Taking some time away from the set of her hit series "Homeland," Claire Danes graces the cover of Vogue magazine's August 2013 issue.

While teaming up with her small screen partner Damian Lewis for the gorgeous Annie Leibovitz-shot spread, the "Stardust" beauty dished about her time as a spy and even reveals past acting career woes.

Check out a few highlights from Miss Danes' interview below. For more, be sure to visit Vogue!

On "Homeland":
"When I read the script, the writing was so good and the cliffhanger was amazing. I was like, 'Do I want to play the secretary to the boss man or do I want to be the boss man? I want to be the boss man. I was scared of it, and i thought, OK, right, that means I have to do it."

On the actresses she loves:
"I'm so impressed by Jennifer Lawrence and Carey Mulligan. They have this exquisite taste. They are very gifted in their ability to make great choices. I didn't have that rudder."

On her two year streak of no work:
"I was stuck. It was confusing. I got a lot of plaudits, and it didn't translate into more work. I was really, really struggling during that time. It was grim. I was very hurt. Two years of not working was brutal. And a point came where I thought, I really like interior design. Someone suggested, 'Maybe your real success is in your personal life."

On the actresses she looks up to:
"I've had conversations with them. Meryl [Streep], Susan Sarandon, Jodie Foster. You have to pick your battles on set. You have to come to work from a place of love. You have to stay hydrated when you have crying scenes. You have to go to college. And you have to ask for money because there's always more money and they won't give it to you because you're a girl!"