Claire Danes

Hi everyone, Amy here. I'm recording this the day before our new episode with the great Claire Danes comes out and it's an episode we recorded a few weeks ago. And since then, so much has been happening in our country and honestly it felt strange not to address it. The intention of Goodhang has always been to bring levity, enjoy, and laughs in these tough times and we're going to keep doing that. But before we start this episode, I just want to send much love to the best people in the world, also known as Minnesotans. What we are all witnessing is terrifying and enraging and illegal, but we are also seeing neighbors helping neighbors. And if you want to help, there is a directory of local organizations and mutual aid groups that you can check out at standwithminnesota.com. Minnesotan, you're in our hearts. Okay, on with the show. Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of Goodhang. Very excited about our guest today. It is the incredible Claire Danes. I cannot wait to talk to Claire today. She is such a pro. She's so good at so many things and I know she's going to be a good hang and we are going to get into it today. We're going to talk about her big brain. We are going to talk about the lasting effect of my so-called life and how people still love it even to this day. We're going to talk about her stint on law and order and what that was like. And we're going to hear about how she met Boschiat in an elevator when she was a New York kid. So much to talk about before we do, we always like to speak to somebody who knows our guest, who has a question for me to ask our guest. And we talk well behind their back and we have a great one today. The incredible Mandy Patinkin. Mandy actor singer, activist, now podcaster. You can check out his podcast. Don't listen to us out now with his wonderful wife, Catherine and his son, Gideon and Mandy. Hi. Can you hear me? This episode of Good Hang is presented by Nespresso for those who never compromise on their morning rituals, especially their coffee ritual. Nespresso's new Virtuo Up makes your first cup irresistible. With a three second start, easy open lever and dedicated coffee creations mode button. It's even easier to brew bold coffee over ice or milk. It's your coffee your way Nespresso. Shop now exclusively at Nespresso.com and use code Amy to receive a set of lume coffee mugs when you spend $50 or more while supplies last. Hi, Amy. Hi, Mandy. Don't look at me. I'm eating something again. What are you eating? Murray's tuna. Perfect. And vegetarian shop liver on Ezekiel cinnamon raisin toast. Wow. That's a lot of flavors. Well, I love the cinnamon raisin and I eat that because my trainer tells me not to eat this other bread that this is the one he wants me to eat and I'm feeling good and so I do what he says. You're a podcaster now. Yes, I'm a podcaster. You only talk to podcasters as I can't stand talking to someone who doesn't have a podcast. Trust me, Amy. I know. Right. When you see them, they're like, what are you doing with your life? It's unconscionable to even think of doing that. It's horrible. So I wouldn't even, even hearing you say it upsets me. That's not an option. You do a show with, um, don't listen to us with Catherine, your wife and your son, Gideon. And, um, congratulations on that. And they don't listen to me. So it always, the title is always in operation. How has it been? What have you been learning about yourself and in the process of meeting it? Great. Amy. It's just great being with your family 24, 7, 9 or great. It's all a work of death. You know, be at home, work with them. You know, just like, you know, my son, you know, just can't get enough of his parents. It's just, it's a total joy 24, 7, it's just like being in paradise. Before we get to Claire, just one more time, because I know Gideon will want me to get the log line. How would you describe the podcast? Oh, just the podcast, to describe the podcast is just, it's a podcast. It's undescribable. It's just an extraordinary podcast. Um, it has, uh, my wife who I love. I've been with her for seven, 47 years. If I can say with her for 47 years, you can tune in and stay with her for 47 minutes. And my son, my glorious son, Gideon, he, it's all his. And then the one mistake is having me at the table as well. I am such a humongous fan of your work, Mandy. It meant so much to me that I was talking to you today. And we're talking today to Claire Danes, who I know you absolutely love. I adore her. If I, if I had a daughter, it would be Claire. Oh, can you tell me where you two first met? We first met in the rehearsal room in Winston, Salem, North Carolina. I believe that's where we met. I think that's where we were where we had the first read through of Homeland. And I think that's where I think that was the name of the town where we shot the first three seasons. Pretty sure it was Winston, Salem, but I could be wrong. I'm at that age. I don't just look at it. It's the same thing inside my brain. It's just, just wiry gray white mess up there. And, I'm pretty sure. I know it was North Carolina. So no, no, it was Charlotte, North Carolina. So that's interesting. So you met in rehearsal for the first time. And obviously you, I'm familiar with each other's work. What was your first impression of her? Well, I knew she was of the highest pedigree. And so I just was thrilled to be with her. And I knew that I wanted more than anything for her, both as Mandy and the character Saul. I wanted her to feel safe with me. And I wanted her to feel protected by me. And I wanted her to trust me. And I knew that was a tall order. But we sat down with our director to just have our first read through. And she finished the first scene. And she said something that I never forgot. I just love she said, well, that was some of the worst shmack thing I've ever done. And I never, I never heard that word shmack thing. And I loved it. And I never heard her say it again because I think she's brilliant. I even thought she was brilliant when she thought she was shmack thing. And so she is, she's as good as they come. You know, in the arena, she's a thoroughbred, which leads me to my second thought that I had to offer you. Would you like that? Or do you want to run this? No, I love, I love, I don't think with you and I that I'm ever going to run anything. I think, Mandy, whenever you're going to be running it, I can, I can shut up. I know I love, I heard that you wrote down a bunch of questions for her, which I love because I too have so many questions for her. How many of you have on that page? I have, I wrote down the one, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Okay. Great. No, no, eight. Perfect. I understand why you can, you can buy these questions. Probably. Just get out of your website. I have his for sale. But I understand why you have all these questions for her because she is to your point. A thoroughbred is a perfect word. Like so incredibly gifted. And also your story tells, tells me that she also does not take herself too seriously. It's that combination that's incredible to be around. She was a kid actor, you know. And the thing is, as you've known from working with kids, the magic of them, it's literally magic. They sit there, they play, they play with the other kids. And then the director goes action and they're there with a believability that if you worked at this craft till the day you died, you would never get to be that good the way these kids are. And she's one of the rare ones that took it into adulthood. And she has that, she just believes, she just believes in a way that is, I'm transfixed. I had to do the least work in my life because all I would do was just sit and listen to her. It can really feel the love between you two. So let's get to those eight or nine questions. You got it. So the next one that I wrote down, wait, what was the first one again? Oh God. I know it's going to be a challenge. The first one. I have no idea what the first one was. What did I say? Okay, okay, forget it. Look at me. Well, you know, sorry, you start in the middle. Don't even ask me my name anymore. Just please have a little, you know, sorry, me. Okay. And yet it's called Rachmanus. Have some Rachmanus for what you're dealing with here. Regarding her children. Very curious because she's married to an exceptional young man, young in my book, and young and everybody's book. I would like to know who is better in the family at setting boundaries for the children. Oh, is it Claire or Hugh? Hugh or Claire, her great actor husband, Hugh Nancy. Now I would like you to ask her something that only she would know. What is Mandy's father's favorite chewing gum? That does, that question seems like what you have to answer to get into an exclusive private club. You are right on the money. And how did she commemorate the answer to that gift to me? Excellent. Which was one of the great gifts that I've ever been given. Wow. Oh, here's a good one. How often does she feel she peas she needs to pee before every take or every scene? Love that. It's not a downside. It gives everyone a chance to breathe. We all know that, you know, there's a rest period coming up. Okay. Okay. That was it. Okay. These are great. These are great questions. And they all speak to what I'm learning about her. And, you know, I've known Claire over the years through friends and loved my time, spending my spending time with her. But what I've learned about her is she's a really considerate person. She's a very considerate person. She really considers other people. I think it's what makes her a good actress and human in the world. You know, the gift of that one of the great gifts of the television series in my humble opinion is that you get to be there for a long time and you really get to know each other and you get to know each other's strengths and also each other's fragilities. And she learned mine. I sort of wear them on my sleeve, but she learned them quickly. And she she just took care of me. She knew how to take care of me when I needed holding and when I needed, you know, and she knew how to leave me alone when I needed to leave me alone time. Beautiful. I know she's going to be so excited that we talked. I don't know if she knows. This might be a surprise to her. I didn't tell her. I saw her recently at a political event for Mamdani, which I was thrilled that she was there. But I did mention, I hadn't known about this at that point. Oh, that's great. I think she's going to be so no idea for me. Happy that we talked. Please take my phone number. I will. I'm going to take your phone number and I'm going to call you for advice on a lot, basically on most things in life. And you're welcome. Well, I think and you're just a dumbest fucking person. Thanks, Mandy. Take care. Bye. Have fun. Bye. Bye. This episode is brought to you by Visible. Got a resolution to save, kick 2026 off right with Visible. It's a one line wireless plan with unlimited data and hotspot for $25 a month. Taxes and fees included all on Verizon's 5G network. It's the ultimate wireless hack to save money and still get great coverage and a reliable connection. Now for a limited time, new members can get the visible plan for just $19 a month for the first 26 months. Ring in the new year with code switch 26. Share the savings with a deal that is too good to keep quiet. Switch now at Visible.com. Terms apply limited time offers subject to change. See Visible.com for plan features and network management details. And you do talk about this, this being a number eight business a lot. The end and any gram. Wait, you're pretending you don't know the any of them. I know now because of you. Do you know what your number is? I did it last night. Yes. And don't tell me what it is I want to guess. I too. You're an eight. I'm an eight. I screamed. Oh my god. I yelled out. Wow. freaking out. Yes. Claire Danes just walked in with a balloon. With the beat. By the way, thank you. These are beautiful. Yeah, you're welcome. I'm a beautiful eight balloon. Yeah. I'm going to bring it into frame. Yeah. Look at that. A gorgeous eight balloon. Yeah. In in reference to the fact that we are the same any a gram number. I didn't know that when I bought the balloon. I just knew that you were an eight girl. Because you do talk about it. Pretty much. This is an intervention and everyone's like and now you've got the balloon and now shut shut up about it. It's an eight or a mention. But I are so welcome. But I was so excited with it. I got to be your your twin eight sister. If you're going to start with any of your grand we're going to go because I'm very pleased that you're an eight. Okay. That makes perfect sense to me. Does it? I don't. I'm very new to this. But did you learn about that? Did you read the descriptions of it and feel like it was you? Sure. But I also worry that I might just be a little impressionable and you know, kind of absorb and accept and make it work. Interesting. Well, that's not very eight like is it? Not, but perhaps you've got a wing. You know, you can get a wing. I just learned. I don't know. I don't know what my love to see what your pie chart looked like. Okay. Like what you actually, but were your big. I wish you had told me you were taking the test because I would have sent a text that said send me your pie chart send me your okay. I'm sure I can find it again. What's your sign? Virgo. Okay. What are you? I'm Aries Virgo rising. Oh my god. Like Claire, run all of the things. Run all the things. Do all the things. Be sure I do all the things. I mean, do you find yourself to be like a I mean, we know each other, but we don't know each other. And I've had the pleasure of being around you a lot, a lot and humongous fan of your work, of course. And thank you. And we were very excited that you said yesterday. And do you think you're organized person? Like are you an organized? I've gotten much more organized over time. But I do love the container store. I love the container store. So much. A good container will change your life. Jenna, why are you laughing Jenna? Why are you laughing so hard? But and what I love about when when I love the idea of figuring out what things what are what do things mean to you? Because they actually it's a paradox. Yeah. They don't mean anything and they mean a lot. They can be really valuable tools. And I think they do carry energy. Yes. I really do believe that. And they can transport you. They can be little tiny time machines. Yes. But okay, of course you're an organizer, of course you're Virgo, of course you're Areas, of course you're an eight. Claire Danes is here. I mean, Claire, if I did not love you already. I mean, the theme of I feel like the theme of today is, um, I've always felt like you and your work were ahead of its time. That's very nice. That's very, very nice. You've always brought me as an artist into worlds that I didn't know I was ready for. You're an intellectually curious person who's interested in interesting things. And therefore you kind of you're drawn to those things almost like, you know, like the cartoon character when the pie is on the windowsill. Like I feel that with you. You're drawn to interesting things. I am. That's true. Thank you for saying that. That's actually very, very touching and meaningful that you say that really. Well, I can sense it from the choices you made as an artist. And, um, you know, it is like my so-called life and homeland and temple grandin and the beast in me, like all these projects and the way you, you're kind of leading us into some new territory always. It feels like a new territory for you too, which is very exciting. Of course you're an anyogram eight, you're a challenger, you're incredible. Um, but um, we're I'm sorry that we're the best, but we are and I'm sorry to all the other numbers. Um, but like it and I just want to say this as we like, or as we get this, this thing started finally, which is you have the ability to as an actor to stay in your body and be in your brain. Those are two very hard things to do. Oh, this is so clear. So smart. This is so nice. This is so nice. It's hard to balance those two things, body and brain. And that's why I'm obsessed with the fact that you love to dance. I do love to dance. I love to dance. And for me, it gets me out of my brain. Yeah. Yeah. Chinks. Yes. Um, and I don't dance as much as I don't dance enough anymore. I had a good wiggle the other night all by myself in my bathroom. I really needed it. Um, and that's where I've seen you probably the most is on the dance floor. Yeah. Well, we're a friend Rashida is a pretty great dancer. She's had some parties and we've danced in our pajamas together. Yes. Yes. And I feel like there's been some awards shows where we've been on the floor. Like we're dancing regulates. What does it do for you? How does it? What does it do for your body? Oh, I got it so funny. Well, because it's my son's birthday today. My eldest son, he's turned 13 and it's like a superpower I have to I just like a little tiny wiggle in public. He's he will cross the street. Oh, yeah. It's just but yeah, I can mortify him within a millisecond. And even worse is you stop and go, I'm a good dancer. People think I'm a good dancer. And they're like mom. Oh my god. Mom, everyone's watching you dance. Yeah. But what does it do for me? Well, I mean, the best is when you enter that like flow state. When you yeah, when it's when it's there's no thought and you're just totally synchronized with whatever sound is coming into, you know, through your ears. I love watching toddlers dance. You know, when they jump and I do that thing, they do the bouncing thing. And we all do it. And um, she, my, my baby, she had, she's very kind of in her head and dream me and sometimes she'll do this kind of dance. I'm like, that's fabulous. Anyway, how old is she? She's two and a half. Okay, I heard something that's amazing, which is that kids from three, like from three to four or three to five are considered them like on mushrooms. Holy Sigenic mushrooms because they're like, the floor is lava. And like, I'm feeling the music. And they're like, why do we die? You're tripping. And it's so true that she's very, she's really fun. You are a real dancer. Well, but never not like a formally trained one. I had this amazing teacher here in the city, a woman named Ellen Robbins. And she was great. And like for I, from the age of four on, I worked with her. I say that like intentionally. It sounds ridiculous because I was a tiny human, but she really took every kid very seriously. And over the course of the year, you would work towards choreographing your own piece. And you would choose the theme and, and the music. And I was a moth to flame one year. Yes, I was. There was a lot of, a lot of that. And opening again, finding your life. Little Claire in dance class. Yeah. For your new your kid. Yes. I'm really always interested in kids who grew up in New York. Yeah. What was so, what was your version of it? Little kid in yours. It was funky. Yeah. And you know, a little rough. Yeah. I was born in 79. My parents were artists. They moved to the Bowery in the late 60s. And my dad, my dad's mom, Claire, my name, after died when he was a kid. And then I guess he kind of had this money finally. And they bought a lawful building with another couple that they still own on Crosby Street where it was growing up. So it was, you know, we had a swing. We had a trapeze. I would roller skate. I know. It's kind of how we picture. It was like a kid to be living. I had some shame about it too. And I had cousin who lived in the suburbs. And all I wanted was to be in a cul-de-sac and have like a basement and carpet on the floor. We get that when we're little. We don't want to be different. Interesting. We want to be exactly the same. But it was, it was, it was also very cool. And, you know, Boskey outlived in our building. And you know, like, yes. Like, did you eat him? I remember him. I remember being really little. And, you know, I, he was kind of, it was very sweet. Like he was very charming. Charming. And kind of tender. That's what I remember about him and the elevator. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. That's a key's hearing was just around. And, uh, yeah, but there was, it was also, um, violent. And the mafia still existed. So we were on Crosby and Prince. So just on the other side of Lafayette, that was the different world and felt quite active. And, did you become a vigilant? Are you a vigilant person or a vigilant kid because of, industry? No, in life. Like, yeah, I think, I'm hypervigilance that was created because of that. Yes. Because of New York. And also I have very, like, funky, groovy, artisan parents. Totally. So I, there was a rigidity that developed love and, yeah, speaking my language and, uh, like a hyper observance. Yes. And so you go and speaking of vigilance and hyper observance, you were on law and order as a young person. How old were you? I was 12. Can you tell me about sure? I believe in a 10 or a year. Yeah, it was amazing. It was amazing. And I played a teenage murderer. Yeah, my mom was a prostitute, like high end. And her, like, Pim was grooming me to basically do the same thing. But he was kind of presenting himself as a, a modeling agent. And he was, you know, and I took these photos of me and, and my mom found out about it. And she inter, you know, intercepted and I was furious. And I took the scissors from the dark room and stabbed him. I think that's what it was. God, I would have killed him. That's what I wanted to do. So badly. Lon order. Yeah. I then dated a boy. I, by another guy, a kid, another kid actor. We met an audition who also had been a teen murderer on Law and Order. That was like our cute story. And now he was on Law and Order. I know. Which is wild. I know. And we have so much good, like gear, like swag, Law and Order swag. We have a giant button that goes, that the kids really, really like. And we do have to hide sometimes. But that show is, and it's just, and first of all, I just employed so many actors. So it's still to us. It's so many people to break. I was also very sure the day after it aired. There was like a screening party. It was just that like it was going to be a problem for me to ride the subway. Like, I was going to be so famous. And it was fine. No, it was, it was pretty comfortable. Still for me. Now you brought a nice, so-called life. How old were you when you auditioned for that? I was 13 when I did the pilot. And I was, and then it didn't get picked up. Yeah. And I'd gone to public school my whole life. But then like had made money from these acting jobs. And I could afford to send myself to private school. So I went to Dalton. But yeah, then, but in the very start of my freshman year, we got this call saying, oh no, they are going to pick it up. So I was only physically there for a semester. And then we were off to LA. Wow. And was kind of tutored from that point on. Now, I mean, I know you've talked ad nauseam about the experience you had making that show. And it is still so zeitgeisty that show. It's really, it was a very special thing. When you were making it, it felt like a special sparkly thing. I remember, I remember reading the pilot, I guess before the audition. And, and, and just having a very profound, you know, experience. And it was really powerful to have some woman, some writer person so perfectly articulate my internal life. And I was winning Holtsman. Yeah, I was in Holtsman who who who still a dear, dear friend and just wildly inspired hilarious. And people should know, like, wrote wicked. Yes. Just this little indie. Yeah, wicked. Yeah. Which is basically crazy. Like teenage girls, you know, and, and their, their intimacies and their, their friendships. Yeah. And when he was, when he was the creator of the show, she was, yes, she was the creator of the show. And, and we were both working so hard. We barely saw each other. But we were, you know, in this very deep relationship in our imaginations, you know. Yeah. Did you chemistry read with Jared No, no, no, he just got hired and then you guys had to kind of get find, find the chemistry there. He was like in the Nakazima commercial. That was very exciting. Yeah. He was so hot. Oh my god. He was ridiculous. You know, Jordan, Kelano is like, because also one of those names, it's always incredible. The full name. Yeah. Um, and there was also a character and the show called Tino that you never saw. Um, anyway, there were so many, but I, but do you have a theory because you know now with perspective, like what, what do you think resonates still with, with Angela's like, well, it's still radical. Yes. I don't think it reminds me of this time. Like, I just, why, shouldn't have been made. It, it, it almost wasn't made many times and, um, and it just willed it wills itself into existence. I don't know. It's not very often that we spend that much time intimate time with a, a teenage girl. Yeah. Not really. Yeah. Not really. We're seeing the world from her, from inside of her, um, and really through her vantage point when she's, and she's so earnestly wrestling with big stuff, you know, um, and, and it's, I, yeah, it's just so well balanced and it's so, it's so of her, you know, but it's, there's some zingers. There's some really well-crafted lines. You know, I was rewatching that moment, the, like, beautiful moment where that is played over and over again in TikTok every day of my life, because it's on my FYP, but, um, of when Jordan comes over to Angela and says, can we go somewhere and you say sure, and he walk off with him and he takes your hand in front of everybody and that feeling of being chosen, um, um, publicly is a big major, major deal for a young woman and young man. But why the show, I think, separates itself from others is also, editorially, we know what all the other characters are feeling in that moment. Like, yes. Yes. Everyone else is feeling about not being chosen or the wrong person being chosen. Like, everyone's having, feeling like, we're, we're feeling everybody's pain, psychic pain or joy in that moment. Oh, that's a very well-stated, uh, yeah, well-analyzed scene. I've watched it for a lot of many times. Um, no, and yes, it was, it was, I feel wildly fortunate that that was my entry point. And you've worked with what I imagine, only imagine, are really some very interesting, complicated and maybe at times difficult people. At a young age, I, I project on you that you have to like figure out how to be self-possessed and be your own artist and your own, you know, like protect yourself and also be among these like really complicated adults. Do you feel like there was some inner Claire thing that helped you navigate all that early stuff? I feel like kids are doing that all the time anyway. Every kid. Okay. You know, I think this is, um, I don't know. I also, I remember people, I never felt like a kid. And now, now that I am a parent and I have actual children, I'm like, yeah, no, I for sure was a kid. There's no way. Do you think you're gonna, I sometimes think I, I never felt like a kid either. No, I was about eight or nine. I was like, I'm in charge. Yeah. I did. I was like, these people, but like, I just remember being like, no, I'm okay. My first memory, I don't know if it's real or not. Obviously, no idea. But was pre-verbal. I was an infant. I remember where, where I was, I was by my, the windows or on our, and our loft on cross the street. I love looking Lafayette Street. And I had been handed to some other adult that I didn't know very well. And they didn't know how to hold a baby. And I remember having, I'm just like, okay. This is one of those grownups who don't know how to do this. They're uncomfortable. Wow. There's nothing I can do about it. I'm just gonna have to wait it out. Um, yeah. And then I remember my second, my, yeah, Louis. Um, and then my second memory was being on the kitchen island. And I was just about, I just was starting to have some language, but not quite enough. And I was kind of playing straights with my mom. And I wanted to get to the, to the counter, like the other side of the kitchen. And she was really frustrated. And she, and I, and I felt such empathy for both of us. And I was like, this week, this cannot continue. Like I really, really need to crack this language thing because I mean, poor us. This is too hard. Amazing. So yeah, it was like that always. And people would say like how, you know, you know, it's so remarkable that you can deliver performances at such a young age. I was like, what are you talking about? I feel like I've been here. This has been an eternity. Like, I've been years is so many years. And it felt very rich. I was like, I've got enough material for four lifetimes. It makes total sense to me because when you're in little women and you're dying, I was like, she's been here before. I had to reshoot that. I can't, I can't even just my side. Because apparently I got too excited about the death rattle. Because of course I read like five stages of dying. I like and really studied whatever illness Beth had. Sure. And I kind of love carried away. You wrote a little too much. I told the little story to Matthew Rhys and he calls me death rattle days. But Julie Anderson, the director lied to me. I only learned this like last year. Oh literally. And said that that coat could spill on the negatives of the film and that we needed to reshoot. Well, that's a nice thing. It was really because she needed to like, like calm the death rattle down a little bit. I got. Yes. So that's a factoid. By the time you were 20, you were already in 13 movies. You had a few movies. That's a lot. And you went, I did not know that. Okay. Went to school, went to Yale. What did you study there? I thought I was going to be a psychology major. And then it ended, they're ended up being like a lot of lab work involved with that. That's not what I meant. Eventually, I think I would have been, I didn't complete my time. And I never had to declare a major. But if I had, I think I would have been an English major, which is what I meant. You know, I didn't. Yeah. I didn't want it to be the science part was less interesting to me than the character studies. You have a bit of like a Slidey doors fantasy that you would be a therapist in another life. Well, my best friend in the whole wide world from the age of nine on is a therapist. Congrats. Thank you. I did pretty well. Best friend. I chose. I chose well at nine. And actually, it's really fun. We do kind of play Barbies together with my characters. Like, if I'm starting a project, we'll think about it in those kind of formal terms. And she'll diagnose her and it is actually very handy. And occasionally at lunch, like I'll see her, kind of, it'll be, I see her shift from Ariel, you know, into there. And she'll ask. She'll say, is it okay if I, you know, go into actual formal therapy mode with you now? I'd be like, I'd be like, please. So, yeah, I mean, that, so okay. So I'd wanted to be an actor from age of five onwards. And then people would tell me, you know, most actors actually don't make that much money. It's a fairly insecure career choice. And continues to be. And I had a practical side. And I thought, okay, all right, fine. I'm going to be a therapist. And I'm going to live in the suburbs. I was going to live next door to Ariel. We were going to share a pool. And we would have two slides in our respective yards that would go into the same pool. I would be a therapist and do acting workshops, yes, to like nourish the soul. And that was my plan for a good year. And I made an actual announcement one night at the dinner table. And I said, look, guys, who am I kidding? There is no plan B. I am an actor. Money or no money. This is, this is my calling. And my parents are like, I'm sure. I was so serious. It's ridiculous. And I love that person. Is that person's to making a declaration? And I really meant it. And I went to, you know, I took Saturday acting classes at least to Rosberg, which is in my neighborhood. And I pass almost every day. And it's a total trip. But yeah, anyway. So yes, but actually my favorite class was a graphic design class. My very favorite class. And then I thought, oh, maybe if I weren't an actor, I would be a, a that kind of person. I can see that. I can see I can see all of these things. Like what, what I like love about your work is that it feels, and again, it just feels like when you're watching you work, that there's just real life that exists in your life. Like you have a real life, your real person, saying real person. And then so then when we're watching you play people, when you're, they feel like real people. There's just a little bit, you just kind of can't explain if people have it or they don't or they feel like they've actually existed on the earth and had a real life. And people that are kind of in just a different sphere of, I don't know. And there's something that feels like you have taken care of other parts of your life. It was, it was good for me to do that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I needed to not have so much responsibility. And I needed to like, like around a little bit and like get stoned and play Mario Kart. Right. I mean, to go away. That was, that doesn't need to go away. As important as, you know, the work I was doing in class, which was also really, really wonderful. And, um, and I also felt like validated as a thinking person. I feel like you've spoken about like the kind of wonderful things about perspective and getting older. What's the best thing about being the age you are? But it's perfectly okay to have the same breakfast every morning to exercise for 45 minutes to an hour. How's your bond density? I don't know and I should know and I don't lift enough weights. Nobody ever has to lift so many weights. I'm, I, I like lifting my own body weight. I really like yoga these days, but it's not enough. Apparently, I have to lift natural iron. And you run your big runner. I used to run more. The third pregnancy really kind of, so when people don't know, you had a pregnancy a few years ago. Yeah. Kind of a surprise. Whoa. Whoa. Out of the blue. That, whoa. Did you burst into tears like, oh, no, I have to do a pregnant again. Totally. Yeah. I called my OBGYN in convulsive tears. Yeah. Um, yes. No, I, it was, it was a pure, like, it was all meltdown. Oh, no. Because you had what a, what I could 12 year old or like a 10 year old and a six year old or something. Yes. I mean, he must have been around 11, 12. Yeah. I, there are five years apart. Each kid, none of this was by design. But yeah, I didn't know it was physically possible. I was 44. And, um, and actually, Rowan was very hard earned. I had to do two rounds of IVF. Like, it just was so unlikely. So this is a funny story that I'm going to share about my best friend. Okay. So, um, and this is Ariel. This is Ariel. Okay. Ariel. She gets named checked a lot in these things. Well, she is your therapist. And she's, and she's other people's therapists too. I would like to be known. I'm just ruined her career. I like to be known. But, um, yes. So we, we had this like a spa day scheduled. And, and I admitted to her and I wasn't, I wasn't coping very well with the heat. I kept it. I was like, I'm sorry. I'm such a pussy. I'd got to get out of here. Anyway. And so I wasn't going to say anything. And finally, I admitted it. I was like, you know, I, I totally lost my mind last night and just decided that I was pregnant. I went down this crazy rabbit hole. And finally, like, looked up what are the odds of naturally conceiving at 44. And they're like less than 1%. And I was like, so that obviously is ridiculous. And she said, whoa, that's really weird because I had this dream last week. She said it was really vivid. And I told people about, I mean, I didn't say it was you, but I this dream where I was pregnant and I looked down and I saw my distended belly. And I said, oh, I'm, wait, but this is a really, this isn't my torso. This is a long torso. This is Claire's torso. You have a great torso. Thank you. But, um, yeah. And she was she was this dream where she looked down and saw that she was pregnant, but she wasn't pregnant. She was in my pregnant body. And then the, you know, I had two strong cocktails when we had dinner. And then first thing the morning hit the CVS and it was just like, bold, just like hot blocks, you know, yeah, pregnant and my births and tears. Because for me, the thing would just be like, you know what you know now? You know what you're with. Well, that was that was fairly deeply humbling. Yeah. Because I realized, oh, I am not authoring this thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. This is really, this is the illusion that I am like driving this thing. Yeah. So you had to surrender. I really did. Yeah. And then this beautiful girl emerged and she's the best. And none of it was up to me. And I'm just delighted. Yeah, but she was disruptive. We had to move. It was a thing. It was a lot of work. Well, it's still a lot of work. Something like her origin story will be, I bet, will just like naturally be like, you really wanted to be here. She did. And she psyched. Like she is all about it. She's having a great time. Yeah. And then, equivocally like into this living business. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it is that's the thing about I think about the best and worst thing about late 40s for me mid 50s is you kind of know the deal. So it's like, okay, that's going to be this. Uh-huh. And okay, this one's going to hurt. Yeah. Or yeah. You know, there's still stuff to discover certainly, but there is a sense of. It's amazing to have so much of your life like established. And you know, yeah. Um, it, it, it realized like in set. Well, you've experienced. It's basically you've, uh, you've come through things. And you've, and you've made it, made it through something. Yeah. And there's a lot of, um, I don't know, power in that and joy in that. And it's also sad because I'm really, really aware of time now. Me too. It's really like the thing I, I crave. I crave time is my time is a thief. Yeah. And it's, and it's, it's actually, and I'm sure you're this way too, more and more with work or with any project. It's the thing I care about the most. How much to, and you know, it makes me think about your work on homeland, which was a 10-year commitment. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of time. A lot of time. Hard work. Yeah. It was hard work. And we were all over the planet. Like, yeah. We were in so many different countries. Um, and I had two kids. Yes. And I was like fighting terrorists. Well, deeply pregnant. It was weird. Did you have a, a thing like you liked to do on that show when you saw on the costume, you were like, oh, today I get to do this. You know, because like, it was like today, and you know, maybe it was like today, I get to school the after a while, like, you know, a few seasons in people, Newk Carrie, Mathisyn and every, it was almost like an anthology series. Like we would re-imagine ourselves every year. But, you know, so a new set of actors, you know, I'd walk into a room and they would, like, get quiet and be chasin. And I like had this cool, this power that, you know, I had earned over seasons, you know, and that was pretty fun. Yeah. You know, and never have I ever had that experience in my life, nor will I ever again, even in a fictional realm, you know. But that was amazing to have that kind of swagger. Yeah. And what was that, what was hard to shoot? Like, was it, like, I mean, just like balancing life, I'm sure, and traveling all over, because it shot everywhere. It shot. Yeah, especially when Brody died. It's more like a spoiler alert. I remember, so it was also like really rough, just really graphic. Like they really went there. Like, come on. Intense. It was so intense. But like, he dies on a crane. I know. But then the crane, when we were filming broke. Oh, no. So like, we were really hung up by that. I don't know. It was like landing in a new, because that was in, where did we shoot that? That was in Morocco. But yeah, so the first three seasons, we were mostly in Charlotte, North Carolina, which was standing in Ferdici. And then we would make these jazz like these shoot a month in Israel or Morocco or something. Yeah. But then when we, when we had to really redefine the show in a more met, you know, macro way, we then became this traveling, you know, enterprise. So we were shooting in in Cape Town for half a year, which was standing in for Palestine and Afghanistan. The next year we were, there was a year in Berlin, then a year in New York, which, yeah, that was kind of, that was actually very strange to be home and really stressful because like, it's a ten-tonneur. It's a terrible expectant me to go to dinner. Like my friend, like, you're here. Let's hang out. And I'm like, I'm working so hard to get tied up and beat up to my and I can't do this and live my life. Yeah. There was something nice about being on location and just being allowed to, like, give myself entirely to it because I didn't have any energy to spare. Yeah. That was actually weird. That was the weird, almost the hardest season because I kept, like, I, you know, there was this illusion that I was living my life and I couldn't. Yes. And then where were we? Then we were, I don't even, then it was a full year in Morocco. Wow. What was what's Morocco like? Never been. Great. I was nervous about spending so much time there and I grew to really love it. Cyrus went to school in all these places too. So he still can't eat couscous because he ate it at every meal and every day for six months in this school. That must be very cool for him to have his memories of travel. Yeah, I wonder what he, you know, what can he would he can consciously recall? I think that he was like five or six. So maybe like that? So that's it? He could. Yeah. He also, his first school that he went to was in Berlin and he was around three and he started to have temper tantrums like half in German and he was like, nine, nine. And he'd be like, whoa, suddenly this sounds, this is a lot scary in this language. And he would around that time like when we would come home and we'd be at the playground at Washington Square Park, you know, he would tautel over to other tiny people and say, hi, my name is Cyrus. I speak English because it was like not a given another person would speak it. Do you speak another language? Nine. If I could, you know, put a chip in my brain and be able to speak in a different language. Same. That and fly. Yeah, fly. I mean, yeah. But the length almost feels like it has the same thrill level. And you know what I love about speaking other languages is you have to do like a version, like a funny, you almost you have to move your body and your face in a version that feels insulting. It feels stereotypical. But you have to get the language right. Well, there is that kind of of thing. Yes, you have to. And you have, or if you're telling you have to just circulate or like there's all these different things like there's a reason why people move the way they do getting back to movement. Yes, I love learning dialects for this reason. Look, I think humans are humans and you know, it is mostly a universally shared experience, whatever that is. But it's also true. Yeah, that there are real differences. And we go, we do like see the world through these slightly different, these different filters. And it does shape us and inform us. And that is also kind of the most. Well, I'm really into that those kinds of differences again without appropriating them or getting them wrong. But because we are in a monoculture now, everything is the same now. So now it's like, I'm like, whoa, the way you express this thing or the way you like language still feels sometimes like a way of getting into some new little world. Yes. And it's so, like it's I'm I delight in the ways that we're not the same anymore because everything is the same. Every fucking store is in the sink. Yeah. And it's also kind of sad that we're not, I mean, that is what we do you and I do. And I think a lot of different. I don't do. Well, you do. You totally do. You imagine yourself in a, you know, as being a different person. True. But dialects are their own real. I mean, that's a real. That's real acting. Now, look, Claire, look, I can't just I can't just riff though. Like I'm this oo, oo, we person. If I have a good coach, I'm all about it. You like to improvise when you act or I don't know that many opportunities to. Oh, interesting. I don't I guess I guess in more dramatic stuff. It's hard to do. They don't let you. They're very strict about because they're on the crane. They're like, he's up on the crane. You can't. And you're like, just give me just want to riff. Oh, yeah. Crane work is pretty strict. But no, I don't know. I I would be really intimidated by that actually. That's so good. I really that's scary. I mean, I did one episode of Portlandia and they did give me pages and then they disappeared. I don't look at those. Yeah. And I was like, but wait, I learned them. And they were like, oh, sorry. I should have known. And they're like, you know what? We're just going to like do it as we want to do it in the moment. And I wanted to vomit. I have no I worked at SNL and it's like where I realized like, oh, preparation is this this thing that people do. No, it's this thing. It's this thing that when people bring it to the process and someone says like, and also let's try this, it's hard to not feel like, wait, wait, what what are we doing? Like it's it is a learned skill to just assume that things aren't wrong. If we are not doing what we prepare. Yes. I mean, I am, I mean, I'm ridiculous. I mean, I'll go to the writer and say, is it okay if I like put the comma here rather than there? And I'm like, don't come to me with this bullshit. Like I'm sorry. But I think actually because I started as such a young age, my socks are still up to my knees a little bit. You know, like there's still that like little girl who's just wanting to do a good job. I don't know if that's because I was actually a little like a literal literal little girl. Say that five times last time when I began or maybe that's just in me and what have been if I started at 30, but I don't know. Yeah, you do such a good job. Thank you. You're so you're so good at your job. You are so good at your job. And you are so good at your job. I love listening to your show. I listened to it a lot because I love podcasts. I love podcasts. But you have one of the very best ones. Oh my God. Thanks. And it's it's it's it's really wonderful. It's good. Yeah, really speaking of wonderful. Okay. We do a thing on this podcast where we talk to someone who knows our guest. Okay. We talked to Mandy Pattenkin. Mandy. Mandy, who I saw the other night, I hadn't seen him for a long time. You guys were celebrating. Yeah. Donnie. We were celebrating. I mean, he is his, I mean, you could tell in the show, but I also loved knowing that outside of the show, the relationship you two had. Yeah. It felt very paternal, very respectful. There's a lot of love there. I love him madly, truly deeply. And also he's just an amazing person to act with. And how come? Okay. He's very musical. But that this was a weird thing. In the first read through, we barely met each other. And it just like the music worked. You know, my cadence and his cadence were in really good harmony with each other. And that was like, can't nobody can take credit for that. That was just really good fortune. And you know, I played this manic person. I'm almost like getting into it now that you're saying I'm thinking about it. So she's like a stone skipping, you know, on the water. And he's, you know, has a much, you know, he has this like low pulse rate. Yeah. As all and is so steady and is her ballast and, you know, this counterpoint. Yeah. What he adores you calls you a thoroughbred. Oh, well, thanks. He's just a really, really, really good performer. I don't quite know how he does what he does, but it was also always fun to see him at the gym, the hotel gym or whatever weird apartment complex we're living in. Like singing his Yiddish songs prepping for his tour, like on a stairmaster. Right. It's just, it's, yeah. I just love a big man. Yes. I do. Yes. I love a big man. Sometimes I love feeling small. Like in relationship, do you know the like the idea of like big and small? No. Which is basically like, some days you want to feel big and some days you want to feel small. So some days you want to be like, I'm going to take us to the airport. I'm in charge of whatever I'm big today. And other times you're like, I want to be small today. And it's like being taken care of, but also can just kind of feel physical. Like sometimes when you're like at, you know, I don't know, you're bossing it up all day at work. You want to come home and feel small and vice versa and being able to have someone kind of do that with you. It's like CEOs who go to the doms. Exactly. Yeah. It's a subdom thing. So those are all Mandy's question. No, we're just kidding. So Mandy wants to know where you know, um, okay, so we had 10 questions for us. That's a lot of we're not going to we can't get to a lot of questions. This is Mandy had 10 questions. Yeah, he really over prepared this is very nice, but also we couldn't get on the zoom. And he was eating when he was on the zoom too. So it was like mixed messages, but um, but he was eating the luck. There's that he had made it. He was eating it delicious. The Mayor Cinnamon raised in bagel, I believe with some other stuff on it. Okay. Um, I know look delicious. Okay. You like us being a butter on an apple too. Oh, that's a great snack. That's a great sense. Okay. Um, okay. So you had a couple questions. Okay. Who is better at setting boundaries for the kids? You are huge. Oh, goes back and forth. Okay. That's good. Um, so Cyrus wants to wear shorts. He's like a gaffer all the time. There's a whole thing that do you are not on TikTok. I'm sure. No. Oh, congratulations. But there's a whole thing about middle school kids. Always wearing shorts. It makes me so upset. Let go. I'm here to tell you. My boys are older. Let them freeze their butter and ease off. Don't say one thing. Don't have to mention a code. Okay. So uh, uh, I said 50 or below. You have to wear shorts. You see, is more too. I really am below. You have to wear pants. Yeah. Sorry. Yeah. Sorry. Thank you. And son now he was like kind of being more permissive and that number, uh, uh, went down to 40. So there's a whole, literally a whole scientific thing about middle school kids waiting for the bus in short, but scientific, I mean, it's on TikTok. Um, about kids waiting for the bus. With shorts, they boys love shorts in middle school. Yeah. What? It's a whole thing. What? Okay. Whatever. And they run hot and they're not going to get a cold from the cold. You know that. And just let them do it. Okay. They will grow out of it. I promise. Um, then it'll become obsessed with like sweats and sleeping and being warm and they'll always be freezing. Uh, yeah. Okay. All right. Sister Warren period. I got that. My family. Thanks you. Okay. Um, but, but I actually think that you and I are pretty, we're very lucky. Like we're well matched humans. And I think our, in net, our parenting styles are pretty, are pretty level and equal as well. So that's good. You guys are a really, really special couple. Thank you. He's a, he's a, he's a swell dude. Yeah. You can tell. I mean, you do have a lot, like a lot of love and a lot of like for each other. Both of those things are important. We do. And so many children now. Yeah. So many. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, okay. Mandy's next question. And this now, now Mandy's referring to himself in the third person. What is Mandy's father's favorite chewing them? Oh, um, it's the black licorice. Oh, I embroidered something for him. That's what he was asking. How did you commemorate? Because he, he, he would chew it as Saul. Because, and I think he mentioned at one point that, but I'm forgetting the name of the brand. Did it come like in a tin? Blackjack. Blackjack. Blackjack was the gum. Was the kind of gum. Okay. And, um, and you made, and you embroidered something. I went, I went hard on the embroidery for a while. Let's talk about this embroidery. You embroider. Do you, I don't really, there was a point when I embroidered everything around me. I embroidered an umbrella. That was weird. Um, so my mom taught me and, you know, it started because in my 30s, I was away from my friends and we were at that everybody was having babies and I was really missing them. And so I embroidered onesies from my friends babies that, I embroidered their name and then an image that related to the name somehow. Um, but it was really more about just communing with them. Embroidery by hand. Yes. Okay. Um, and, and we started with the onesies and then it just, then it went to, hey, why are it's a great onset activity. Yes. And I could did it a lot more before I had children. Um, and I also found the contrast amusing and enjoyable. Like, that I would be fighting terrorists as carry and then I would go back to my seat and embroider. Knitting or crocheting, did I went on a knitting jag to, then that didn't take. So I, I embroidered onesies for, of course, all of my kids and I have one for Shay, this third child. She's all, she's, she's, it's not, she doesn't wear onesies anymore. I've missed that chance. It's okay. I'm confessing. I'm actually confessing to you. No, I mean, it's by my bed. I'm always supposed to do it. I've done, you know, anyway, we've done it all. Okay. No, no more. Well, you got to start giving us. I don't know. Um, that's what I tell every woman. And then, um, I want to talk about the beast to me. Okay. Um, because I love the fact that you are producing on this and I want to know what that experience has been like producing. I loved it. It was just really fun. Yeah. Like, you know, hire people who I admired and trusted. And you have a, I mean, you, like you said, you've been producing, probably you've been producing without credit for a long time and you've been producing and seeing, you've been on sets for a long time. Yeah. And you're realizing like, oh, I want to, I want, I want to bring my system here. Yeah. And that first week, I was just, I was, I was, I was at a blast. I was really like, like everybody here. And I'm like, all right, because, you know, I asked them to the dinner party, right? Yeah. And, um, right. Yeah. And it was so nice to like, I don't know, not be surprised by the home that suddenly I was discovering on the first day of filming. Like I have a say on what that house would actually be. Yeah. I, I really enjoyed it. And it was just like a lot of Zoom calls. And that's okay. Yeah. But they were conversations I wanted to have and be a part of. And yeah. And so it's on this next gig. I'm more of an actor for hire. So you're playing neurosurgeon. And can we talk about the pit? Sure. Because you love it. I do love it. Well, no, a while. I mean, no, a while. Okay. Did you watch ER when it was on? No. But I would think it was a little too little. Yeah. It was on. Maybe while I was shooting, I saw a couple of life. Is that right? I don't know. Maybe I'm getting that time wrong. But yeah. Um, yeah, I was aware of it, but I didn't want to. But no, he feels so credible. But and I really think all those hours he put in as a TV doctor, yes, have a crude. And he has a kind of gravitational, you know, gravity now. Yeah. He does this. He, it feels like he's doing, he's doing his blocking without thinking so convinced totally. Um, and, no, and I just think it's, it's also like feels a little throwback. Yes. It's so nice to watch excellent TV love love. You've made excellent. Thank you. But I enjoy watching excellent. It's my favorite thing to watch TV or better than movies. I love movies. I love movies. Do I'm a little worried about movies? I really am a little bit worried about. Well, they got to get their shit together. I love movies. I love movies. I love it all. Is there anything that you want? I know you are a big potless and a podcast. Is there anything you watch like just for like kind of brain check out? Okay. I know you asked this sometimes. So I had a prepared answer. Um, there is the only person that's ever prepared. I want you to know this. Of course. But is it okay? Tim Robinson. Yes. So he has this, there's this one sketch. Yeah. I'm from the show. Focus group. Incredible. You just got to. Oh, you just got to. Oh, from the watch. We watch this all the time. Now does your kids watch it? Well, so, so all the kids are allowed to watch this. So Cyrus is, so we took the little guys in and then then we have like special mature viewing hour and it started with like the Simpsons and then it was. This is always the gay way. Only murders in the building. Oh, Mib, which is basically Scooby Doo for grownups. And it's great. And then and it's and then he, English has been introduced him to Monty Python stuff. He got really into that. Yes. Um, but now we've been watching mostly because of this focus group. Um, his latest show, which is the chair company. Yeah, which there was a so safe work. Yes. And that show. I mean, the whole genius of the show is that it takes you very quickly to places that you are not prepared for. So we're all like cuddling in bed. And then there is this shine erect penis. And he says close your eyes. Everybody close your eyes. Close your eyes. We're still recovering. It was great. So we do love that show. I think that like what, Claire, what I understand why you would like this because number one, I think you are like, I've known you to be a very fun, funny and like comedy. You love comedy. I do. Yeah. And you have good taste. Thanks. And there's a tiny bit of a disruptor in you that I imagine is fun to watch. Yes. I think you're right. Speak. And we, the other thing that we've been watching is the latest South Park, which talk about what they're just saying the thing just to chicken in a hell. I fucking know it's a fox in a house. You can't get that right. Let me check it in a head house. Thank you. Well, thank you. This is, this was amazing. This was so nice. This was really nice. This is so fun. Um, birthday present to me. No one's ever brought me a balloon. Thank you for bringing a balloon. And again, for people that are sick of me talking about the end of the gram, I don't know what to say. But let me just read you this as we wrap up and see if any of these land. These are things that annoy an end of gram eight. Are you ready? Sure. People who talk just to talk. That's very annoying. That is deeply annoying. And I have a podcast. But yes, people who talk just to talk, fake people. Oh, beyond. I mean, I'm like, I literally, if someone's like, I'm a, I'm a piece of shit or whatever, I'm like, okay, fake. Oh, no way, people who aren't on time. I have to have some tolerance for that because I am not the same I was late today. The yeah, China's always the most punctual person. And then this one really scratches in it for me. Others asserting power in a situation where they have none. So I went through a period in junior high where I became like a vigilante. And I, I would like rough, I would like confront the bullies for eight hate bullies. Yeah, really. And and I went to the principal's office one time because I like like I hit a bully. I loved a bully. And it's exciting. And we've talked through it the bully and I. And and actually we made some progress. And then he was so deferential to me and so can he would open doors like he was really, you know, but I had to stop that because it was like going on my record. But yes, I mean, so I think I yes, that that that that that makes sense that there would be a thing to see is that I stand up to bullies and that everybody sees it. Like that's it. That's my like embarrassing fantasy that I stick up for people in public. So there was a bully in elementary school. And I admitted to my mother at one point that like myself soothing fantasy. I would there'd be a circle of people. And this boy and I would wear at the center of it. And I was just beating the shit out. Yeah. And I was like, is that okay to have that advantage? Just like your thoughts are your own. Enjoy them. Which was a nice, a nice bit of mothering there. Yeah. Really. A comfortable circle back to New York. And I did help. It was nice. Yeah. I could talk to you forever, Claire. I could too. Thank you. Thank you so much. So fun. Thank you so much, Claire Danes. That was so fun. I could have talked to you forever. And, you're so interesting and smart and funny. So thanks so much for that time. And for the polar plunge today, I guess I just want to remind everybody how good law and order is, especially the first 10 seasons. Okay. Just go back and watch fine Claire as the young, you know, child maniac and just go back and here's a little tip. Whoever you recognize, they did it. So it's a young actor just starting out. They're the murderer. So take that tip with you and go check out a little show called Law and Order. I can't get enough of it. And you know, it's these kind of new things that I'm going to fill you in on when you take the time to listen to the polar plunge. So thanks so much for listening and see you soon. Bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weissberman and me Amy Poler. The show is produced by The Ringer and PaperKite. For the Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spalane, Kaya McMullen, and Alayah Zanaris. For PaperKite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell and Jenna Weissberman. Original music by Amy Miles.