A
native New Yorker, Claire Danes is
the youngest of two children (her older brother, Asa, is a college
senior), brought
up, as she says, in a "very creative household." Her
mother, a painter and teacher, and her father, a computer consultant,
met in art school and have always encouraged their daughter's interests
in the arts. At the age of six Claire began studying modern dance,
which she still continues to do. At nine, she took an acting class
at the Lee Strasberg Studio. In sixth and seventh grades she attended
the Professional Performing Arts School in New York, a public school
run by the city, where Claire Danes gravitated
again towards acting. In addition, she credits her love of gymnastics,
which she pursued
for several years, for teaching her discipline.
Claire's acting career began with stage
appearances off-off-Broadway, in productions of "Happiness," "Punk Ballet," and "Kids
on Stage," in which she choreographed a solo dance piece. Among
her television credits are "Law and Order," in which she
plays a young model who kills her agent; "No Room For Opal," as
Tyne Daly's daughter; and "The Coming Out of Heidi Leiter," as
a gay woman's sister. Claire made her film debut at the age of 11
in the role of a molested child in "Dreams of Love," with
Milos Forman as executive producer. She also appeared in a short
film, "Thirty," created for fashion designer Geoffrey Beene;
and in a film festival short, "The Pesky Suitor," with
Sully Boyar. Claire recently completed production playing the role
of Beth in Columbia Pictures' upcoming release, "Little Women," with
Winona Ryder and Susan Sarandon.
When she is not working, Claire
Danes likes spending
time on her school studies, especially the humanities and science.
She tries to keep
up her interest in dance, and wants to continue with her new enthusiasm
for surfing while she's living in Los Angeles. Claire
and her family make their home in New York with a cat, Fifi-Champion.
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Actress
Teri Hatcher Desperate Housewives
Teri Hatcher began her performing
career as a young girl taking ballet lessons at the San
Juan Girls' Ballet Studio in downtown Los Altos, California.
She later studied acting at the American Conservatory Theater.
One of her early jobs (in 1984) was as a cheerleader with
the San Francisco 49ers. Teri
Hatcher Bio and Photos |
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Actress
Erica Durance Smallville
Born in Calgary, Erica Durance was raised in Three Hills, Alberta. After
graduating from high school, Durance moved to Vancouver, British Columbia,
to pursue her interest in acting professionally. "I wanted to get
my feet wet in a smaller area than Los Angeles when I gave it a try",
Durance has said. Erica
Durance Bio and Photos |
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Movie
and Television Actress Alyssa Milano
In 1983, at age 10, she landed her breakthrough role on the new sitcom "Who's
the Boss?" as Tony Danza's saccharine sweet daughter, Samantha Micelli,
a kid whose native Brooklyn accent rivaled her TV dad's. Alyssa
Milano Bio and Photos |
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Movie
Actress Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz left school at 16 to become a model. For the next five years,
she traveled the globe, working in Japan, Australia, Mexico, Morocco, and
Paris. As a model for the Elite Agency, she did commercial work for such
products as Coke, Nivea, and L.A. Gear. Cameron
Diaz Bio and Photos |
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Movie
Actress Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon has been featured
four times in the annual "100 Most Beautiful" issues
of People magazine. In 2007, she was selected by People
and the entertainment news program Access Hollywood as
one of the best dressed female stars of the year. Reese
Witherspoon Bio and Photos |
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Movie
Actress Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba's first film role,
in the 1994 film Camp Nowhere, came her way by chance.
She was cast with a bit part in the film after one of the
characters dropped out of the production. Dark-haired Jessica
was cast as the replacement, thanks to the fact that her
hair matched that of the original actress. Jessica
Alba Photos |
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Television
Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt has been in
front of the camera ever since she was nine when she joined
a Show Team in Texas, this was a dance team that traveled
to Russia and Denmark. When she was ten she was an international
spokesperson for LA Gear shoes. Jennifer
Hewitt Bio and Pictures |
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