Claire Danes (Homeland) and Hugh Dancy (Hannibal) are expecting baby number three together, their representative confirms to People. The duo, who met while filming the drama Evening, married in 2009 and already have two children: Rowan, 4, and Cyrus Michael Christopher, 10.
The two have been extremely busy this year, with Danes earning raves and a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe nomination for Fleishman Is In Trouble and Dancy stealing the spotlight in Downton Abbey: A New Era. Read on to learn what we know about the beloved couple and their growing family.
1 | The Two are Fellow Actors and Fellow "Nerds"
ShutterstockDanes has called herself "supremely nerdy; I was never cool" and Dancy, "a big nerd." "When we first started sorta-kinda-dating for real (ish), I had an ornament-making party for Christmas, and he helped organize it," Danes told PORTER magazine. "Then he made an ornament of cowboy paper dolls, and I thought, 'and he crafts?' That was it. You have me for the rest of our lives." That trend continued, as Danes showed off a homemade Halloween costume. “He papier-mâchéd his own hat – I’m very proud of my husband,” she said.
“I was very recently single, and I had never been single before, so we were just friends for a while,” Danes 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.’”
2 | Danes Grew Up Surrounded by Little Kids
ShutterstockDanes had experience with little kids before she even had one. “My mom ran a toddler school in our loft; I grew up in the city,” Danes previously told Anderson Cooper. “So I grew up with 1-and 2-year-olds all throughout my childhood, and I know about early childhood development — that particular window I am pretty educated on." She added: "Anything before and after I might have some trouble.”
3 | Danes Has Called Motherhood a "Profound Change"
Mike Coppola/Getty ImagesDanes told Cooper her pregnancy would no doubt lead to a "profound change." While filming Homeland, she was looking forward to some time off to focus on it. "Pretty soon I get to retire for a little while and just be pregnant, which I look forward to," she said at an event for the show. "It feels like a huge luxury. When I was pregnant with my first son, I worked until I was in my eighth month, so this feels like a huge gift, to have a chance to kick my feet up a little bit."
4 | Danes Has a Played a Mom in Movies and on TV
Stephan Rabold/ShowtimeSpeaking of kids: Danes was born on April 12, 1979, in New York City and began acting at a young age. She made her film debut in the 1994 film Little Women, and gained widespread recognition for her role as Angela Chase in the cult classic TV show My So-Called Life, which aired on ABC from 1994 to 1995.
Throughout her career, Danes has played a variety of characters, including several motherly roles, including:
Homeland: In the popular political thriller series, Danes plays Carrie Mathison, a CIA officer with a complicated personal life. Carrie is a single mother to a young daughter, Frannie, and her parenting struggles are a key part of the show's plot.
A Kid Like Jake: In this indie drama film, Danes plays Alex Wheeler, a mother struggling to find the best educational opportunities for her young son, Jake, who is gender nonconforming. Alex and her husband, played by Jim Parsons, must navigate the competitive world of New York City schools and confront their own biases and preconceptions as they try to do right by their child.
Stage Beauty: In this 2004 historical drama film, Danes plays Maria, the mistress of King Charles II and the mother of his illegitimate son. Maria is a complex character, struggling to balance her own desires and ambitions with the demands of her royal status and motherhood.
5 | Danes's Latest Role is About Motherhood
ShutterstockIn the FX limited series Fleishman Is In Trouble (catch it on Hulu now), Danes plays Rachel Fleishman, a talent agent who appears to have disappeared, leaving her ex-husband and two children in the lurch during one hot summer. Her true fate, and trauma (which involves a pregnancy), is revealed in a stellar penultimate episode, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris.
“We really loved the idea of really getting to see her side of the story, and then her breakdown, which is a really interesting filmic challenge for us,” Faris told The Daily Beast’s Obsessed. “That’s what excited us about it—we’ve never done something quite like that, which allowed us to play with certain devices.”
