Danes 'overwhelmed' by animal shoots

Actress Claire Danes has a newfound empathy for animal suffering after an "overwhelming" experience filming with a herd of cows for U.S. TV movie Temple Grandin.

The longtime vegetarian plays an autistic woman who overcomes the disorder and becomes a doctor of animal science.

She tells the New York Post, "Professional animal handlers assisted me. The cows were docile. There was no real threat. The only time I honestly felt agitated was where I'm lying on the ground in a field surrounded by all these hooves. It required numerous takes... That one I was nervous."

But having to interact with livestock, and even putting her own head through a cow chute - used to brand the cows - has made her extremely aware of animal suffering.

She adds, "So many people are impervious to the suffering of cows. It was all a bit overwhelming. There's a scene where they are herded through a chute. When I placed my head into the slot and it squeezed me, I actually felt a calming effect."

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