After a failed relationship, Claire Danes wanted to stay single. Then she met Hugh Dancy. She
wasn't sure he was the one. So she put her feelings to the test. Clair did something
so crazy; it made her realize what had been infront of her the whole time.
The couple has now been married for 15 years, but their relationship hasn't
been short of any challenges, and they even had to spend years apart.
Stay tuned, Juicers, because we're going to take a deep dive into Clair and Hugh's
relationship and everything they've had to do to make their marriage work,
including having some strict rules and maintaining their privacy.
Claire and Hugh had the typical Hollywood first meet - on a film set, of course. The pair were
introduced when they both starred in the 2007 film "Evening," and from what they've each said,
it sounds like they fell in love pretty fast — and they didn't try very hard to keep it a secret.
Their co-star Mamie Gummer shared, "I was there when it was happening and it's something that
I will never forget. I'm incredibly happy for them. They are perfect for each other."
But even though the new couple was quickly smitten with one another,
Clair had some reservations. She had just gotten out of a serious relationship,
and while she was pretty taken with Hugh, she didn't want to jump from one relationship into
another one. In fact, she had to make sure that dating Dancy was the right decision.
She confessed that before she officially committed to dating Hugh, she went and had
a one-night stand with someone else. And it was after what she described as a "palate cleanser"
that she had the eye-opening moment. She realized that Dancy was, in fact, the one for her, and she
didn't want to waste any more time with anyone else, and her time as a single person was over.
She recalled having a crystal-clear moment that she understood,
"Oh shit! I think I'm going to marry this person," She thought of Dancy.
And Hugh knew all about it. She told him about her one-night stand, and in an interview years later,
Dancy joked, "I can only say that I'm
really glad my wife chose to have a one-night stand with an inadequate lover."
During another interview, Clair shared a little secret about the moment she knew
Dancy was the one for real, and it's just as adorable as you think it will be. As she said,
"I had an ornament-making party for Christmas, and he helped organize it.
Then he made an ornament of cowboy paper dolls, and I thought, 'and he crafts?' That was it."
From that moment on, Claire knew he was the one. The two quietly dated until the
actress confirmed their relationship while she was on David Letterman in June 2007.
"Hugh and I met in Rhode Island when it was at its most audaciously beautiful, in the fall. And
there was one day when we were bicycling by the water and it was sparkly and idyllic, and I just
had this dumb epiphany, like, 'I'm really just happy.'" She gushed about their first meeting.
They decided to make things official in 2009 when they married in secret,
low-key ceremony in France with just their families and a few close friends
in attendance. They kept most of the details of their wedding pretty private,
but one of their reps confirmed the news, and fans couldn't have been happier for the newlyweds.
The couple did their best to maintain their privacy, but it didn't stop them from sharing
a few snippets of what married life was like for them. The actress shared, "Marriage is wonderful.
It's challenging, and ... it just keeps getting deeper." She also added that her Marriage with
Dancy made her feel safe, and it comes with a few bonuses. She trusted him, admired him,
and always wanted to make out with him. She felt like the luckiest woman in the world.
She also compared her husband to characters on a popular television show.
"He is a gentleman. 'Downton Abbey'-esque? I guess. He was raised well, went to great schools,
he's a clever guy, and he makes me giggle ... I scored. I lucked out, big-time."
The actress also explained that all relationships take work, but she was so relieved to have found
the right person to live side-by-side with. She said, "I find it very freeing to know that, OK,
it takes constant nurturing and attention, but I can also stop looking for The One."
Claire also shared that there were parts of their Marriage that weren't so easy at first.
"I keep learning more things about him and myself, and that's not always comfortable."
For his part, Dancy sings just as many praises for his wife and how much he loves her work.
During an interview, he revealed that he couldn't get enough of how dedicated Claire
is to her work and everything else that she does. "She tries to be very honest, without artifice,
in what she does. And it is hard to do that and be interesting and create something big."
But their Marriage wasn't short of its challenges. In fact, because of their work,
the couple had to spend quite a few years apart while filming in two different locations.
Hugh was busy working on the show "Hannibal" in Toronto,
and Claire was living in North Carolina while she was filming "Homeland." The distance took such a
toll on their Marriage that the actress said it was not something she would ever want to repeat.
Claire confessed, "That was tough. That distance is corrosive, and I'm just bad at it. And I don't
particularly want to get good at it." If their time apart taught them anything, it was that they
preferred being together, and they needed to make as much effort as they could to make that happen.
Thankfully, Hugh was cast in a role on "Homeland" for its final season. Though
they never got to shoot any scenes together, they were relieved to finally be living in the
same city and working in the same space. Even if one of them had the day off, the other would come
and watch them on set just so that they could spend time together and watch each other work.
Clair shared, "I didn't have a single scene with him, but on my days off, I would go to his set.
He's very good … Watching your partner do something they are really good at is so hot".
The couple welcomed their first son, Cyrus, in 2012, and Claire confessed
that even though she loves being a mother, it came with challenges she'd never faced before,
and she was learning to work her way through them.
She said, "We all have that resentment at times and anxiety about being trapped by the role,
that responsibility. And then chemically it can run riot ... And there's no 'off' button."
They welcomed their second son, Rowan, in 2018. The actress knew she had to do things
differently this time. During her first pregnancy, she worked all the way through to her eight-month,
but she wasn't going to repeat that mistake. She wanted to make sure she took more time
off for herself to prepare for baby number two and get all the rest that she needed.
Claire also opened up about a part of parenting young children that many parents could relate to.
The total lack of personal space. In an interview,
she said, "You always feel beholden to somebody ... And for so long they're like koala bears,
you just feel a physical responsibility to be there for them to cling to. It's pretty primal."
On the other hand, her husband Hugh hasn't been as open in interviews when it comes to speaking
about fatherhood or his Marriage. When asked how Marriage and parenthood are treating him,
Dancy simply replied, "They're both treating me very well."
In order to make sure that their marriage works and they keep each other in the loop of
everything going on in their lives, the couple set up some ground rules. Hugh explained that they're
probably not the kind of rules that would work for other couples since their jobs are pretty unique.
As an example, the couple needs to run potential work locations by one another because they've had
to do the long-distance thing before, and they knew how difficult it was. So they need to make
sure that any future filming locations aren't too far, and if they are, they need to plan around it.
Dancy explained, "You have to have, not rules, but things to aspire to,
like not being apart too long, basic stuff. Don't take a job in Australia without telling me!"
From the moment that he made Christmas ornaments with her to now, Claire and Hugh have definitely
been putting in the work to make their marriage last. It's no secret that the world of Hollywood
is notorious for its failed marriages, but this couple seems to be the exception.
From their mutual respect, maintaining rules in their Marriage, and toughing it out through
long-distance, they're determined to do everything in their power to make it work.
And privacy seems to be one of their secret weapons. Let's not forget that they've often
gushed about how grateful they are to have each other in their lives.
They're totally aware of how lucky they are to have found "the one" and their true happily ever
after. At the end of the day, isn't that what we're all looking for?