Actor Hugh Dancy was so nervous when he found himself in front of U.S. President Barack Obama he blanked out and forgot his name.

Dancy and his Homeland star wife Claire Danes were recently invited to a bash attended by the American leader and they were so excited to be in his presence, they rushed over to meet him.

But the British hunk was so star-struck by Obama he forgot to prepare an appropriate introduction, forcing Danes to step in and save her floundering husband.

She tells Elle magazine, "Hugh was like, 'We have to meet Obama,' and we walked over before we could think and found ourselves shaking hands with him. Hugh realised that he'd forgotten to actually properly introduce himself, and (Obama) was like, 'And you are?' And Hugh was like, 'I'm sorry, Mr. President.'

"I said, 'I'm Claire Danes,' and he said, 'Oh, you're a fine actress.' And I said, 'You're a fine president!' And he said, 'Oh, you're a finer actress than I am president.' I didn't have any retort. Hugh and I went immediately to the bar and had a big shot of vodka."