Quotes from Claire Danes

I have to expose myself and then accept the judgment that audiences and critics will have. And that's okay. I appreciate the elliptical nature of it. Sometimes people are more in the mood to be nice to me than others, and that's great.

I really have never been concerned about being beautiful on-screen. That's just not my jam.

I took three years off. I differentiated myself from the industry. Found my identity - sort of... I haven't graduated yet. I'm not legitimately educated yet, but maybe one day.

You don't realize how useful a therapist is until you see yourself on e and discover you have more problems than you ever dreamed of.

I was a pretty nerdy kid. I was pretty nerdy. I'm still kind of nerdy. I have all of the worst qualities of being a nerd - all of the affect and none of the smarts. I'm a useless nerd! That's pretty bad.

I care about being formally physically attractive in my life, and I think that I am quite vain about my performance. I'm just not vain about how I look while I give the performance.

People confuse fame with validation or love. But fame is not the reward. The reward is getting fulfillment out of doing the thing you love.

Psychology and acting are very closely linked. It's just about studying people and how they work. It can be an incredible discipline and exercise.

Oliver Stone's strategy is to unnerve the actors so as to make them alert and alive.

The Brexit and Trump phenomena are informed by similar forces and social and economic movements. I think it's been really stressful; it's been really scary.

Once you get over that peak of puberty, you hit a nice stride.

I think people who make movies and have invested a lot of money in them get frightened that if they challenge an audience they are going to repel them. And I think the opposite; it's really true.

I was a serious kid to an absurd degree. I was overwhelmed with responsibility. You know, trying to play grown up. I overdid it.

I have a huge, active imagination, and I think I'm really scared of being alone because if I'm left to my own devices, I'll just turn into a madwoman.

I took three years off. I differentiated myself from the industry. Found my identity - sort of... I haven't graduated yet. I'm not legitimately educated yet, but maybe one day.

I have this home in New York, I have a long-term relationship with my boyfriend, who's from Australia, and I had this business that I had maintain. Even though I wasn't actively shooting, there's a lot of peripheral work.

Growing up, I wanted desperately to please, to be a good girl.

I've always very earnestly tried to do my best, so I just have to trust that and forgive myself for being fallible.

I was told that my going to college wouldn't be good for my career. I think that's nonsense. It's good to empower yourself by cutting yourself off from this business every once in a while.

I do feel like I've gotten younger as I've aged.

I can get a dance party started pretty much anywhere and anytime.

I should be so lucky to be a misfit. I aspire to be a misfit.

I have a huge, active imagination, [and] I think I'm really scared of being alone; because if I'm left to my own devices, I'll just turn into a madwoman.

I hadn't been free from adult responsibilities since I was 12, and I needed to experience that. I really needed to just be a kid again.