling. However, there is a streak of unconventionality and creative genius in her, which needs to be expressed now and then. With Sun trine Neptune she is imaginative and sensitive to anything colorful, beautiful or magical. She is attracted to artistic and creative pursuits, music and mysticism. Her spiritual values color her whole perspective and approach to life. She is idealistic and perhaps impractical. Sun opposition Pluto means she is infused with a sense of personal destiny or mission and can be extremely driven. 'I became very successful at a young age,' explains Claire. 'I had lots of opportunities and lots of power and had no idea how to focus it.' Learning about power and how to use it for good is definitely part of her path.

Mercury in Pisces reveals she is intuitive and her gut feelings are usually correct. She is extremely open-minded and believes that anything is possible. Her imagination and sympathetic understanding of other people are two of her greatest gifts. Mercury conjunct Venus/Mars means her thinking is influenced by the way she feels about love and she tends to speak freely about love and sex. A very good articulator, she has the ability to play with words and could do well as a writer. Uranus conjunct Neptune/Pluto says she is adventurous and may become interested in mystical subjects in order to increase her understanding of the universe and of herself. 'I think that everybody wants to create, to do something that feels genuine and kinetic and spontaneous,' says Claire. 'I think actors want to surprise themselves. When it's really good, you kind of transcend yourself and that happens infrequently. Very, very rarely.'

Venus in Pisces shows she is drawn to someone she can have a deep spiritual relationship with. She idealizes love and has a romantic vision of what it can be. With Venus trine Uranus she is spontaneous and free in her expressions of love. She is always willing to experiment and try anything new that her partner suggests. She enjoys being surprised. A relationship in which she and her partner both have a good deal of freedom will hold her interest much longer than a safe, predictable one.

Mars in Aries means she has a warrior's attitude -- decisive, courageous and bold. She tends to always want to do something, even when simply letting things resolve themselves might actually be more effective. She cannot tolerate being passive about getting what she wants. She feels that it is up to her to take the initiative and pursues her goals very aggressively. She is self-reliant, highly competitive and enjoys a challenge. Mars trine Jupiter indicates her self-confidence and vitality are strong and she believes she can do just about anything she wants to. While this trait is indicated by the planets, she also credits her upbringing for her confidence. 'I had an unwavering focus. My parents never condescended to me. As a child, I always sat at the head of our dinner table. I was always given a lot of responsibility. It was all rather amazing when I think about it now.' She has an enterprising spirit, a good sense of timing and the ability to sense what will succeed and what won't. She enjoys healthy competition and has a playful, good-humored attitude toward it. She mostly competes with herself to see how far she can go and how much she can accomplish. Mars conjunct Sun/Venus shows she enjoys life and is capable of feeling and experiencing everything deeply. Her sense of love and eroticism is strong and she has a fondness for children, whom she treats tenderly and affectionately.

Jupiter in Cancer ensures she makes others feels accepted and comfortable. She has a knack for breaking down feelings of alienation and makes others feel included. She has a loving, protective side that wants to take care of everyone. Creating a supportive atmosphere that is nourishing to herself and to others is one of her strengths. Her home and heritage are important to her and she maintains close connections to her past. Saturn in Virgo gives her a penchant for order and precision. With an almost compulsive attention to detail, she can be a perfectionist.

'I'm only realizing now that I was a child actress because I always took myself so seriously.'