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Claire Catherine Danes (born on April 12, 1979) is a Golden Globe Award-winning American film, television, and theater actress.

She’s 28!

Danes was born in Manhattan to Chris Danes (a computer consultant and former architectural photographer) and Carla (a day care provider, painter, and textile designer who would later serve as Claire’s manager). She attended the Dalton School. She has a brother, Asa, who graduated from Oberlin College and works as a litigation attorney for the law firm of Paul Hastings. Danes attended the exclusive private high school Lycée Français de Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, and later attended Yale University (her father’s alma mater) for two years as a psychology major, starting in 1998. She dropped out of Yale to focus on her film career.

Personal Life:
After meeting at her birthday party, she and Australian singer Ben Lee dated for almost six years, but their relationship ended in 2003. She dated her Stage Beauty and Princess Mononoke co-star Billy Crudup, but the pair split in December 2006. Tabloid photographs have recently linked Danes to Evening co-star Hugh Dancy.

Additionally, she has dated Andrew Dorff, actor Stephen Dorff’s younger brother, and Matt Damon.

Controversy:
While filming Brokedown Palace in Manila, Philippines, Danes made several negative comments about the country and its people which resulted in her being banned from any subsequent visits there. Danes allegedly remarked that Manila was “ghastly and weird” and “smelled of cockroaches,” in addition to derogatory remarks about East Asians. Danes, in her defense, explained her comments were misunderstood.

In Popular Culture:
Due to her teen angst roles in My So Called Life and Romeo + Juliet, Claire became a sort of sex symbol for punk rock youth in the late 1990s. She was the inspiration of songs by punk bands The Ataris (Claire Danes), Size 14 (Claire Danes Poster), Nice Guys Finish Last (My So Called Strife), and Chocolate Honey Monkey (Claire). Additionally, the Ataris wrote a song expressing disdain for her then boyfriend Ben Lee in the song, Ben Lee, You Suck.

Other April 12th Birthdays:

Herbie Hancock-Composer -67
David Letterman-Talk Show Host -60
Andy Garcia-Actor -51
Vince Gill-Country Singer -50
Amy Ray-Singer/Indigo Girls -43
Nicholas Brendon-Actor/Buffy -36
Shannen Doherty-Actress -36
Jennifer Morrison-Actress/House -28