Claire Danes has captivated fans in her role as reclusive author Aggie Wiggs in Netflix's new thriller mini-series, The Beast in Me. But behind the scenes, the actress, 46, lives a more peaceful life with her husband, actor Hugh Dancy. The couple shares three children, Cyrus, 12, Rowan, seven, and a two-year-old daughter whose name they keep private.
But Claire and her Confessions of a Shopaholic star husband's marriage hasn't always been easy. In 2020, Homeland star Claire opened up to Porter about living apart when she resided in North Carolina to film Homeland for three years between 2011 and 2014, while Hugh remained in New York for his own acting career.
Claire and Hugh's marriage struggles
"That was tough," Claire admitted. "That distance is corrosive, and I'm just bad at it. And I don't particularly want to get good at it. We learned along the way how essential it is for us to be physically together as often as possible."
Things certainly got easier in 2019 when Hugh landed a role as John Zabel, the foreign officer to the president in Homeland, the show which centres on CIA operative Carrie Mathison (Danes) as she searches for an American prisoner who may have joined forces with Al-Qaeda.
On the up
This time together reaped huge rewards for Claire and Hugh's relationship. "That was such a nice way to end the show," the actress recalled. "I didn’t have a single scene with him, but on my days off, I would go to his set. He's very good. I don't exactly forget that, but we don't talk about acting much, so it was a really nice reminder.
"Watching your partner do something they are really good at is so hot," she added.
How did Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy meet?
The happy couple met in 2006 on the set of Evening, in which they played fictional love interests. Their early days are something Claire has since reminisced about."I was very recently single, and I had never been single before, so we were just friends for a while," the Romeo and Juliet actress told Marie Claire in 2017.
"[Hugh and I] met in Rhode Island when it was at its most audaciously beautiful, in the fall. And there was one day when we were bicycling by the water and it was sparkly and idyllic, and I just had this dumb epiphany, like, 'I'm really just happy.'"
They dated for over a year before it was confirmed that they were engaged in February 2009, having looked loved-up at the
Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy's wedding
The couple tied the knot in a private ceremony in France in September 2009. Little is known about their special day, except that it was a small affair with only close family and friends in attendance, including Meryl Streep's daughter, Mamie Gummer. According to People, Clare wore a bridal gown by her friend, designer Narciso Rodriguez.
Recent appearance
Most recently, Claire and Hugh packed on the PDA at the New York special screening of The Beast In Me at The Paris Theater earlier this month, just days before its November 13 premiere. The pair looked happier than ever as Claire laughed with Hugh on the red carpet, resting her hand on his chest as he wrapped his arm around his wife.