Claire Danes Stuns Fans by Admitting Her Beloved Hit Drama “Shouldn’t Have Been Made”

Claire Danes is looking back on one of her most famous roles with a surprising take. The actress recently said that her breakout TV show, My So-Called Life, was never meant to survive in the TV world it entered.

Danes shared her thoughts during a new episode of the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast. The show, which aired in the mid-1990s, followed a teenage girl named Angela Chase and focused deeply on her thoughts, fears, and daily struggles.

Danes said that kind of storytelling was rare at the time, especially on network television. It’s still radical. It’s ahead of its time. It shouldn’t have been made, she said, explaining that the series nearly fell apart several times before it even reached the screen.

She explained that what drew her to the role was the honesty of the writing. Reading the script left a strong impact on her. It was really powerful to have someone so clearly put my inner life into words, she said on the podcast. Danes also praised the show’s creator, Winnie Holzman, for telling the story from inside the mind of a teenage girl. We’re seeing the world from her point of view, and she’s dealing with big things in a very real way, Danes added.

Danes and Holzman are now working together again. Reports from early 2025 confirmed they are teaming up on a new drama for HBO called The Applebaum Curse. Danes will star in the series and also serve as an executive producer.

Holzman is writing the show and leading it creatively. Holzman previously said the project is not a reboot, but working with Danes again feels connected to their past work. Claire and I together again would be its own version of that, she said.

Both women have stayed busy in recent years. Danes has continued to work steadily in television and film, while Holzman has been involved in major movie projects, including the Wicked films. Their reunion has sparked interest from longtime fans who still hold My So-Called Life close.

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