Claire Danes

[00:00] This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance. Not checking your pockets before putting clothes in the washer? [00:09] Oof. Enjoy your freshly cleaned and completely destroyed earbuds. Yeah, checking first is a good plan. So check Allstate first for an auto quote. It could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. [00:29] . [00:34] Hi everyone, Amy here. I'm recording this the day before our new episode with the great Claire Danes comes out, and it's an episode we recorded a few weeks ago. And since then, so much has been happening in our country, and honestly, it felt strange not to address it. The intention of Good Hang has always been to bring levity and joy and laughs in these tough times, and we're going to keep doing that. But before we start this episode, I just want to send much love to the best people in the world, also known as Minnesotans. [01:04] what we are all witnessing is terrifying and enraging and illegal but we are also seeing neighbors helping neighbors and if you want to help there is a directory of local organizations and mutual aid groups that you can check out at standwithminnesota.com minnesota you're in our hearts [01:24] Okay, on with the show. [01:28] Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. Very excited about our guest today. It is the incredible Claire Danes. I cannot wait to talk to Claire today. She is such a pro. She's so good at so many things. And I know she's going to be a good hang. And we are going to get into it today. We are going to talk about her big brain. We are going to talk about the lasting effect of my so-called life and how people still love it even to this day.

[01:54] Talk about her since on Law and Order and what that was like. And we're going to hear about how she met Basquiat in an elevator when she was a New York kid. So much to talk about. Before we do, we always like to speak to somebody who knows our guest, who has a question for me to ask our guest. And we talk well behind their back. And we have a great one today. The incredible Mandy Patinkin. Mandy, actor, singer, activist, now podcaster. [02:24] Don't listen to us out now with his wonderful wife, Catherine, and his son, Gideon, and Mandy. [02:32] Hi. Can you hear me? [02:41] This episode of Good Hang is presented by Nespresso. For those who never compromise on their morning rituals, especially their coffee ritual, Nespresso's new Virtuo Up makes your first cup irresistible. With a three-second start, easy open lever, and dedicated coffee creations mode button, it's even easier to brew bold coffee over ice or milk. It's your coffee, your way. Nespresso. Shop now exclusively at Nespresso.com and use code AMY to receive a set of Lumet coffee mugs [03:11] while supplies last.

[03:29] Murray's tuna. Perfect. And vegetarian chopped liver on Ezekiel cinnamon raisin toast. Wow, that's a lot of flavors. [03:41] Well, I love the cinnamon raisin, and I eat that because my – [03:46] My trainer tells me not to eat this other bread. This is the one he wants me to eat, and I'm feeling good, and so I do what he says. You're a podcaster now. Yes, I'm a podcaster. [03:57] Do you only talk to podcasters? I can't stand talking to someone who doesn't have a podcast. Trust me, Amy, I know. Right, when you say something, you're like, what are you doing with your life? It's unconscionable to even think of doing that. It's horrible. So I wouldn't even, even hearing you say it upsets me. [04:16] That's not an option. You do a show with Don't Listen to Us with Catherine, your wife, and your son Gideon. Yes. And congratulations on that. And they don't listen to me, so the title is always in operation. How has it been? What have you been learning about yourself and in the process of meeting you? It's great, Amy. It's just great being with your family 24-7, never to break. You know, what more could you have? You know, be at home, work with them. [04:46] Like, you know, my son, you know, just can't get enough of his parents. It's just a total joy 24-7. It's just like being in paradise. Before we get to Claire, just one more time, because I know Gideon will want me to get the log line. How would you describe the podcast? Oh, just the podcast. To describe the podcast is just a podcast. It's indescribable. It's just an extraordinary podcast.

[05:16] wife who I love. I've been with her for 47 years. If I can stay with her for 47 years, you can tune in and stay with her for 47 minutes. And my son, my glorious son, Gideon, it's all his. And then the one mistake is having me at the table as well. [05:33] I am such a humongous fan of your work, Mandy. It meant so much to me that I was talking to you today. And we're talking today to Claire Danes, who I know you absolutely love. [05:46] I had a daughter, it would be Claire. [05:48] Oh, can you tell me where you two first met? We first met in the rehearsal room in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I believe that's where we... [05:59] I think that's where we were, where we had the first read-through of Homeland. [06:04] And I think that's where I think that was the name of the town where we shot the first three seasons. Pretty sure it was Winston-Salem. But I could be wrong. I'm at that age. I don't just look at it. It's the same thing inside my brain. It's just this wiry, gray, white mess up there. And I'm pretty sure I know it was North Carolina. [06:24] Charlotte. No, it was Charlotte, North Carolina. So that's interesting. So you met in rehearsal for the first time. And obviously, I'm familiar with each other's work. What was your first impression of her? Well, I knew she was of the highest pedigree. And so I just... [06:43] was thrilled to be with her. And, um,

[06:46] I knew that I wanted more than anything for her, both as Mandy and the character saw that [06:53] I wanted her to feel safe with me and I wanted her to feel protected by me. [06:59] And I wanted her to trust me. And I knew that was a tall order. But we sat down with our director to just have our first read through. And she finished the first scene. And she said something that I never forgot. I just left. She said, [07:15] Well... [07:17] That was some of the worst shmack thing I've ever done. [07:20] And I never heard that word, schmackting. And I loved it. [07:25] And I never heard her say it again because – [07:28] I think she's brilliant. I even thought she was brilliant when she thought she was schmacking. And so – [07:35] She is as good as they come. You know, in the arena, she's a thoroughbred. [07:43] which leads me to my second thought that I had to offer you. Would you like that or do you want to run this? No, I love – I don't think with you and I that I'm ever going to run anything. I think, Mandy, whenever we're – you're going to be running it. I can shut up. I know. I heard that you wrote down a bunch of questions for her, which I love, because I, too, have so many questions for her. How many do you have on that page? I have – I wrote down 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. [08:13] Great. No, no. Eight. Perfect. I understand why you can buy these questions. Just go to your website. Everything I have is for sale.

[08:26] But I understand why you have all these questions for her, because she is to your point. Thoroughbred is a perfect word, like so incredibly gifted. And also your story tells tells me that she also does not take herself too seriously. [08:43] to be around. She was a kid actor, you know, and the thing is, as you've known from working with kids, [08:49] The magic of them, it's literally magic. They sit there, they play, they play with the other kids, and then the director goes action, and they're there with a believability that if you worked at this craft till the day you die, you would never get to be that good the way these kids are. [09:06] And she's one of the rare ones that took it into adulthood. And she has that. [09:12] She just believes. She just believes. [09:16] in a way that is [09:18] I'm transfixed. [09:19] I had to do the least work in my life. [09:23] because all I would do is just sit and listen to her. You can really feel the love between you two. So let's get to those eight or nine questions. You got it. So the next one that I wrote down. Wait, what was the first one again? Oh, God. I didn't know it was going to be a challenge. The first one. I have no idea what the first one was. What did I say? Okay, okay, forget it. Look at me, will you, Amy? I'm so sorry. You start in the middle. Don't even ask me my name anymore. Just please have a little, you know. [09:53] OK, in Yiddish, it's called Rachmonas. Have some Rachmonas for what you're dealing with here. Regarding her children, I'm very curious because she's married to an exceptional young man, young in my book.

[10:08] and Young and Everybody's book. I would like to know who is better [10:13] in the family at setting boundaries for the children. Ooh. Is it Claire or Hugh? Hugh or Claire, her great actor husband, Hugh Dancy. Now I would like you to ask her something that only she would know. What is Mandy's father's favorite chewing gum? [10:33] That question seems like... [10:37] what you have to answer to get into an exclusive private club. You are right on the money. And how did she commemorate? [10:45] The answer to that gift to me, which was one of the great gifts that I've ever been given. Wow. Oh, here's a good one. [10:55] How often... [10:56] And does she feel she pees, she needs to pee before every take or every scene? Love that. [11:05] It's not a downside. It gives everyone a chance to breathe. We all know that, you know, there's a rest period coming up. [11:13] So, okay. Okay. [11:17] That was it. Okay, these are great. These are great questions. And they all speak to... [11:23] What I'm learning about her and, you know, I've known Claire over the years through friends and loved my time spending my spending time with her. But what I've learned about her is. [11:34] Um, [11:35] She's a really considerate person. She's a very considerate person. She really considers other people. I think it's what makes her a good actress and human in the world. You know, the gift of one of the great gifts of the television series, in my humble opinion, is that you get to be there for a long time and you really get to know each other and you get to know each other's.

[11:54] strengths and also each other's fragilities. And she learned mine. I sort of wear them on my sleeve, but she learned them quickly. And she just took care of me. She knew how to take care of me when I needed holding and when I needed training. [12:11] You know, and she knew how to leave me alone. [12:14] When I needed to leave me alone time. Beautiful. I know she's going to be so excited that we talked. I don't know if she knows this might be a surprise to her. [12:22] I didn't tell her. I saw her at a political event for Mom Donnie, which I was thrilled that she was there. And but I did mention I hadn't known about this at that point. Oh, that's great. I think she's going to be so no idea for me. Happy that we talked. Please take my phone number. I will have it. I'm going to take your phone number and I'm going to call you for advice on a lot. Basically on most things in life. [12:52] person. Thanks, Mandy. Take care. Bye. Have fun. Bye-bye. This episode is brought to you by Visible. Got a resolution to save? Kick 2026 off right with Visible. It's a one-line wireless plan with unlimited data and hotspot for $25 a month, taxes and fees included, all on Verizon's 5G network. It's the ultimate wireless hack to save money and still get great coverage and a reliable [13:22] connection. Now for a limited time, new members can get the Visible plan for just $19 a month for the first 26 months. Ring in the new year with code SWITCH26. Share the savings with a deal that is too good to keep quiet. Switch now at Visible.com. Terms apply, limited time offer subject to change. See Visible.com for plan features and network management details.

[13:52] business a lot. Enneagram? Wait, you're pretending you don't know what the Enneagram is? I know now because of you. Do you know what your number is? I did it last night. Yes! Don't tell me what it is. I want to guess. I too. [14:05] You're an eight? I'm an eight. I'm an eight. I screamed. Oh, my God. I yelled out loud. Freaking out. Yes. Claire Danes just walked in with a balloon. [14:16] By the way, thank you. These are beautiful. Yeah, you're welcome. A beautiful eight balloon. Yeah. I'm going to bring it into frame. Look at that. A gorgeous eight balloon. Yeah. In reference to the fact that we are the same Enneagram number. Well, I didn't know that when I bought the balloon. I just knew that you were an eight. [14:35] girl. Because you do talk about it pretty much. [14:41] This is an intervention and everyone's like, and now you've got the balloon and now shut up about it. It's an eight-ervention. Thank you. You're so welcome. But I was so excited that I get to be your twin eight sister. Listen, if you're going to start with Enneagram, we're going to go because I'm very pleased that you're an Enneagram eight. That makes perfect sense to me. [15:05] Thank you. [15:05] Does it? I don't. I'm very new to this. Did you read the descriptions of it and feel like it was you? Sure. But I also worry that I might just be a little impressionable and, you know, kind of absorb and accept and make it work. Interesting. Well, that's not very eight like, is it? It's not. But perhaps you've got a wing, you know, you can get a wing. I just don't know. I don't know. I'd love to see what your pie chart looked like.

[15:35] I wish you had told me you were taking the test because I would have sent a text that said, send me your pie chart. Send me your. Okay. I'm sure I can find it again. What's your sign? Virgo. Okay. What are you? [15:51] Aries, Virgo, rising. Oh, my God. [15:55] Like... [15:55] Claire, run all of the things. Run all of the things. Do all of the things. Be in charge of all of the things. Do you find yourself to be like a... [16:05] I mean, we know each other, but we don't know know each other. And I've had the pleasure of being around you a lot, a lot. And a humongous fan of your work, of course. Thank you. And we were very excited that you said yes today. And... [16:21] Do you think you're a [16:22] organized person? Like, are you an organized? I've gotten much more organized over time, but I do love the container store. I love the container store. So, [16:33] So much. A good container will change your life. Jenna, why are you laughing, Jenna? Why are you laughing so hard? But, and what I love about when, I love the idea of figuring out what things are. [16:49] What do things mean to you in your life? Because they actually, it's a paradox. Yeah. They don't mean anything and they mean a lot. Yeah. They can be really valuable tools and I think they do carry energy. Yes. Like I really do believe that. And they can transport you. They can be little tiny time machines. Yes. But.

[17:10] Okay, of course you're an organizer. Of course you're Virgo. Of course you're Aries. Of course you're an eight. Claire Danes is here. [17:17] I mean, Claire, if I did not love you already. I mean, the theme of, I feel like the theme of today is... [17:26] I've always felt like you and your work [17:29] were ahead of its time. That's very nice. That's very, very nice. You've always brought me as an artist into worlds that I didn't know I was ready for. You're an intellectually curious person who's interested in interesting things, and therefore you kind of, [17:43] you're drawn to those things, almost like, you know, like the cartoon character when the pie's on the windowsill. Like, I feel that with you. You're drawn to interesting things. I am. That's true. Thank you for saying that. That's actually very, very touching and meaningful that you say that, really. Well, I can sense it from the choices you made as an artist. And, um, I, [18:03] It is like My So-Called Life and Homeland and Temple Grandin and The Beast in Me, like all these projects and the way you're kind of leading us into some... [18:14] new territory always it feels like a new territory for you too which is very exciting of course you're an enneagram eight you're a challenger you're incredible um but um we're i'm sorry that we're the best but we are and i'm sorry to all the other numbers um but but like it [18:31] And I just want to say this as we get this thing started finally, which is you have the ability as an actor to stay in your body and be in your brain. Those are two very hard things to do. Oh, my gosh. This is so nice. Claire, you're so smart. This is so nice. This is so nice. But it's hard to balance those two things, body and brain. And that's why I'm obsessed with the fact that you love to dance. I do love to dance. I love to dance. Me too.

[19:01] me out of my brain. Yeah, yeah. Jinx. Yes. And I don't dance as much as I... I don't dance enough anymore. I had a good wiggle the other night all by myself in my bathroom. I really needed it. And that's where I've seen you probably the most is on the dance floor. Yeah. Well, where our friend Rashida is a pretty great dancer. She's had some parties and we've danced in our pajamas together. Yes. And I feel like there's been some award shows [19:31] regulates, what does it do for you? What does it do for your body? [19:36] Oh God, it's so funny. Well, because it's my son's birthday today. My eldest son, he's turned 13. And it's like a superpower I have. I just like a little tiny wiggle in public. He will cross the street. I can mortify him within a millisecond. And even worse is you stop and go, I'm a good dancer. [20:01] think I'm a good dancer. And they're like, mom, please. Everyone's watching you dance. [20:08] But what does it do for me? Well, I mean, the best is when you enter that like flow state. [20:15] When you, yeah, when it's, when it's, there's no thought and you're just totally synchronized with whatever sound is coming into, you know, through your ears. I love watching toddlers

[20:31] They do that thing. They do the bouncing thing. That's so true. We all do it. And Shae, my baby, she's very kind of in her head and dreamy. And sometimes she'll do this kind of dance. I'm like, that's fabulous. Anyway. How old is she? She's two and a half. Okay. I heard something that's amazing, which is that kids from three to four, three to five, consider them like on mushrooms. Like hallucinogenic mushrooms. Because they're like, the floor is lava. [21:01] And they're like, why do we die? And you're like, whoa, you are tripping. And it's true. That's true. Oh, she's really fun. You are a real dancer. Well, but never, not like a formally trained one. I had this amazing teacher here in the city, a woman named Ellen Robbins. [21:20] She was great. And from the age of four on, I worked... [21:27] I say that like intentionally, it sounds ridiculous because I was a tiny human, but she really took every kid very seriously. And over the course of the year, you would work towards choreographing your own piece and you would choose the theme and the music and... [21:42] I was a moth to flame one year. Yes, I was. There was a lot of that. Closing up and opening again. Finding your light. Little Claire in dance class at four. You are a New York kid. I'm really always interested in kids that grew up in New York. Soho, what was your version of little kid in New York? It was funky. Yeah. And, you know, a little rough. Yeah. I was born in 79.

[22:12] My parents were artists. They moved to the Bowery in the late 60s. And my dad... [22:19] My dad's... [22:20] Uh, mom, uh, [22:22] Claire, who I'm named after, died when he was a kid. And then I guess he kind of had this money finally. And they bought a loft building with another couple that they still own on Crosby Street where I was growing up. So it was, you know, we had a swing. We had a trapeze. I would roller skate. It's kind of how we pictured New York kids to be living. I had some shame about it, too. [22:52] be in a cul-de-sac and have like a basement and carpet on the floor. We forget that when we're little, we don't want to be different, interesting. We don't want to be exactly the same. But it, you know, it was, it was, it was also very cool. And, you know, Basquiat lived in our building and, you know, like, yes. Like, I remember him. I remember being really little and he, you know, he was kind of, he was very sweet. [23:22] Charming. Charming. Yes. And kind of tender. That's what I remember about him in the elevator. Wow. Wow, wow, wow. That's amazing. And Keith Haring was just around. [23:33] Yeah, but there was also... [23:35] Violent. And the mafia still existed. So we were on Crosby and Prince. So just on the other side of Lafayette, that was...

[23:44] the different world and felt quite active. Did you become a vigilant person? [23:51] Are you a vigilant person or a vigilant kid because of... On the street? No, in life. Yeah. Was there some hypervigilance that was created because of that? Yes. Because of New York. And also I have very, like... [24:04] Funky, groovy artist parents. [24:08] Totally. So I, there was a rigidity that developed. Yes, yes. Speaking my language. And like a hyper-absorbance. Yes, for sure. And so you go and... [24:21] Speaking of vigilance and hyperobservance, you were on Law and Order as a young person. I was. How old were you? I was 12. Can you tell me about being on Law and Order? Yeah, it was amazing. It was amazing. And I played a teenage murderer. [24:37] Yeah, my mom was... [24:41] a prostitute, like high end, and her... [24:46] Like, [24:47] Pimp was grooming me to basically do the same thing, but he was kind of presenting himself as a modeling agent. And he was, you know, and I took these photos of me. Typical law and order life fair. And my mom found out about it and she, you know, intercepted and I was... [25:06] furious. And I took the scissors from the dark room and stabbed him. I think that's what it was. God, I would have killed to have been. That was what I wanted to do so bad. Really? Law and Order? Yeah, on Law and Order. I then dated a boy by another guy, a kid, another kid actor. We met an audition who also had been a teen murderer on Law and Order. That was like our cute story.

[25:36] I know. And we have so much good like gear, like swag, law and order swag. We have a giant button that goes dun dun that the kids really, really like. And we do have to hide sometimes. But that show is it's just in. First of all, I just employed so many actors. [26:06] ride the subway like I was gonna be so famous um and um it was fine yeah no it was it was pretty comfortable uh still for me um now you brought up my so-called life when how old were you when you auditioned for that I was 13 when I did the pilot and I was and then it didn't get picked up [26:36] jobs and could afford to send myself to private school. So I went to Dalton. But yeah, then at the very start of my freshman year, we got this call saying, oh, no, they are going to pick it up. So I was only physically there for a semester and then we were off to LA and was kind of tutored from that point on. Now, I mean, I know you've talked ad nauseum about [27:00] the experience you had making that show and, [27:03] It is still so zeitgeisty, that show. It's really... It was a very special...

[27:10] thing. When you were making it, it felt like a special sparkly thing? I remember reading the pilot, I guess, before the audition and just having a very profound experience. And it was really powerful to have some woman, some writer person, so perfectly articulate my internal life. And that was Winnie Holtzman, who you mentioned. [27:40] friend and just a wildly inspired, hilarious, loving person. People should know, like, wrote Wicked. Wicked, yes. Just this little indie called Wicked. Yeah. Yeah. Which is basically about, like, teenage girls, you know, and their intimacies and their friendships. [28:02] Yeah, she's divine. And Winnie was the creator of the show. She was, yes, she was the creator of the show. [28:10] And we were both working so hard. We barely saw each other, but we were, you know, in this very deep relationship, um, [28:21] In our imaginations, you know. Yeah. Did you chemistry read with Jared Leto for? No, no, no, no. He just got hired and then you guys had to kind of get find find the chemistry there. He was like in the Noxzema commercial. That was very exciting. Yeah. Yeah. [28:37] He was so hot. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. He was ridiculous. I'm kidding. He was upsetting. You know, Jordan Catalano has, like, become... And it's also one of those names that's always the full name. Yeah. Jordan Catalano. And there was also a character in the show called Tino that you never saw. Anyway, there were so many... But do you have a theory? Because you know now with perspective, like, what do you think...

[29:00] resonates still with with Angela's like well it's still radical yeah I don't think I think and it remains ahead of this time like why it shouldn't have been made it no it it [29:15] almost wasn't made many times and it just wills itself into existence. I don't know. It's not very often that we spend that much time. [29:27] intimate time. [29:29] with a teenage girl. Yeah. Not really. Yeah. Not really. We're seeing the world from her, from inside of her, and really through her vantage point when she's, and she's, [29:45] so earnestly wrestling with big stuff, you know? [29:51] And it's, yeah, it's just so well-balanced and it's so of her, you know, but it's, [29:59] There are some zingers. There are some really well-crafted lines on that show. You know, I was re-watching that moment, the beautiful moment that is played over and over again on TikTok every day of my life because it's on my FYP, but of when Jordan comes over to Angela and says, can we go somewhere? And you say, sure. And you walk off with him, and he takes your hand in front of everybody. And that feeling of being... [30:26] chosen publicly is a big major, major deal for a young woman and young man. But why the show, I think, separates itself from others is also editorially, we know what all the other characters are feeling in that moment. Like we cut to everyone else's feeling about not being chosen or the wrong person being chosen. Like everyone's having a feeling like we're feeling everybody's

[30:56] pain, psychic pain or joy in that moment. It's so good. That's a very well stated. Yeah. It's well, well analyzed scene. I've watched it way too many times. No, and yes, it was, it was, I feel wildly fortunate that that was my entry point. [31:20] This episode is brought to you by Visible. How many of you are currently listening to this podcast on your phone? If you are chronically online, like we all are these days, your wireless network should be too. With Visible, you get unlimited 5G data and unlimited hotspot, all powered by Verizon's 5G network. The perks of big wireless for half the cost. Visible isn't just a wireless plan, it's unlimited wireless designed to always keep you connected and no contract holding you back. [31:50] Switch today at visible.com. Plans start at $25 a month or get our premium visible plus pro plan and save $10 on your first month when you use promo code hang an exclusive offer for podcast listeners. Terms apply. See visible.com for plan features and network management details. [32:10] This episode is brought to you by L.L. Bean. Yes, I may record this podcast in a studio, but I'll be the first to say that some of the best memories are made outdoors, especially in summer. Long sunny days on the coast, swimming, camping, eating lobster rolls. You just can't beat it. And L.L. Bean has all the clothing and gear you need to make these memories.

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[34:13] And you've worked with... [34:16] What I imagine, only imagine, are really some very... [34:22] interesting, complicated, and maybe at times difficult people at a young age. I project on you that you have to like figure out how to be self-possessed and be your own artist and your own [34:33] you know, like protect yourself and also be among these like really, you know, [34:37] complicated adults. Do you feel like there was some inner Claire thing that helped you navigate all that early stuff? I feel like kids are doing that all the time anyway. Not every kid. Okay. You know, I think this is... I don't know. Also, I remember people, I never felt like a kid. And now that I am a parent and I have actual children, I'm like, yeah, no, I for sure was a kid. There's no... Do you think you're going to... I sometimes think I never felt like a kid either. No. Ever. When I was about eight or nine, I was like, I'm in charge here. [35:07] I did. I was like, these people, like, I just remember being like, no, I'm in charge. My first memory, I don't know if it's real or not, obviously no idea, but was... [35:20] Pre-verbal, I was an infant. I remember where I was. It was by the windows in our loft on Crosby Street, overlooking Lafayette Street. And I had been handed to some other adult that I didn't know very well. And they didn't. [35:37] know how to hold a baby. And I remember having, I'm just like, okay, this is one of those grownups who don't know how to do this. They're uncomfortable. There's nothing I can do about it. I'm just going to have to wait it out. Um, yeah. And then I remember my second, my, yeah, Lou Reed. Um, and then my second memory was being on the kitchen Island and, um,

[36:00] I was just about, I just was starting to have some language, but not quite enough. And I was kind of playing charades with my mom and I wanted to get to the, to the counter, like the other side of the kitchen. And she was really frustrated and she, and I, and I felt such empathy for both of us. And I was like, this cannot continue. Like, I really, really need to crack this language thing because I mean, poor us, this is too hard. [36:30] It was like that always. And people would say like how, you know, it's so remarkable that you can deliver performances at such a young age. I was like, what are you talking about? I feel like I've been here for this. It's been an eternity. Like 11 years is so many years. And it felt very rich. I was like, I've got enough material for four lifetimes. It makes total sense to me because when you're in Little Women and you're dying. [37:00] I was like, she's been here before. We had to reshoot that. I can't. I can't even. Just my side. Because apparently I got too excited about the death rattle. Because, of course, I read like five stages of dying. I like and really studied whatever illness Beth had. Sure. And I got a little carried away. You rattled a little too much. I told this story to Matthew Rhys and he calls me Deathrattle Danes. [37:26] But Gillian Anderson, the director, lied to me.

[37:30] learned this like last year oh literally then said that that coke had spilled on the negatives of the film and that we needed to reshoot oh that's a nice thing to do really because she needed to like like calm the death rattle down a little bit i uh yes so that's a factoid by the time you were 20 you were already in 13 movies [37:53] So that's a few, that's a lot. And you went, I did not know that. Okay. Went to school, went to Yale. What did you study there? I thought I was going to be a psychology major. And then it ended, there ended up being like a lot of lab work involved with that. Um, yeah. [38:10] That's not what I meant. Eventually, I think I would have been, I didn't complete my time and I never had to declare a major. But if I had, I think I would have been an English major, which is what I meant. You know, I didn't, I didn't want it to be, the science part was less interesting to me than the character studies. Do you have a bit of like a sliding doors fantasy that you would be a therapist in another life? [38:40] The best friend in the whole wide world from the age of nine on... [38:43] is a therapist. Congrats. Thank you. I did pretty well. Best friend of the therapist. I chose well at nine. [38:52] And actually, it's really fun. We do kind of play Barbies together with my characters. Like if I'm starting a project, we'll think about it in those kind of formal terms and she'll diagnose her. Yeah, cool. It is. It's actually very handy. Yeah.

[39:10] And occasionally at lunch, like I'll see her kind of, it'll be doodly-doodly. I see her shift from Arielle, you know, into Thera. And she'll ask, she'll say... [39:21] is it okay if I, you know, go into actual formal therapy mode with you now? I'd be like, yes, please. So, so yeah, I, I, I mean that, [39:33] So, okay. So I'd wanted to be an actor from the age of five onwards. So [39:39] And then... [39:40] People would tell me, you know, most actors actually don't make that much money. It's a fairly insecure career choice. And continues to be. And I had a practical side. And I thought, okay, all right, fine. I'm going to be a therapist and I'm going to... [39:56] live in the suburbs. I was going to live next door to Ariel. We were going to share a pool and we would have two slides in our respective yards that would go into the same pool. I would be a therapist and do acting workshops. Yes. To like nourish the soul. [40:10] And that was my plan for a good year. And I made an actual announcement one night at the dinner table. And I said, look, guys, who am I kidding? There is no plan B. I am an actor. Money or no [40:26] my calling. And my parents like, uh-huh, sure. I was so serious. It's ridiculous. [40:37] But I love that person. That person's making a declaration. And I really meant it. And I went to, you know, I took Saturday acting classes at Lee Strasburg, which is in my neighborhood. And I pass almost every day and it's a total trip. But yeah,

[40:56] class. [40:57] was a graphic design class. Ooh. My very favorite class. And then I thought, oh, maybe if I were an actor, I would be a... [41:06] that kind of person, a graphic designer. I can see that. I can see all of these things. Like what I... [41:11] like love about your work is that it feels, and again, it just feels like when you're watching you work, that there's just real life that exists in your life. Like you have a real life. You're a real person, same real person. And then, so then when we're watching you play people, when you're, they feel like real people, there's just a little bit, you just kind of can't explain it. People have it or they don't, or they feel like they've actually existed on the earth and had a real [41:41] and people that [41:44] are kind of, um, [41:45] in a, just a different sphere of, I don't know. And I, [41:51] There's something that feels, uh, [41:54] Like you have taken care of other parts of your life. It was good for me to do that. I really needed a timeout. Yeah. I needed to not have so much responsibility. [42:08] And I needed to like fuck around a little bit and like get stoned and play Mario Kart. Right. [42:16] That doesn't need to go away. That was as important as, you know, the work I was doing in class, which was also really, really wonderful. And I also felt like.

[42:29] I'm validated as a thinking person. I feel like you've spoken about the kind of wonderful things about perspective and getting older. What's the best thing about being the age you are? That it's perfectly okay to have the same breakfast every morning, to exercise for 45 minutes to an hour. How's your bone density? I don't know, and I should know, and I don't lift enough weights. Nobody ever does. We have to lift so many weights. [42:59] I like lifting my own body weight. I really like yoga these days, but it's not enough. Apparently, you have to lift actual iron. And you run. You're a big runner. I used to run more. The third pregnancy really kind of put a dent in the running. So for people who don't know, you had a pregnancy a few years ago. Yeah. Kind of a surprise. Ooh. Whoa. Out of the blue. That, whoa. Did you burst into tears like, oh, no, I have to be pregnant again? Yes, totally. Yeah. I called my OBGYN in convulsive tears. [43:29] Yeah. Yes. No, it was a pure, like it was all meltdown. Oh, no. Because you had what, like a 12-year-old or like a 10-year-old and a 6-year-old or something? Yes. I mean, he must have been around 11, 12. Yeah. They're five years apart, each kid. None of this was by design. But yeah. [43:51] Yeah, I didn't know it was physically possible. I was 44. And actually, Rowan was very hard-earned. I had to do two rounds of IVF. It just was so unlikely. So this is a funny story that I'm going to share about my best friend. Okay.

[44:09] And this is Arielle? This is Arielle. Okay, Arielle. She gets name-checked a lot in these things. Well, she is your therapist. And she's other people's therapist, too. I would like her to be mine. I've just ruined her career. I'd like her to be mine. But, yeah, so we had this, like, spa day scheduled, and I admitted to her. And I wasn't coping very well with the heat. I was like, I'm sorry I'm such a pussy. I've got to get out of here. Anyway, and so I wasn't going to say anything, [44:39] I was like, you know, I totally lost my mind last night and just decided that I was pregnant. I went down this crazy rabbit hole. [44:48] And finally, like, looked up, what are the odds of naturally conceiving at 44? And they're like... [44:56] less than 1%. And I was like, so that obviously is ridiculous. And she said, [45:02] Whoa, that's really weird because I had this dream last week that it was really vivid and [45:11] And I told people about it. I mean, I didn't say it was you, but I had this dream where I was pregnant and I looked down and I saw my distended belly and I said, oh, wait, but this is... [45:22] I really... [45:24] This isn't my torso. This is a long torso. This is... [45:27] Claire's torso. You have a great torso. Thank you. But, yeah. She was in... She had this dream where she looked down and saw that she was pregnant, but she wasn't pregnant.

[45:39] She was in my pregnant body. And then the, you know, I had two strong cocktails when we had dinner. And then first thing in the morning hit the CVS and it was just like, [45:49] bold cap locks, you know? Yeah. Pregnant! And I burst into tears. Because for me, the thing would just be like, you know what you know now. You know what you're in for. Well, that was deeply humbling. Yeah. Because I realized, oh, I am not authoring this thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. This is really, this is the illusion that I am authoring. [46:18] like driving this thing. Yes. So you had to surrender. I really did. Yeah. And then this beautiful girl emerged and she's the best and none of it was up to me and I'm just delighted. Yeah. But she was disruptive. We had to move. It was a thing. It was a lot of work. Well, it's interesting. Like her origin story will be, I bet, will just like naturally be like, [46:48] about it. She's having a great time. Yeah. Unequivocally like into this living business. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I it is. That's the thing about I think about the best and worst thing about late 40s for me, mid 50s is you kind of know the deal. So it's like, OK, OK, OK,

[47:10] That's going to be this. Uh-huh. And okay, this one's going to hurt. Yeah. Or, you know, there's still stuff to discover, certainly, but there is a sense of... [47:24] established and [47:27] you know, [47:29] Yeah. [47:31] It realized, like, and set. Well, you've experienced, it's basically you've experienced, [47:38] You've come through things and you've made it. You've made it through something. Yeah. And there's a lot of, I don't know, [47:48] power in that and joy in that. And it's also sad because I'm really, really aware of time now. Me too. It's really like the thing I crave. I crave time is my time as a thief. Yeah. And it's, and it's, it's, it's actually, and I'm sure you're this way too, more and more with work or with any project, it's the thing I care about the most. How much, you know, it makes me think about your [48:18] was a 10-year commitment. Yeah, yeah. A lot of time. A lot of time. And hard work. Yeah, it was. Hard work. And we were all over the planet. Like, we were in so many different countries. And I had two kids. Yes. And I was, like, fighting terrorists while deeply pregnant. I know. It was weird. Did you have a thing, like, you liked to do on that show when you saw on the call, you were like, oh, today I get to do this. You know, because, like, it was like today.

[48:48] And, you know, maybe it was like today I get to. It was cool that after a while, like, you know, a few seasons in, people knew Carrie Matheson. And every, it was almost like an anthology series. Like we would reimagine ourselves every year. But, you know, so a new set of actors, you know, I'd walk into a room and they would like get quiet and be chastened. And I like had this power that, you know, I had earned over seasons, you know. And that was pretty fun. [49:18] Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, and never have I ever had that experience in my life, nor will I ever again, even in a fictional realm, you know. But that was like amazing to have that kind of swagger. Yes. Yeah. And what was that? What was hard to shoot? Like, was it like, I mean, just like balancing life, I'm sure, and traveling all over because it shot everywhere. It shot all over. [49:48] That's a spoiler alert, Claire. I remember. So it was also like really rough, just really graphic. Like they really went there. Like, come on. Intense. It was so intense. But like he dies on a crane. I know. But then the crane, when we were filming, broke. Oh, no. So like we were really hung up by that. Oh, no. But I don't know.

[50:18] That was in, where did we shoot that? That was in Morocco. But yeah, so the first three seasons, we were mostly in Charlotte, North Carolina, which was standing in for DC. And then we would make these jags, like we would shoot a month in Israel or Morocco or something. Yeah. But then when we had to really redefine the show in a more macro way, we then became this traveling show. [50:42] enterprise. So we were shooting in [50:46] in Cape Town for half a year, which was standing in for Palestine and Afghanistan. The next year, we were, where were we? There was a year in Berlin, then a year in New York, which, yeah, that was kind of, that was actually very strange to be home and weirdly stressful because like people expected me to go to dinner. Like my friends were like, you're here, let's hang out. And I was like, I am working so hard. I have to get tied up and beat up tomorrow. [51:16] of my life. There was something nice about being on location and just being allowed to like give myself entirely to it because I didn't have any energy to spare. Yeah. That was actually weird. That was the weird... [51:27] Almost the hardest season because I kept like, you know, there was this illusion that I was living my life and I couldn't. Yes, yes. And then where were we? Then we were, I don't even, then it was a full year in Morocco. Wow. What's Morocco like? Never been. Pretty great. I was nervous about spending so much time there and I grew to really love it. Cyrus went to school in all these places too.

[51:57] ate it [51:58] at every meal every day for six months at this school. [52:04] That must be very cool for him to have his memories of traveling around. Yeah, I wonder what he, you know, what he can consciously recall. I think that he was like five or six. So maybe quite a bit. So six that he could. Yeah. He also, his first school that he went to was in Berlin, and he was around three. And he started to have temper tantrums like half in German. [52:28] And he would scream, nine, nine. And he'd be like, whoa. Suddenly this is a lot scarier in this language. [52:39] And he would, around that time, like when we would come home and we'd be at the playground at Washington Square Park, he would toddle over to other tiny people and say, hi, my name is Silas. I speak English. Because it was like not a given that another person would do. Does he speak another language? Nine. [52:58] you know, put a chip in my brain and be able to speak in a different language. Oh, same. [53:03] Battenfly. [53:05] Yeah, fly. I mean. Yeah. Yeah. But the language almost feels like it has the same thrill level. And you know what I love about speaking other languages is you have to do like a version, like a funny, you almost, you have to move your body and your face in a version that feels different. [53:23] insulting it feels stereotypical but you have to to get the language right well there is that kind of yes you do and you or if you're italian you have to gesticulate or like there's all these different things like there's a reason why people move the way they do getting back to movement yes i love learning dialects for this reason because i look i think

[53:45] Humans are humans and, you know, it is mostly a universally shared experience, whatever that is. But it's also true that there are real things. [53:56] differences and we go we do like see the world through these slightly different these different filters and it does shape us and inform us and that is also kind of well i'm really into that those kinds of differences again without appropriating them or getting them wrong but because we are in a monoculture now everything is the same now so now it's like i'm like whoa the way you express this thing or the way you like language still feels sometimes like a way of [54:26] I delight in the ways that we're not the same anymore because everything is the same. Every fucking store is in the same city. And it's also kind of sad that we're not, I mean, that is what we do, you and I do. And I think a lot of different. Well, I don't do. Well, you do. You totally do. You imagine yourself as being a different person. True, but dialects are their own real, I mean, that's real acting. [54:56] Claire? No, I can't just, I can't just riff though. Like I'm this person. If I have a good [55:04] I'm coach. I'm all about it. Do you like to improvise when you act? I haven't had that many opportunities to. Oh, interesting. I guess in more dramatic stuff, it's hard to do, right? They don't let you. They're very strict about it. Because they're on the crane. They're like, he's up on the crane. You can't. And you're like, just give me. I just want to riff.

[55:25] Yeah. Crane work is pretty strict. [55:29] But no, I don't know. I would be really intimidated by that, actually. [55:34] I think you'd be so good. That seems scary. I mean. I did one episode of Portlandia, and they did give me pages, and then they disappeared. They were like, don't look at those. Yeah, and I was like, but wait, I learned them. And they were like, oh, sorry. You should have known that. And they were like, you know what? We're just going to do it as we want to do it in the moment, and I wanted to vomit. [56:04] It's like, oh, preparation is... [56:07] This this thing that people do now, it's this thing. It's this thing that when people bring it to the process and someone says, like, and also, let's try this. It's hard to not feel like, wait, wait, wait. [56:20] what, what are we doing? Like it's a, it's, it is a learned skill to just assume that things aren't wrong. If we are not doing what we prepare. Yes. I mean, I am, I mean, I'm ridiculous. I mean, I'll go to the writer and say, is it okay if I like put the comma here rather than there? And they're like, don't come to me with this bullshit. I'm sorry. But I think actually, because I started as such a, [56:45] young age, my socks are still up to my knees a little bit. You know, like there's still that like [56:51] little girl who's just wanting to do a good job. I don't know if that's because I was actually a little, like a literal, literal, little girl, say that five times when I began, or maybe that's just in me and would have been if I started at 30, but I don't know. Yeah. You do such a good job. Thank you. You're so good at your job. You are so good at your job. And I love listening to your show. I listen to it a lot. Thanks. I heard that you love podcasts. I love podcasts. Me too. But

[57:21] have one of the very best ones. Oh my God. Thanks. And it's, it's, um, it's, it's really wonderful. And yeah, really speaking of wonderful, we do a thing on this podcast where we talk to someone who knows our guest. We talked to Mandy Patinkin. Mandy, Mandy, who I saw the other night. I hadn't seen him for a long time. You guys were celebrating mom Donnie together. I mean, he is his, I mean, you could tell in the show, but I also loved knowing [57:51] you had. It felt very paternal, very respectful. There was a lot of love there. I love him madly, truly, deeply. And also he's just an amazing person to act with. How come? Okay. I love [58:08] He's very musical. [58:10] But this was a weird thing. In the first read-through, we barely met each other, and... [58:17] it [58:18] just like the music worked, you know, my cadence and his cadence were in really good harmony with each other. And that was like, can't, can't, nobody can take credit for that. That was just really good fortune. And, you know, I played this manic person. I'm almost like getting into it now that you're saying, I'm thinking about it. So she's like a stone skipping, you know, on the water. [58:48] so steady and is her ballast and, you know, this counterpoint, um,

[58:53] Yeah. Well, he adores you. He calls you a thoroughbred. Oh, well, thanks. He's just a really, really, really good performer. I don't quite know how he does what he does, but it was also always fun to see him at the gym, the hotel gym or whatever weird apartment complex we were living in, like singing his Yiddish songs, prepping for his tour, like on a Stairmaster. Right. It's just, it's. Also, I just love a big man. Yes. I do. Yes. I love a big man. [59:23] love feeling small. Like in relationship, do you know the, like the idea of like big and small? No. Which is basically like some days you want to feel big and some days you want to feel small. So some days you want to be like, I'm going to take us, get us to the airport. I'm in charge of whatever. I'm big today. And other times you're like, I want to be small today. And it's like being taken care of, but also can just kind of feel physical. Like sometimes when you're like at, you know, I don't know, you're bossing it up all day at work, you want to come home and feel [59:53] do that with you. It's like CEOs who go to the doms. Exactly. It's a sub-dom thing. Those are all Mandy's questions. No, I'm just kidding. Mandy wants to know, are you... Okay, so he had 10 questions for us. That's a lot. We can't get to them. That's a lot of questions. Mandy had 10 questions? Yeah, he really over-prepared which was very nice, but also he couldn't get on the Zoom and he was eating when he was on the Zoom too. It was like mixed messages. [1:00:18] He was eating the latkes that he had made. He was eating a delicious

[1:00:23] raisin bagel, I believe, with some other stuff on it. And it looked delicious. He likes peanut butter on an apple too. Oh, that's a great snack. That's a great set snack. Okay. So you had a couple of questions. Who is better at setting boundaries for the kids? You or Hugh? Oh, goes [1:00:47] wants to wear shorts he's like a gaffer all the time there's a whole thing do you you're not on tiktok i'm sure no oh congratulations but um there's a whole thing about middle school kids always wearing shorts it makes me so upset let it go i'm here to tell you my boys are older let them freeze their buneroonies off don't say one thing don't f don't mention a coat okay so [1:01:17] shorts. Hugh is more team-spirited than I'm probably Amy. Fifty or below, you have to wear pants. Yeah, sorry, pants. Okay, got it. And now, Hugh is, like, kind of being more permissive, and that number went down to 40. Yeah, there's a whole, literally a whole scientific thing about middle school kids waiting for the bus. By scientific, I mean it's on TikTok. About kids waiting for the bus with shorts. [1:01:47] school. It's a whole thing. Okay, whatever. And they run hot and they're not going to get a cold from the cold. You know that. And just let them do it. Okay. They will grow out of it, I promise. Then they'll become obsessed with like sweats and sleeping and being warm and they'll always be freezing. Yeah, okay. Alright. It's just a warm period. I got that.

[1:02:07] My family thanks you. Okay. But I actually think that Hugh and I are pretty... [1:02:12] We're very lucky. Like, we're well-matched humans. And I think our parenting styles are pretty... [1:02:21] level and equal as well. Love that. That's good. You guys are a really, really special couple. Thank you. He's a swell dude. Yeah, you can tell. And you can tell you have a lot of love and a lot of like for each other. Both those things are important. We do. And so many children now. Yeah. So many. They're outnumbered. Okay, Mandy's next question. And now Mandy's referring to [1:02:51] father's favorite chewing gum? Oh, it's the black licorice. Oh, I embroidered something for him. That's what he was asking. How did you commemorate? Because he would chew it as saw. And I think he mentioned at one point that, but I'm forgetting the name of the brand. Did it come like in a tin? Blackjack. Blackjack. Blackjack was the gum. Was the kind of gum. Okay. And you embroidered something. [1:03:21] I went... [1:03:22] hard on the embroidery for a while. Let's talk about this embroidery. You embroider, do you [1:03:27] There was a point when I embroidered everything around me. I embroidered an umbrella. That was weird. So my mom taught me, and it started because in my 30s, I was away from my friends, and everybody was having babies, and I was really missing them. And so I embroidered onesies from my friends' babies. I embroidered their name and then an image that related to the name somehow. Yeah.

[1:03:53] But it was really more about just communing with them. Embroidery by hand. Yes. Okay. And we started with the onesies, and then it just, then it went haywire. It's a great onset activity. Yes. And I did it a lot more before I had children. And I also found the contrast amusing and enjoyable, like that I would be fighting terrorists as Carrie, and then I would go back to my seat and embroider. Knitting or crocheting, do you do that? [1:04:23] And then that didn't take. So I embroider onesies for, of course, all of my kids. And I have one for Shay, this third child. [1:04:33] She doesn't wear onesies anymore. I've missed that chance. It's okay. I'm confessing. I'm actually confessing to you. You know, I mean, what are we supposed to do? Half done. You know. Anyway. You've done it all. Okay. I mean, no more. You got to start giving us. I don't know. [1:04:51] That's what I tell every woman. And then I want to talk about the beast in me. Okay. Because... [1:04:58] I love the fact that you are producing on this, and I want to know what that experience has been like producing. I loved it. It was just really fun. [1:05:07] Like, [1:05:08] you know, [1:05:09] hire people who I admired and trusted. And you have a, I mean, you, like you said, you've been producing probably, you've been producing without credit for a long time and you've been producing and seeing, you've been on sets for a long time and you're realizing like, oh, I want to, I want, I want to bring my system here. Yeah. And that first week I was just, I was, I just had a blast. I was really like, I like everybody here. And I realized,

[1:05:39] Yeah, and it was so nice to like, [1:05:42] I don't know, not be surprised by the home that suddenly I was discovering on the first day of filming. Like I got to have a say on what that house would actually be. And yeah, I really enjoyed it. And it was just like, [1:05:59] a lot of zoom calls and that's okay. Um, but they were conversations I wanted to have and be a part of. And yeah, so it's on this next gig, I'm more of an actor for hire. So you're playing neurosurgeon and can we talk about the pit? [1:06:12] Sure. Because you love it. I do love it. Well, Noah Wiley. [1:06:17] I mean, Noah Wiley. Okay. Did you watch ER when it was on? No, but I would think it was a little too little. Yeah. It was on maybe while I was shooting My So-Called Life. Is that right? Right. [1:06:27] I don't know. Maybe I'm getting that timing wrong. But yeah, I was aware of it, but I didn't watch it. But no, he feels so credible. And I really think all those hours he put in as a TV doctor have accrued. And he has a kind of gravitational, you know, gravity now. [1:06:57] It's so nice to watch excellent TV. Love. Love. You've made excellent TV. Thank you. But I enjoy watching excellent TV. It's my favorite thing to watch. TV are better than movies. Sorry. TV is better than movies. I love movies, too. Movies are very special. I'm a little worried about movies. I really am a little bit worried about movies. Well, they've got to get their shit together. I'm just kidding. I love movies. I love movies. I love it all. Is there anything that you watch? I know you are a big listen to podcasts.

[1:07:27] Yes. Okay. [1:07:29] I know you ask this sometimes, so I had a prepared answer. [1:07:35] You're the only person that's ever prepared. I want you to know this. Of course, Claire. But is it, okay, Tim Robinson. Yes. So there's this one sketch from the show. Which one? Focus group. Incredible. You just got an O. You just got an O. We watch this all the time in our family. [1:07:59] Well, so all the kids are allowed to watch this. So Cyrus... [1:08:03] So we tuck the little guys in, and then we have, like, special mature viewing hour. And it started with, like, The Simpsons. Oh, The Simpsons is always the gateway. Only murderers in the building, OMIB, which is basically Scooby-Doo for grownups. And it's great. And then Hugh, English husband, introduced him to Monty Python and stuff. He got really into that. Yes. [1:08:33] of this focus group. His latest show, which is The Chair Company. Yeah, which there was a [1:08:42] So not safe for work. I mean, the whole genius of the show is that it takes you in very quickly to places that you are not prepared for. So we're all like cuddling in bed. And then there is this giant erect penis. And he says, close your eyes. Everybody close your eyes.

[1:09:08] Close your eyes. [1:09:12] we all yeah it was intense we're still recovering it was intense yeah but it was great so we do love that show I think that like [1:09:24] What Claire, what I understand why you would like this, because number one, I think you are a [1:09:30] Like I've known you to be a very fun, funny, and like comedy. You love comedy. I do. Yeah. And you have good taste. Thanks. And... [1:09:40] There's a tiny bit of a disruptor in you that I imagine is fun to watch. Yes, I think you're right. And the other thing that we've been watching is the latest South Park. [1:09:50] Oh, yeah. What? They're just saying the thing. Just a chicken in a henhouse. No, it's a fox in a henhouse. I didn't get that right. [1:10:03] Chicken in a henhouse. Thank you for that. Well, thank you. This was amazing. This was really nice. This is so fun. Birthday present to me. No one's ever brought me a balloon. Thank you for bringing a balloon. And again, for people that are sick of me talking about the Enneagram, I don't know what to say. [1:10:20] But let me just read you this as we wrap up and see if any of these land. These are things that annoy an Enneagram 8. Are you ready? Sure. [1:10:28] People who talk just to talk. That's very annoying. Same. That is deeply annoying. And I have a podcast. But, yes, people who talk just to talk. Fake people. Oh! Beyond. I mean, I'm like, I literally, if someone's like, I'm a piece of shit or whatever, I'm like, okay, great. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But fake? No way, babe. People who aren't on time.

[1:10:53] I have to have some tolerance for that because I am not the. Same. I was late today. Yeah. [1:10:58] Jenna's always the most punctual person. And then this one really scratches an itch for me. Others asserting power in a situation where they have none. [1:11:09] So I went through a period in junior high where I became like a vigilante. And I would like rough, I would like confront the bullies. A's hate bullies. Yeah, really. [1:11:28] like I hit a bully. [1:11:34] I hit a bully. [1:11:37] That's exciting. And we've talked through it, the bully and I. And actually, we made some progress. And then he was so deferential to me and so, and he would open doors like he was really, you know. But I had to stop that because... [1:11:56] It was like going on my record. [1:12:00] But yes, I mean, so I think I, yes, that, that, [1:12:04] that [1:12:06] That makes sense that there would be an eight impulse. I am afraid to see that I stand up to bullies and that everybody sees it. [1:12:11] Like that's my like embarrassing fantasy that I stick up for people in public. So there was a bully in elementary school and I admitted to my mother at one point that like my self-soothing fantasy, there'd be a circle of people and this boy and I were at the center of it and I was just beating the shit up.

[1:12:37] And I was like, is that okay to have that fantasy? She was like, your thoughts are your own. [1:12:41] Enjoy them. [1:12:44] I want a great answer. Which was a nice bit of mothering there. What a nice bit of mothering there. Yeah, really. And we've come full circle back to New York, back to the apartment. It did help. It was nice. Yeah. I could talk to you forever, Claire. I could too. Thank you. Thank you so much. It was so fun. [1:13:02] Thank you so much, Claire Danes. That was so fun. I could have talked to you forever. And you're so interesting and smart and funny. [1:13:11] Um, so thanks so much for that time. And for, for, uh, the polar plunge today, I guess I just want to remind everybody how good law and order is, especially the first 10 seasons. [1:13:21] OK, just go back and watch. Find Claire as the young, you know, child maniac and just go back. And here's a little tip. Whoever you recognize, they did it. [1:13:36] So it's a young actor just starting out. They're the murderer. So take that tip with you and go check out a little show called Law and Order. I can't get enough of it. [1:13:51] things that I'm going to fill you in on when you take the time to listen to The Polar Plunge. So thanks so much for listening and see you soon. Bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paper Kite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, and Alea Zanaris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green,

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