Spotlight on: Claire Danes

Lights off, spotlight on! Time to see in which series this actress portrayed a character. Earlier this month, the final episode of Homeland aired. A series that has grown over the years turned into a fan-favourite. This was definitely in part due to the performance of Claire Danes, who portrayed a great Carrie Mathison.

Before Homeland, Danes wasn't a well-known face on television. In the early nineties, she portrayed some small guest roles. For example, she was part of one episode in Law & Order back in 1992, and two years later she ended up in one episode of Dudley. The latter could've consisted of a lot more episodes, but there's probably a
reason why the name of the show doesn't sound all that familiar. Comedy series Dudley consisted of a whopping six episodes before it was cancelled.

A year after that, Danes has her breakthrough. She receives the lead role in a series called My So-Called Life. She portrays Angela Chase, a fifteen-year-old who tries to live with the problems and developments a teen has to go through. The series is received well, but only lasts for two seasons before being cancelled.

This had nothing to do with the fans, who even tried to start a petition to continue the series. It was Danes' own choice that cancelled the series. She had discovered the big screen. Her movie career didn't allow a potential revival of My So-Called Life.

For a long time, it appeared as if that was the end of Danes' acting career on the small screen. She has completely devoted herself to movies, which includes roles in Romeo + Juliet, The Rainmaker, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Stardust.

After Temple Gradin - a television movie - there comes a sequel. Danes is cast for Homeland. As CIA agent Carrie Mathison, she is convinced that Nicholas Brody - a recently saved prisoner of war - is still in contact with Al Qaida, a terrorist group. She suspects him of wanting to commit a terror attack on American soil.

For more than eight seasons, we were able to watch Danes excel as Mathison. Her character is bipolar, which makes her job even more complicated. The conviction in her portrayal results in a very human Mathison. Sometimes she is the researcher, victim and maybe even the culprit at the same time. The series finale has been highly received, which resulted in a worthy ending of Homeland and Danes' Mathison.

It is unsure what Danes is going to do next. Although we've seen her in various other shows - Masters of None & Portlandia - during her time at Homeland, it doesn't mean that she will remain loyal to the small screen. Her role in Homeland has increased her popularity, so who knows where she'll end up.

Are you a fan? Click this link for more (guest)roles that Claire Danes has played.

Do you have a favourite actor or actress? Let us know and maybe we'll talk about him/ her in our next spotlight!