The Homeland star and her husband Hugh Dancy are expecting their first child and Danes can't wait to meet the new arrival.
Although she's been making plans for the baby, the star doesn't think it will seem real until she's given birth.
"I'm excited. It's abstract still; there's nothing much to do at this point but be healthy, incubate and take it as it comes, but I feel totally ready," she told the latest edition of UK InStyle magazine.
Danes' husband is a huge fan of Homeland and loves the CIA show so much he won't let her tell him what happens ahead of time.
He isn't so obsessed about her entire career though and has never watched My So-Called Life - the cult program which made a then teenage Danes a star.
"My So-Called Life means a lot to people and I'm so proud of that," she said.
"Occasionally, I'll watch a couple of minutes. But I don't think Hugh has seen it. He should: I'm so little and my voice is higher - baby, baby Claire!"
The 33-year-old actress appears alongside Damian Lewis in Homeland and is in awe of his portrayal of the brooding Nicholas Brody.
"He's so impenetrable and opaque, but you can also sense his fragility and internal conflict," she said.
"Not many people could pull that off."
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