My So-Called Life ran for only one season, but the 1994 teen drama series has become something of a cult classic. At least part of its success can be attributed to its stars: a then-14year-old Claire Danes, sporting a bright red lob (long bob), and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto, nearly unrecognisable as a broody teen. The role of Angela Chase kickstarted Claire’s career, earning her both a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy nomination. Being a teen actor, she says, came with a unique set of benefits and challenges.
‘Adolescence is a difficult time, full stop,’ says Claire. ‘I was struggling emotionally with that reality, which is why I think I ran into acting. I had a hard time at junior high school and was bullied. I hated the social dynamics. I got to reflect on that in such an incredible way with My So-Called Life. Then I was kind of buffered from the actual experience of it because I was suddenly in a world full of adults who were much more humane.’
By the time she was 16, Claire was a household name, thanks to her portrayal of Juliet opposite Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo in Baz Luhrmann’s modern-day interpretation of Romeo and Juliet (1996). Even now, being an instantly recognisable face is something she’s slightly uncomfortable with. ‘Fame is funny,’ she says. ‘It always makes me squeamish talking about it. It just feels inherently embarrassing.’
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