The many characters Claire Danes has portrayed over the years — in series such as Homeland and The Beast in Me — have endured their share of strange twists and dramatic plot turns. None of that, apparently, prepared her for the jolt she felt when she realized that at age 43, she was pregnant again.
When the pregnancy test came back positive three years ago, Danes and her husband, actor Hugh Dancy, 50, already had two children at home: Rowan, now 13, and Cyrus, 7. A third child was not part of the plan.
The 46-year-old star appeared this week on Good Hang with Amy Poehler, and recalled the moment. “I called my gynecologist in hysterical tears. It was a pure meltdown,” she said. “None of this was planned, and I didn’t even know it was physically possible. I was almost 44, and the truth is that Rowan didn’t come easily — we did two rounds of in vitro fertilization. And then this beautiful girl arrived, and she’s perfect. None of it was up to me, and I’m just happy.”
Danes and Dancy met in 2006 and married three years later. Their daughter, whose name they have not disclosed, was born in July 2023.
Last year, Danes told the SmartLess podcast that the experience caught her completely off guard. “It was actually really interesting because I did not foresee this at all. And it was weird. Suddenly I felt like a funny shame. I was naughty — been caught fornicating past the point.”
Danes said she had assumed she would have another boy but was delighted by the change. “I would have been happy with another son, but I’m happier that I have a daughter,” she said. “She’s pretty cool and loves tutu skirts. But it’s wild — I have a teenage son and a baby.”
Not everyone in the household welcomed the news at first. Danes said her eldest son, Rowan, was especially resistant. “He has more to lose, like, he has more at stake. And he was categorically opposed to the idea. He said, 'No, no, no, I don’t like it. I like peace.”
Her younger son offered a solution of his own. “When it comes out of your tummy, we’ll give it to a family that doesn’t have a baby because we’re done,” he suggested.
In the end, the family adjusted to the new reality, with some help from Danes. “He was less than thrilled but then we talked about how when the baby comes out, it’s going to be pretty dumb and doesn’t know a lot and will need assistance and some educating."