Claire Danes did not expect this at 44 and says she completely broke down

Claire Danes has revealed she completely broke down after unexpectedly learning she was pregnant with her third child at the age of 44, describing the moment as overwhelming and entirely unplanned.

The actress opened up about the experience during a recent appearance on comedian Amy Poehler’s podcast, where she reflected on discovering she was expecting at a stage in life when she believed it was no longer physically possible.

Danes said her reaction was immediate and intense, explaining that she called her obstetrician while crying uncontrollably. She described the moment as a full emotional meltdown and said the news left her stunned.

She noted that each of her children is nearly five years apart and said her age played a major role in why the pregnancy felt so destabilising. Danes explained that her second child had been conceived after two rounds of IVF, which made the third pregnancy even harder to process.

The actress, who shares three children with her husband, actor Hugh Dancy, has previously spoken about the emotional complexity of becoming pregnant in her mid-40s. In an earlier interview, she admitted she did not think pregnancy was possible at that point in her life.

Danes said she initially struggled with feelings of embarrassment and shame after learning she was expecting, partly due to her age and partly because the pregnancy was unplanned. She described feeling as though she had crossed an invisible boundary and said the experience forced her to confront long-held expectations around motherhood.

She and Dancy are parents to two sons and a daughter. Their eldest son was born in 2012, followed by their second son five years later. Their daughter was born in July 2023.

Danes said raising a teenager and a toddler at the same time has been intense and disorienting, but also deeply grounding. She also revealed that she had expected her third child to be another boy and was surprised to learn she was having a daughter.

Danes and Dancy met in 2006 while working together on the film Evening and married in 2009.