Gotham Magazine cover story and pics:
hardly ever go out,” laughs native New Yorker Claire Danes. Unlike other actresses her age, the 26-year-old rarely hits the local celeb hotspots. Her idea of a good time? Playing celebrity charades at home. When she does have to hit the red carpet, Danes can be quite the fashionista, often wearing frocks designed by friends Zac Posen or Narciso Rodriguez. But as we talk over sushi at Omen, Danes looks every bit the relaxed downtown girl she is, wearing a brown wrap dress and beads, with no makeup and wet hair.
This fall, Hollywood’s former teen darling is back in a big way. After her three-year self-imposed exile from the business, Danes’ biggest adult role was in last year’s Stage Beauty. Unfortunately, her glorious performance was overshadowed by tabloid reports about her relationship with 37-year-old costar Billy Crudup. But get ready for Danes to remind fans why she won a Golden Globe at the tender age of 15. She simply sparkles opposite Steve Martin in the screen adaptation of his novella Shopgirl. And in The Family Stone, she holds her own among an all-star cast that includes Diane Keaton and Sarah Jessica Parker.
In person, Danes is lively and outgoing, happy to dish about almost everything (except her already over-reported romance). She opened up to Gotham about kissing Steve Martin, being in therapy for 20 years, and the benefits of dating an older man.
GOTHAM: You’ve been in the spotlight for over a decade. What do you think is the biggest misconception about you?
CLAIRE DANES: I think people think I’m earnest and serious, and I am those things, but I’m also really goofy. Growing up, my mom ran a toddler school in SoHo, so there was a swing and a trapeze in our house. Now I have a swing and other funny objects in my apartment—my friends call my style “kindergarten sophisticate.” I’m kind of growing out of it now, though. I’m investigating what it is to be a lady.
G: When you were fifteen, you won a Golden Globe for My So-Called Life. What’s it like to win such a huge award at such a young age?
CD: I didn’t even know what the Golden Globes were! I was so confused. I had no clue what was going on. I was not expecting to win. I didn’t even entertain the possibility. So when they announced my name, I was like Oh, my God, I think I have to go up on stage and say something! It was really peculiar.
G: Do you feel pressure to try and win another major award now, or are you over it because you already have one?
CD: Awards are so funny; they seem to be more promotional than they are reflective of the value of a person’s work. It’s good to pause and think about why art is important, but I kind of resent the competitive and adversarial nature of it. It’s a little mean-spirited that they have cameras on everybody just to catch the expression of the losers. I feel like there could be a warmer, nicer, more inclusive way to celebrate everybody’s success.
G: You’re starring in Shopgirl opposite Steve Martin. What attracted you to the role?
CD: It was a pretty dreamy opportunity. I thought the book was beautiful, I loved it. I’ve admired Steve ever since I started watching his films—I’ve seen Three Amigos more times than I can count! And I think he’s such a sophisticated, observant writer. The character I play is so subtle and artfully drawn. She’s someone who’s not typically represented in movies, as her most outstanding feature is her normalcy. She’s bright and creative, but you have to slowly discover that specialness. It’s rare to have somebody like that as a main character.
G: Was it added pressure to work with Steve Martin because he’d written the story?
CD: In a way, yes, but he was really generous and understood that the actors and all the collaborators were going to have their own interpretation of the material. He also told us that if something didn’t work for us, we could change it. Jason Schwartzman is an amazing improviser, and Steve really encouraged that.
G: Do you think the story is autobiographical?
CD: I think yes, to a certain extent. It’s definitely drawn from his experiences, but it’s fictionalized.
G: What was it like to have both Steve Martin and Jason Schwartzman vie for your affections in the movie?
CD: Jason is a good friend of mine, so it was bizarre—we both did shots of vodka before we had to kiss. I think I took two… maybe he took three. It was just too creepy. But with Steve, surprisingly, it was much less peculiar.
G: In the movie, you’re torn between someone your own age and a successful older man. How do those two experiences compare?
CD: Sometimes it’s nice to have that synchronicity with someone your own age, when you’re both discovering certain changes in unison; that can be really bonding and exciting.
G: But now you’re with an older man, actor Billy Crudup. Are there any advantages to dating someone who’s older?
CD: I’m always with somebody because I love him, not because of what he can give me. But maybe that’s a little deceitful. I guess it can be seductive to be with an older man, who can share his experiences and offer some support from a distance.
G: Does Billy offer advice on your career?
CD: I can’t talk about it, I can’t. It’s one of the handicaps I’ve developed over the years. I used to censor myself a lot less, but I’d get into trouble. It’s so cliché—every actor says this, so it sounds trite—but I do have to protect my privacy. I don’t need to involve the public, I really don’t. It doesn’t clarify anything for me. It doesn’t illuminate any mysteries.
G: Last year there were a lot of tabloid stories regarding your relationship. What was it like to fall in love while being surrounded by all that unwanted attention?
CD: Well, it doesn’t enhance the experience. If I could eliminate it, I would, but I don’t have that authority, unfortunately. It’s better this year than last year, that’s for sure. There are a lot of other dramas to exploit. Onward, ho!
G: I read that you’ve been in therapy for twenty years. Why is therapy so important to you?
CD: It’s just a great resource. I don’t keep a journal, so I go to therapy. I enjoy it and I get a lot out of it. Although, if I weren’t in therapy, I’d probably be a lot more together. My therapist is always encouraging me to be a little sloppier and more honest and expressive. And it’s hard for me to admit that I have needs—that’s the big theme. I’m also really terrible at being alone. I confuse being alone with being lonely. I kind of panic when there isn’t another person present. So I’m trying to panic less and learn that I’m not going to disappear if there’s no “witness.”
G: What are the best and toughest things about living in New York as a celebrity?
CD: I love that the city offers anonymity—it’s so public that it’s private, in a way. I don’t get to enjoy that as much as I’d like, though I’m still at a pretty comfortable level of celebrity. I’m kind of recognizable—I’m not Jennifer Aniston. I don’t how she does it! I can’t imagine what that would be like. Usually, I go unnoticed, or when people do notice me, they’re really gracious and respectful. But just walking in here, there was this kid who was like, “Oh my God, that’s so weird, remember that girl?” Sometimes people say really curious or hurtful things that don’t even have anything to do with you. But I guess people call out obscene things to people who aren’t famous, too.
G: Do people often call out to you on the street?
CD: Often. Sometimes people will just call my name and expect me to answer, and I just don’t respond to it. If people are kind and want to talk about how they liked a certain role that I played, then I’m really receptive to that. But it’s a little scary when I’m on the subway and the doors close and I think, Is it going to be OK, or am I going to get harassed?
G: What’s it like living just two blocks from where you grew up?
CD: It’s funny, because I’m inclined to feel territorial and possessive of my neighborhood, as if I think I have “rights” or something. But what makes New York so incredible is that it really is shared by everybody. It’s in constant motion and is always being reimagined, so you can’t love New York and expect it to remain the same. I hem and haw about how ravaged with commerce SoHo has become, but in ten years, it’ll probably be in a very different stage. It’s curious that my hometown, which is full of soft and fuzzy memories, is such a cultural hub. People say they like to visit but couldn’t imagine living here; they’re so confounded and so impressed that I grew up here. I’m like, It’s one of the biggest cities in the world, I’m not the only kid who grew up here!
G: What are your favorite haunts?
CD: NoLIta is the most fun place to shop these days. My favorite clothing store is called A Detacher, on Mott Street. My friend Mona designs the clothes. She makes such beautiful stuff—it’s elegant and innovative without being obnoxious.
G: Who’s your source when you want to go high-fashion?
CD: I’m quite good friends with Zac Posen and Narciso Rodriguez, and I love their clothes. They have such different styles, but they’re both really brilliant. They know how to make a woman look like a woman. They’re New Yorkers, too, and I like that.
G: What are your favorite restaurants?
CD: I’m strictly a downtown girl—I’m really ignorant about the rest of the city. There’s a great crêpe place on Grand called Palacinka. And I like this sake bar called Chibi’s. Lucky Strike is my cafeteria. It’s completely homey, they play cool music, and they have really good cosmos.
G: Where do you go when you want to paint the town red?
CD: I don’t really go out! My friend Rashida will drag me out every once in a while and I’m really appreciative; she’s my social coordinator. Otherwise, I like to have friends over for celebrity game night, which is charades, but with celebrities. But my favorite parlor game lately is Fictionary.
G: What’s the most romantic place in New York?
CD: Anywhere in New York at seven o’clock in the morning is so beautiful, because it’s quiet. I feel like I have “alone time” with my city. All the siblings are away and I get “Mommy” all to myself. [G]
The complete article appears on page 172 in the October 2005 issue of Gotham. SUBSCRIBE NOW and get Gotham delivered directly to your door every month.
back to Gotham home
Herringbone jacket by Naum ($1,025). Available by special order, 212-391-0050. Pants by Theory ($125). Theory, 230 Columbus Avenue, 212-362-3676. Ring by H.Stern (price on request). H.Stern, 645 Fifth Avenue, 212-688-0300.
Jacket by Stella McCartney (price on request). Stella McCartney, 429 West 14th Street, 212-255-1556. Shirt by Marc Jacobs ($845). Marc Jacobs, 163 Mercer Street, 212-343-1490. Pants by Derek Lam ($305). Available at Saks Fifth Avenue, 611 Fifth Avenue, 212-753-4000. Ring by H.Stern (price on request). H.Stern, 645 Fifth Avenue, 212-688-0300.
Pants ($125) and tank ($165), both by Theory. Theory, 230 Columbus Avenue, 212-362-3676. Button-down by Marc Jacobs ($995). Marc Jacobs, 163 Mercer Street, 212-343-1490.
Herringbone jacket by Naum ($1,025). Available by special order, 212-391-0050. Pants by Theory ($125). Theory, 230 Columbus Avenue, 212-362-3676. Ring by H.Stern (price on request). H.Stern, 645 Fifth Avenue, 212-688-0300.
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This fall, Hollywood’s former teen darling is back in a big way. After her three-year self-imposed exile from the business, Danes’ biggest adult role was in last year’s Stage Beauty. Unfortunately, her glorious performance was overshadowed by tabloid reports about her relationship with 37-year-old costar Billy Crudup. But get ready for Danes to remind fans why she won a Golden Globe at the tender age of 15. She simply sparkles opposite Steve Martin in the screen adaptation of his novella Shopgirl. And in The Family Stone, she holds her own among an all-star cast that includes Diane Keaton and Sarah Jessica Parker.
In person, Danes is lively and outgoing, happy to dish about almost everything (except her already over-reported romance). She opened up to Gotham about kissing Steve Martin, being in therapy for 20 years, and the benefits of dating an older man.
GOTHAM: You’ve been in the spotlight for over a decade. What do you think is the biggest misconception about you?
CLAIRE DANES: I think people think I’m earnest and serious, and I am those things, but I’m also really goofy. Growing up, my mom ran a toddler school in SoHo, so there was a swing and a trapeze in our house. Now I have a swing and other funny objects in my apartment—my friends call my style “kindergarten sophisticate.” I’m kind of growing out of it now, though. I’m investigating what it is to be a lady.
G: When you were fifteen, you won a Golden Globe for My So-Called Life. What’s it like to win such a huge award at such a young age?
CD: I didn’t even know what the Golden Globes were! I was so confused. I had no clue what was going on. I was not expecting to win. I didn’t even entertain the possibility. So when they announced my name, I was like Oh, my God, I think I have to go up on stage and say something! It was really peculiar.
G: Do you feel pressure to try and win another major award now, or are you over it because you already have one?
CD: Awards are so funny; they seem to be more promotional than they are reflective of the value of a person’s work. It’s good to pause and think about why art is important, but I kind of resent the competitive and adversarial nature of it. It’s a little mean-spirited that they have cameras on everybody just to catch the expression of the losers. I feel like there could be a warmer, nicer, more inclusive way to celebrate everybody’s success.
G: You’re starring in Shopgirl opposite Steve Martin. What attracted you to the role?
CD: It was a pretty dreamy opportunity. I thought the book was beautiful, I loved it. I’ve admired Steve ever since I started watching his films—I’ve seen Three Amigos more times than I can count! And I think he’s such a sophisticated, observant writer. The character I play is so subtle and artfully drawn. She’s someone who’s not typically represented in movies, as her most outstanding feature is her normalcy. She’s bright and creative, but you have to slowly discover that specialness. It’s rare to have somebody like that as a main character.
G: Was it added pressure to work with Steve Martin because he’d written the story?
CD: In a way, yes, but he was really generous and understood that the actors and all the collaborators were going to have their own interpretation of the material. He also told us that if something didn’t work for us, we could change it. Jason Schwartzman is an amazing improviser, and Steve really encouraged that.
G: Do you think the story is autobiographical?
CD: I think yes, to a certain extent. It’s definitely drawn from his experiences, but it’s fictionalized.
G: What was it like to have both Steve Martin and Jason Schwartzman vie for your affections in the movie?
CD: Jason is a good friend of mine, so it was bizarre—we both did shots of vodka before we had to kiss. I think I took two… maybe he took three. It was just too creepy. But with Steve, surprisingly, it was much less peculiar.
G: In the movie, you’re torn between someone your own age and a successful older man. How do those two experiences compare?
CD: Sometimes it’s nice to have that synchronicity with someone your own age, when you’re both discovering certain changes in unison; that can be really bonding and exciting.
G: But now you’re with an older man, actor Billy Crudup. Are there any advantages to dating someone who’s older?
CD: I’m always with somebody because I love him, not because of what he can give me. But maybe that’s a little deceitful. I guess it can be seductive to be with an older man, who can share his experiences and offer some support from a distance.
G: Does Billy offer advice on your career?
CD: I can’t talk about it, I can’t. It’s one of the handicaps I’ve developed over the years. I used to censor myself a lot less, but I’d get into trouble. It’s so cliché—every actor says this, so it sounds trite—but I do have to protect my privacy. I don’t need to involve the public, I really don’t. It doesn’t clarify anything for me. It doesn’t illuminate any mysteries.
G: Last year there were a lot of tabloid stories regarding your relationship. What was it like to fall in love while being surrounded by all that unwanted attention?
CD: Well, it doesn’t enhance the experience. If I could eliminate it, I would, but I don’t have that authority, unfortunately. It’s better this year than last year, that’s for sure. There are a lot of other dramas to exploit. Onward, ho!
G: I read that you’ve been in therapy for twenty years. Why is therapy so important to you?
CD: It’s just a great resource. I don’t keep a journal, so I go to therapy. I enjoy it and I get a lot out of it. Although, if I weren’t in therapy, I’d probably be a lot more together. My therapist is always encouraging me to be a little sloppier and more honest and expressive. And it’s hard for me to admit that I have needs—that’s the big theme. I’m also really terrible at being alone. I confuse being alone with being lonely. I kind of panic when there isn’t another person present. So I’m trying to panic less and learn that I’m not going to disappear if there’s no “witness.”
G: What are the best and toughest things about living in New York as a celebrity?
CD: I love that the city offers anonymity—it’s so public that it’s private, in a way. I don’t get to enjoy that as much as I’d like, though I’m still at a pretty comfortable level of celebrity. I’m kind of recognizable—I’m not Jennifer Aniston. I don’t how she does it! I can’t imagine what that would be like. Usually, I go unnoticed, or when people do notice me, they’re really gracious and respectful. But just walking in here, there was this kid who was like, “Oh my God, that’s so weird, remember that girl?” Sometimes people say really curious or hurtful things that don’t even have anything to do with you. But I guess people call out obscene things to people who aren’t famous, too.
G: Do people often call out to you on the street?
CD: Often. Sometimes people will just call my name and expect me to answer, and I just don’t respond to it. If people are kind and want to talk about how they liked a certain role that I played, then I’m really receptive to that. But it’s a little scary when I’m on the subway and the doors close and I think, Is it going to be OK, or am I going to get harassed?
G: What’s it like living just two blocks from where you grew up?
CD: It’s funny, because I’m inclined to feel territorial and possessive of my neighborhood, as if I think I have “rights” or something. But what makes New York so incredible is that it really is shared by everybody. It’s in constant motion and is always being reimagined, so you can’t love New York and expect it to remain the same. I hem and haw about how ravaged with commerce SoHo has become, but in ten years, it’ll probably be in a very different stage. It’s curious that my hometown, which is full of soft and fuzzy memories, is such a cultural hub. People say they like to visit but couldn’t imagine living here; they’re so confounded and so impressed that I grew up here. I’m like, It’s one of the biggest cities in the world, I’m not the only kid who grew up here!
G: What are your favorite haunts?
CD: NoLIta is the most fun place to shop these days. My favorite clothing store is called A Detacher, on Mott Street. My friend Mona designs the clothes. She makes such beautiful stuff—it’s elegant and innovative without being obnoxious.
G: Who’s your source when you want to go high-fashion?
CD: I’m quite good friends with Zac Posen and Narciso Rodriguez, and I love their clothes. They have such different styles, but they’re both really brilliant. They know how to make a woman look like a woman. They’re New Yorkers, too, and I like that.
G: What are your favorite restaurants?
CD: I’m strictly a downtown girl—I’m really ignorant about the rest of the city. There’s a great crêpe place on Grand called Palacinka. And I like this sake bar called Chibi’s. Lucky Strike is my cafeteria. It’s completely homey, they play cool music, and they have really good cosmos.
G: Where do you go when you want to paint the town red?
CD: I don’t really go out! My friend Rashida will drag me out every once in a while and I’m really appreciative; she’s my social coordinator. Otherwise, I like to have friends over for celebrity game night, which is charades, but with celebrities. But my favorite parlor game lately is Fictionary.
G: What’s the most romantic place in New York?
CD: Anywhere in New York at seven o’clock in the morning is so beautiful, because it’s quiet. I feel like I have “alone time” with my city. All the siblings are away and I get “Mommy” all to myself. [G]
The complete article appears on page 172 in the October 2005 issue of Gotham. SUBSCRIBE NOW and get Gotham delivered directly to your door every month.
back to Gotham home
Want to view the rest of the
photographs?
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