Actress Claire Danes who is nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of autism self-advocate Temple Grandin says she was initially unsure if she could play the part.

“It felt very presumptuous on my part to think I could portray her,” Danes tells The Los Angeles Times in a story published Thursday about the HBO biopic “Temple Grandin.”

In preparation for the film, which premiered in February, Danes says she studied up on autism and had Grandin to her New York loft for lunch. The actress says she was a “nervous wreck” preparing for the meeting. But the two hit it off, parting with a hug, which Danes recognized was not in Grandin’s nature.

“That was a wonderful gesture, and I felt very moved by that, very grateful. I really just wanted her permission, her validation,” Danes said.

Ultimately, Danes made Grandin proud.

“If you left off the title credits, no one would ever know that was Claire Danes,” Grandin told Disability Scoop earlier this year. “That’s how much she became me. It was like a weird time machine.”

The film is now up for 15 Emmy awards including outstanding made for television movie. The Emmys will air August 29 on NBC.

Read more stories like this one. Sign up for Disability Scoop's free email newsletter to get the latest developmental disability news sent straight to your inbox.