Conan Is In Awe Of Claire Danes’ Acting Chops | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

when you first start watching the show. and again I don't want to give anything. too much away but it's a couple that's. going through very painful period and. then you as the wife you sort of. disappear from the scene and people are. yeah and she's really unsympathetic. initially I mean to put it mildly very. unsympathetic um and you don't realize. that you're you're seeing the marriage. strictly through a lens you know and the. lens you're seeing it through which is. so interesting is uh Jesse Eisenberg. plays uh your husband and of course.

Jesse is so good at looking at being put. upon and um I mean I he looks put upon. in real life and a lovely guy by the way. he is one of the sweetest guys uh but he. he has such a good way of looking like. he's just got the world on his shoulders. that's a really good point you know. because it's true he can flip so easily. from you know a kind. of puppy to you know this kind of.

wounded um uh you know on his back. person to to uh a a real villain you. know well I mean you look at the social. network and you see that he's uh he's. obviously a terrific actor who's able to. access all of that yeah but in this uh. um and I thought they've this show has. exposed either exposed my sexism or or. tricked me into being Maybe more sexist.

than I already am but I'm really looking. at it and I'm thinking I so sympathize. with this guy this poor guy and he's. trying to take care of these kids and. where is she and um not being at all. sympathetic to your character and then. there's this thing again I don't want to. give anything away but there's this. scene that uh where your character. Rachel goes to this Yoga Retreat.

and the these emotions are being drawn. out of you in this scene and you there's. this kind of whale breakdown that you. have that like came through the TV set. and slapped me around in a way that is. this is a compliment I don't like being. I'm not into I'm not into that by the. way Claire not into that I'm sick of. that rumor that I like being slapped. about um.

no I felt like you had reach to the TV. and it was so and then of course I start. talking to my friends who also watching. the show and we're all talking about. that scene and I. think that scene is the most striking. moment I had in television in memory it. just was like oh my God it completely. turned me around on your character in a. moment but also.

I walked away from that. thinking I do not understand I know that. there are great actors in the world I do. not know how CLA Dames was able to do. that I do not know how you were able to. do that scene well I mean again it was. really it was written you know and I. could I recognized it I find it. unimaginable that you would go to set. and they would put a camera on you and. they would say action and that you'd be. able to I'm basically asking well so so.

so in advance I do this this kind of. this mental work and then I have to. totally let that go and then just be in. a visceral right space so I have to be. very clear that and you know and it was. funny when I went to college and didn't. act for about three years I it was a. little uh it was um I was caught in a. wrong in the wrong gear like I forgot. that it was largely an intuitive process. also because I had just been writing. essays for a long time.

um so I had to kind of return to the. more. intuitive connection to the work which. is the more important one right um but. so both are at play and really when the. camera's rolling you have to just you. know be in a non-thinking space in an. emotive space um but I and yeah I I I. see I hear myself um not like taking. maybe it's sounds like I'm not taking.

credit for my contributions but I can't. do that so freely if I don't feel held. by the people that I'm working with and. John and Val who were the directors on. the episodes that I was doing the heavy. lifting in um you know they were they. were just so right so connected and. present and kind um and they didn't make. me do things a million times you know. like they understood that some scenes. were a little.

trickier others and so they were very. careful and and how they set it up and. you know a lot of them we we only needed. to do one take and I was going to say if. if someone if a director after the take. that you did said if anyone said Okay. that was great let's do uh let's do four. more yeah and I've also worked with. wonderful directors who do work that way. and I you know I don't only begrudge. them that you know like sometimes there. is value in seeing what happens and I um. uh but but I was glad for their sense of.

economy um and and knowing when they had. what they needed um because I didn't. feel like totally tapped out or. exploited or anything you know I think. there is that that invogue there was it. got really invogue the improvising. especially in comedies and a lot of. improvising and people being encouraged. to now and I think um I was on a set. once and I there the director was. literally saying things like all right. try another one where you are the.

murderer now try one where you're the. murder victim like you're changing. massive thing do you know what I mean. like right uh and um but what I do. understand what you're saying that. something that resonates with me because. I always try to look for is there any. Common Ground here I can have with. Claire and this is there might be a. psychological reason for this or just. might be my lack of ability I don't know. what it is but it was I when I was uh. people were telling me in my early 20s.

you've got something you should be in. front of people and I was feeling that. but I couldn't see what it was and I. like you know it's not standup I think. it's improv and then one person said it. might help your I started doing improv a. lot and someone said you should take a. serious um acting class so I took one. downtown and I don't remember which one. it was but it was like a Stella Adler. serious class and I went in.

and signed up and paid I think it was. about 23 24 and there was a they asked. me at one point to do a scene where I. get up with another woman and I tell her. how much I love her and how much she. means to me and how heartbroken I am and. I said I can do this if it is in the. purpose of being funny ah like if. there's a joke to it uh I can actually. that would be the only way that I could. act I think in any kind of was if it.

ends if it's going in the purpose of a. joke or if it ends in a that's so. interesting I know and um now you're my. therapist but but but I but I'm serious. like I do I have done sketches where I'm. looking at myself saying I think I'm. kind of acting here but I it's because I. know that it's in the service of a joke. and to me that's my that's my wooden. barrel I can go over Niagara FS but I. need to my be in my wooden barrel of. it's comedy.

whereas you know what you're. doing there's you're going over the. falls there is no Barrel it's so naked. and I find that terrifying I'm in awe of. it but I just find it uh it's terrifying. yeah well I would find comedy terrifying. you know just be but I think I I I very. funny you are really funny you're very. like no you are you are very um I mean.

I've always could tell that you be a. very funny light silly person at a party. and that's something a lot of people. don't know about you yeah I I guess but. but I I doubt that that's true I mean I. think you've decided that along the way. and I don't believe it I'm just saying I. also think you're a very good fighter. kick kickb I've decided a bunch of. things about you you're also an undc. Explorer Claire Dan you didn't know that. about yourself did you.