While Claire Danes is a beloved actress thanks to her work in many movies and on the TV series Homeland, she got her start on '90s teen drama My So-Called Life. Danes perfectly portrayed the teenage main character who is struggling with identity, friendship, family, and love, and the rest of the cast did a lot with their parts as well, including Jared Leto as Angela's crush Jordan Catalano.
Like many shows from the '90s, however, My So-Called Life was lacking in diversity, and if the show featured actors working today, these are the actors who could join the cast and tell the coming-of-age story of the Chase family.
Danielle Chase: Milan Ray
Played by Lisa Wilhoit, Angela's younger sister is hilarious and strong-willed. She loves her family but wants more than anything to be just like Angela, much to Angela's chagrin and dismay. Danielle is always asking questions about grown-up subjects and begging to watch movies that are definitely too old for her.
Milan Ray, who is currently playing Keisa on the reboot of The Wonder Years, would be perfect at playing the young, precocious and intelligent character Danielle.
Camille Cherski: Reese Witherspoon
When My So-Called Life was on the air, Mary Kay Place was one of the biggest names in the cast, portraying Sharon's sweet mom Camille who is best friends with Angela's mom Patty.
Reese Witherspoon could lend some star power if the show was cast in 2021. Witherspoon's performance as a passionate mother, one of the best characters on Little Fires Everywhere, proves that she could take on Camille. In one of the most heartbreaking episodes, Camille's husband has a heart attack, and she struggles with the thought that she could be raising her daughter on her own.
Sharon Cherski: Sara Waisglass
Devon Odessa is perfect as Sharon, Angela's old best friend who struggles with the fact that Angela has new friends and has totally left her behind. Sharon and Angela's evolving relationship allows the show to tackle an important subject: what happens when two people stop being pals but still care about each other deeply.
Sara Wainglass excels as Max on Ginny and Georgia, a bubbly and smart teenager who doesn't care about being popular but still wants to find love and acceptance. Max and Sharon share a seemingly confident exterior that hides how insecure they really are.
Brian Krakow: Alex Saxon
Devon Gummersall's My So-Called Life character is Angela's neighbor, the super intelligent and nervous Brian. He's one of the most compelling characters as he often puts his foot in his mouth but is a kind-hearted person who means well.
Known for playing love interests on The Fosters and Finding Carter, Alex Saxon could be cast as Brian today. Both actors have memorable hair that stands out, but they also share a knack for playing vulnerable characters who show emotion on their face all the time.
Jordan Catalano: Noah Centineo
Jared Leto moved on from the young adult genre quickly, but fans remember his portrayal of Jordan Catalano, the classmate who Angela daydreams about. Angela loves Jordan's good looks, but she's also taken by the way that he leans against things, but she ultimately realizes that he doesn't want to commit to anyone.
Fans love watching Peter and Lara Jean's To All The Boys scenes, and that's thanks to Noah Centineo's great performance. Centineo could also take on the role of Angela's love interest on My So-Called Life, as both Peter and Jordan are mysterious, popular, and interesting.
Rickie Vasquez: Christian Lee Navarro
Wilson Cruz's My So-Called Life character allows the series to talk about some sad and heartbreaking topics. Rickie has been abandoned by his family and has a very unstable home life. He leans on his friendships with Rayanne and Angela, desperately hoping that he can get through high school and move out on his own.
Christian Lee Navarro, known for playing Tony in 13 Reasons Why, would be a perfect Rickie. Both characters are wise and sensitive and they do their best to be kind and loyal to the people around them.
Rayanne Graff: Tavi Gevinson
A.J. Langer's Rayanne is the best kind of teen drama character, as she pretends to be fearless and up for anything, but she's hiding the pain and insecurity of growing up with a wild, unstable mother who doesn't do much to create a safe, healthy home life. Fans quickly become invested in Rayanne's story and love that Angela can be there for her and show her that she deserves love.
Kate is one of the most compelling Gossip Girl reboot characters, and Tavi Gevinson could also take on the role of Rayanne. Gevinson is stylish and quirky, just like Rayanne.
Graham Chase: Sterling K. Brown
Played by Tom Irwin, Angela's dad Graham is a sweet and totally lost. He would make an incredible chef, but is struggling working with his wife Patty at her dad's paper company.
Sterling K. Brown portrays a father who is just as sensitive on This Is Us, and fans love Randall's strength and honesty. It would be amazing to see what the actor could do with this role.
Patty Chase: Tracee Ellis Ross
When looking at the personality types of My So-Called Life characters, Bess Armstrong is perhaps the most rigid and the person who worries the most. She feels burdened by running a business and trying to be the best mom that she can be, and she also feels her husband slipping away.
Known for her wonderful performance as Rainbow on Black-ish, Tracee Ellis Ross could also play Patty, as both characters are balancing family and career and how to tackle the parenting problems that come up on a regular basis.
Angela Chase: Amandla Stenberg
It's fun to look back on Claire Danes's time as Angela, the main character of My So-Called Life who has an awakening when she becomes friends with Rayanne and Rickie. She leaves her old life behind, embarrassed of the "goody-two-shoes" persona that she thinks she had, and tries to become braver and bolder.
Known for amazing performances in The Hate U Give, The Hunger Games, and The Darkest Minds, Amandla Stenberg could bring her talent to the role of Angela. Stenberg has played many strong and interesting young adult characters.