Homeland star Claire Danes has revealed the shock she felt after discovering she was expecting her third baby with husband Hugh Dancy when she was 44 years old
08:56, 28 Jan 2026Updated 08:58, 28 Jan 2026
Claire Dance and Hugh Dancy have been married since 2009(Image: Variety via Getty Images)
Claire Danes has revealed her overwhelming reaction to discovering she was pregnant with her third child aged 44. The actress, who was already a mum-of-two, admitted that she called her Obstetrician Gynaecologist in “convulsive tears” after finding out the news.
Now 46, the Homeland star confessed she “didn’t know it was physically possible” at her age to fall pregnant, saying “none of this was by design”.
Claire gave birth to her baby girl, Shay, in 2023. Her and husband Hugh Dancy also share sons Cyrus, 13, and Rowan, seven. And she admitted that the thought of having her daughter made her “terrified” after previously going through two rounds of IVF before having Rowan.
READ MORE: Meghan Markle critics are all saying the same thing after her film premiereREAD MORE: Katie Price ‘not really married’ to Lee Andrews as wedding truth ‘revealed’
Hugh Dancy and Claire Danes(Image: Getty Images)
The pair are parents to three kids(Image: Getty Images for TIME)
Speaking to Amy Poehler on her Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast, Claire said: “I was so old when that happened [her pregnancy with Shay].” But she said all turned out okay.
She went on to to explain feeling shame at the time. “Like I was naughty,” she said. “Iād been caught fornicating past the point I was meant to.
“It was weird, and it was like I found an edge that I hadnāt been quite conscious of. I was going outside of the parameters a little bit,ā she continued. āThat was wild.”
She also revealed her daughter’s name on the podcast for the first time. “I love watching toddlers dance, when they jump [and] do the bouncing thing,ā she said.
“And Shay, my baby, she’s very in her head and dreamy and sometimes she’ll do this kind of [head-swaying] dance. I’m like, āThat’s fabulous.ā She’s really fun.”
Claire shot to worldwide fame starring opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet(Image: Publicity Picture)
She had previously revealed her son’s reaction to finding out she was pregnant with baby number three. She said he was opposed to the idea.
Opening up on his apparent suggestion, she revealed he told her: “When it comes out of your tummy, we’ll give it to a family that doesn’t have a baby because we’re done.”
Claire and her husband, 50, tied the knot in 2009. The English actor is best known for his role as David Copperfield in the TV film adaptation of the same name. He has also played a role in movies such as Black Hawk Down and Hannibal.
In a 2013 interview with People, Claire gushed over her husband. She said: “Hugh was just the right partner for me. I got very, very lucky. There’s only so much credit you can take when it just sort of works, you know?”.
Claire had previously dated Billy Crudup after starring together in Stage Beauty. The two remain on good terms 20 years on from their split. In 2015, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.