Claire Danes [Paperback]

Jennifer Ambrose (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

Heralded as the best actress of her generation by Steven Spielberg, Claire Danes' young life and successful career is chronicled in this biography. From her childhood growing up in New York City's trendy Soho district with hippie-artist parents to her first year studying at Yale University, the book reveals important milestones in both Danes' personal and professional life. More than a simple biography, the book also pays special tribute to the show that gave Danes her big break: the critically acclaimed but short-lived television drama My So-Called Life. Included are commentaries on the characters, episodes, and critical and popular reactions to the show, as well as an account of the fans' ongoing efforts to keep it on the air.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The first biography of the beautiful young star of William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, Brokedown Palace and My So-Called Life (the critically acclaimed television show) Claire Danes may be only twenty years old but she is one of the most respected and sought-after young stars in Hollywood. She has been heralded as the best actress of her generation by Steven Spielberg, and counts her mentor Jodie Foster (who will direct her in the feature film Flora Plum, scheduled for release in 2000) among her most ardent supporters. Claire Danes traces the New York native's enviable life and career - from her childhood growing up in New York City's trendy Soho district with hippie-artist parents to her successful first year studying at Yale University. All this, and Claire Danes seems to have had a great romantic life as well - including her current long-term relationship with Australian rocker Ben Lee. Offering much more than just a biography, Jennifer Ambrose pays special tribute to the show that gave Claire her big break: the critically acclaimed but short-lived television drama My So-Called Life. She includes commentaries on the characters, episodes, and critical and popular reactions to the show, as well as an account of the fans' ongoing efforts to keep it on the air. Since that career-launching television role Claire Danes has gone on to give exceptional performances in several major Hollywood movies: Little Women, How to Make an American Quilt, Home for the Holidays, To Gillian on her 37th Birthday, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, U-Turn, The Rainmaker, Polish Wedding, Les Misrables, The Mod Squad, and Brokedown Palace. One critic has described her strength as the ability to offer "luminous characterizations of complex young women" (Entertainment Weekly) and no doubt she will go on to develop this strength in future projects. This biography will appeal not only to the millions of Claire Danes fans and movie buffs worldwide, but also to television memorabilia collectors and the scores of people who still adore My So-Called Life.

From the Author

Jennifer Ambrose works for LPC Group in Chicago. She has written and edited contributions on music and politics for several publications, including the magazine Punk Planet.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: ECW Press (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550224026
• ISBN-13: 978-1550224023
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,353,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars lovely, June 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Claire Danes (Paperback)

i thought this book was lovey, but then ... i am just obsessed with claire and love anything that has to do with her. at least i enoyed reading it tremendously.

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice photos, but..., December 23, 2010

By 

Aron D. Rush "missouri reb" (Cross Timbers, Mo usa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Claire Danes (Paperback)

I've admired Claire Danes ever since Brokedown Palace. I always enjoy reading biographies of the people that interest me, so I was pleased when I came upon this book. It wasn't quite what I was hoping for. It's informative, but nothing in depth. The author didn't interview Claire, her family, her friends or her costars. She did get some info from a couple of her former instructors. She mostly quotes from material that was already out there and even makes an undocumented statement or two that are little more than educated guesses. It seems to be aimed at a younger audience judging from the style of writing, so maybe I'm expecting too much. Kind of like a really long article from a teen magazine. This book came out in 2000, so it's not exactly up to date either. That being said, there's 16 pages of nice color photos and several in black and white. It's an attractive if somewhat thin volume, well bound, and comes with an episode summary from My So Called Life to help fill out some space. As far as I know, this is the only biography of Claire in print, so if you want a book on Claire Danes, this is it.