Claire Danes Says Jared Leto Was 'Fraternal' to Her on “My So-Called Life: '”It Was Just Very Sweet' (Exclusive)
The four-time Golden Globes winner recalls a kissing scene that "confused" her as a teen
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Claire Danes and Jared Leto on 'My So-Called Life.'Claire Danes and Jared Leto may have shared some romantic onscreen moments on My So-Called Life, but behind the scenes, Leto was more of an older brother figure to the gifted actress.
During a recent interview to discuss the show's 30th anniversary, Danes, 45, shared her experience as a young teen filming several tender moments with Leto for episode 12, entitled “Self Esteem.” In the episode, Angela (Danes) should be studying geometry, but instead, she meets Jordan Catalano (Leto) in secret in Liberty High School’s boiler room. They kiss in the darkness, entwine hands and compliment each other.
“There was a screen direction that said, ‘Angela kisses Jordan's face,’” she tells PEOPLE, adding, “I was very confused. I was like, what? Why? I could visualize mouth-on-mouth kissing."
She adds, "Poor Jared had to educate me. And so that was, I guess, a little awkward, probably more than a little awkward.”
Related: Wilson Cruz Celebrates 25th Anniversary of 'My So-Called Life' Episode: 'I Must Bow in Gratitude'
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Claire Danes and Jared Leto on 'My So-Called Life.'When the cameras weren’t rolling, Leto assumed a more “fraternal” role with Danes, which included taking the actress to her first club when she was 14.
“We’d probably listen to Pearl Jam in the car or Rage Against the Machine,” she muses. “He played some rock tracks — I know he's a rock star himself — but I remember listening to rock music in the car, and I drank club soda. But I was very touched even at the time, that he would extend himself to me in that way and make that gesture. It was just very sweet.”
Danes had other words of praise for her former costar, who won an Oscar in 2014 for Best Supporting Actor for the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club. Leto’s performance of Jordan — an unconventional high school heartthrob with a reading disorder — was his breakout.
“He made something really specific and textured and real and actually quite moving out of that character, which we somehow overlooked, because he's so absurdly gorgeous,” Danes continues. “But it's a really wonderful, nuanced performance.”
Related: My So-Called Life Cast: Where Are They Now?
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Claire Danes and Jared Leto in London, England in February 2010.My So-Called Life creator Winnie Holzman purposefully wrote the cast in a way that upended stereotypes that largely existed on TV until her show premiered on Aug. 25, 1994.
“I was just always looking under the surface,” Holzman admits. “I was really thinking, first of all, no matter how beautiful you are physically, there's always the secret pain. Everyone is carrying some secret pain. Sometimes maybe it might be on the surface, but sometimes it's really buried in secret. And I'm just looking for that as a writer. In other words, it’s not special to Jordan Catalano. Whenever I'm approaching a character, I'm wondering what's underneath and how can I reveal more.”
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For more on My So-Called Life's 30th anniversary, pick up this week’s PEOPLE cover story, on newsstands Friday. All 19 episodes of the series are available on Hulu.
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