Bump Ahead: Actresses Who Were Secretly Pregnant While Filming
While it is illegal for a woman to lose her job because of pregnancy, there are definitely some tasks that are harder to do while pregnant. This is especially the case for actresses in Hollywood who can’t let pregnancy limit their careers.
Some producers have figured out ways to let a baby bump shine with a cover story, like when Phoebe on Friends was the surrogate for her half-brother's triplets. Others have used a number of clever ways to try and hide a pregnancy.
Scarlett Johansson in Avengers: Age of Ultron
When Scarlett Johansson told the production team about her first pregnancy, they knew they’d have to make it work since her character, Black Widow, is central to the plot and known for her catsuits. Many of her scenes were moved up in the production calendar.
Close-up framing helped for some scenes, while CGI technology and a team of stunt doubles came in very handy for the action sequences. It did make for confusing times fir the rest of the cast, however. According to co-star Chris Evans, "You walk by, ‘Hey Scarlett, oh. Weird. You’re not Scarlett at all. Sorry.’ A lot of fake Scarletts around."
Marcia Cross on Desperate Housewives
During season three of Desperate Housewives, Marcia Cross was not only pregnant but also put on bed rest. Desperate (pun not intended) to keep filming, the production crew relocated to her home and restaged it to match Bree Van de Kamp's house on Wisteria Lane.
Utilizing loose clothing and creative framing, the film crew was able to keep from revealing Marcia's baby bump in most scenes. However, a quick eye can catch a glimpse here and there throughout the season. Ironically, Bree ended up pregnant in season four, which makes you wonder why the writers didn't move up that storyline.
Kerry Washington on Scandal
Not only did the production team have to get creative in the props department to hide Kerry Washington's pregnancy on Scandal, but there was also the issue of her wardrobe. As a political fixer, her character Olivia Pope wears high-end power fashion.
This presented a problem because as Washington explained, "There's nothing high-end for professional women who are pregnant, so for the show, we wind up just buying the same clothes. We will cut out the front of Armani trousers and put in a pregnancy panel. That's what we do for everything."
Courteney Cox on Friends
After Friends established in a heartbreaking episode that Monica and Chandler struggled with infertility and were now in the process of adopting, the show had to hide Courteney Cox's pregnancy with daughter Coco.
Unfortunately, they relied too much on baggy clothes instead of props and staging, so Courteney's pregnancy was obvious in every full-body scene during the show’s last season. One of the most noticeable bump shots is when she's sitting with the gang on her couch wearing that black slinky dress. There was just no hiding it at that moment.
Claire Danes on Homeland
Claire Danes was only in her first trimester when she started filming season two of Homeland, so she opted to keep her pregnancy secret from her co-workers and crew. It was mostly an easy task except for the overwhelming exhaustion she was battling.
She kept dozing off between takes, with one time in particular being quite embarrassing. According to Danes, "I face-planted onto this crocheted bag in between takes. It was time for my close up and I sit up, and I have this crocheted indentation on the side of my face... I halted production for a good half an hour."
Kerri Russell on The Americans
When The American co-stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys were expecting their first child in real life, show developers opted against incorporating the pregnancy into the show. Instead, they used a combination of computer editing and traditional cover-up to mask Kerri's belly.
"Cuts of her with groceries, cuts of her with a laundry basket, cuts of her with more groceries. Coats, lots of coats!" Joel Fields explained. "If you do two or three CGI shots per episode, we hope the audience will think less about the coat, the laundry basket."
Sarah Jessica Parker on Sex and the City
Writers felt Carrie Bradshaw wasn't at a point to settle down and have a baby during season five of Sex and the City, so they opted to have Sarah Jessica Parker hide her pregnancy instead. Costume designers worked hard to put Parker in loose and flowy outfits, but this wasn't really in line with the character's fashion-forward style.
Their tactics didn't always work, and the season was cut down to only eight episodes before returning for a sixth and final season the following year. Ultimately, some fans had hoped Carrie would have started a family.
Jane Krakowski on 30 Rock
Since, in the words of executive producer Robert Carlock, "No child should have Jenna Maroney for a mother," Jane Krakowski's pregnancy had to be covered up on 30 Rock. This led to some fun and literal cover-up opportunities in the form of wardrobe choices. One example was when Jenna sported a furry dog costume to hide her growing baby bump.
When show creator and co-star Tina Fey became pregnant a second time, they were fortunately between seasons, and NBC accommodated a midseason premiere so the show could film around Fey's pregnancy.
January Jones on Mad Men
Since it wasn't in the cards for Betty Draper to have another child on Mad Men, the writing team and director decided to have the character develop a growth on her thyroid and subsequently gain weight. January Jones was required to wear a fat suit in addition to being pregnant to sell the story.
Upon returning from maternity leave, Jones' character was said to have returned from a treatment center and was back to her normal size. Unfortunately, the show faced serious backlash from fans for the creative decision and for limiting her role throughout the season.
Julie Bowen on Modern Family
Julie Bowen and the creators of Modern Family deserve major props for not letting a pregnancy hold them back from developing the iconic role of Claire Dunphey. Julie was pregnant with twins when she auditioned for the role and was so convincing that she landed the part even though the pilot would be filmed when she was nearly nine months along.
She was mostly shot hiding behind pillows, laundry baskets or cereal boxes and later confessed, "I was giving birth, I was in labor when Steve called to tell me the show was picked up."
Amy Poehler on Parks and Recreation
When Amy Poehler became pregnant halfway through the second season of Parks and Recreation, the producers decided to go right into production on the next season instead of working the pregnancy into the storyline. They managed to bank six episodes for season three by dressing Poehler in looser blazers and workwear.
Ironically, NBC delayed the third season for several months to promote Outsourced in the station’s two-hour Thursday night comedy block. Working around Poehler's pregnancies was nothing new since producers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur chose to give up a coveted post-Super Bowl premiere to accommodate Amy's first pregnancy.
Blake Lively in The Shallows
As a self-proclaimed breeder, many people were amazed how quickly Blake Lively got bikini-ready for staring in The Shallows just eight months after giving birth to her first child. Little did they realize she was already pregnant with Baby Number Two by the end of filming.
Fortunately, the bulk of the physically intense scenes were shot first in South Wales, Australia before Blake was pregnant again. In fact, the team didn't even hire a stunt double until the last two weeks of filming when it became necessary for Blake and her baby's health.
Debra Messing in Will & Grace
When all else fails, throw in the towel! That's quite literally how Debra Messing's pregnancy during the sixth season of Will & Grace was handled. She was shot clutching towels in front of her or standing behind large tables that didn't offer much by way of camouflage.
The costume department did try to dress her in looser styles, but these felt out of character to fans. Eventually, the writers finally gave Messing a five-episode hiatus, which many fans felt should have come sooner if they really wanted to hide the pregnancy.
Alyson Hannigan on How I Met Your Mother
Writers didn't think it was the right time for characters Lily and Marshall to have a baby when Alyson Hannigan was pregnant the first time around. For most of the season, the show used set hacks and oversized purses to hide her belly, but they did have fun in one particular episode.
In the season four episode, "The Possimpible," Lily challenged her previous record of eating 29 hot dogs in eight minutes by downing 33 for a cheering crowd at MacLaren's. Upon finishing the last bite, she stood up to show off an impressive "food baby" belly.
Cobie Smulders on How I Met Your Mother
Ironically, Cobie Smulders was pregnant at the same time as co-star Alyson Hannigan. Since her character, Robin, was so against having kids, the crew had to work diligently to camouflage her pregnancy as well.
It’s hard enough for a production team to hide one pregnancy, but imagine two. It became its own level of comedy as the purses get bigger and bigger as the season progressed. The writers did have fun with Robin, jokingly declaring she was pregnant to Barney and Ted when she was throwing up from food poisoning in "Right Place Right Time."
Anne Hathaway in Colossal
When director Nacho Vigalondo learned Anne Hathaway was pregnant, he was concerned she would back out of her role in Colossal. Instead, she was still excited about her role as an alcoholic writer. Vigalondo reasoned, "Your character's drunk, you’re bloated, it’s perfect!"
By the end of filming, Hathaway was pretty far along in her pregnancy and had to resort to wearing a lot of baggy sweaters to hide her large baby bump. While the science fiction black comedy monster flick was met with mixed reviews, the crew were some of the best at concealing a pregnancy.
Zooey Deschanel on New Girl
Like Parks and Recreation, The New Girl cast and crew worked a continuous production schedule to wrap up the first four episodes of season five before Zooey Deschanel took her maternity leave.
While already noticeably pregnant in the season premiere, the episode had Jess break several bones while falling down a flight of stairs. This kept her in a bed under a blanket or riding around on a scooter for the rest of the episode. Jess then headed to jury duty, where she was hidden in a booth before being sequestered and temporarily replaced in the loft by Megan Fox.
Kate Winslet in Divergent
Kate Winslet has handled three pregnancies while in Hollywood, but her last was already five months along when she appeared in Divergent as Jeanine Matthews. Kate spent the film dressed in dark colors and holding a folder or tablet strategically in front of her stomach.
A stunt double was brought in for action scenes, although she did return after the birth of her son, Bear, to reshoot some of her own stunts. Because nearly all of her scenes were filmed in the exact same way, it made efforts to conceal her pregnancy more noticeable.
Madonna in Evita
Surprising to many is that Madonna was pregnant with her daughter, Lourdes, for the entire filming of Evita. As her bump grew, producers had to utilize creative film angles, baggy clothes and thoughtful prop choices to successfully hide it.
They ended up cutting several planned scenes that were deemed too risky for her to perform out of fear she might accidentally fall and harm herself or the baby. An astute observer might be able to spot some shots of Madonna's growing belly on a rewatch, but her Golden Globe award-winning performance might be distraction enough.
Reese Witherspoon in Vanity Fair
After spending 10 years to get to the point of filming, the 18-week pre-production schedule of Vanity Fair had to suddenly be sped up to accommodate Reese Witherspoon's pregnancy with future son Deacon. Fortunately, at five months pregnant, the voluminous period dresses of the 19th century were enough to hide her changing figure.
The director also made use of low-lit sets and staged her behind co-stars and furniture to conceal her bump. Witherspoon said of filming, "We’ve had a couple of scenes where my stomach was peeking out a bit, but we’ve found solutions."
Penelope Cruz in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
One of the most creative ways filmmakers have hidden a pregnancy was with Penelope Cruz. When Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' director Rob Marshall found out Cruz was pregnant, he called in her near-identical sister, Monica.
"I did a couple of months of training and did what I was able to do, but I couldn’t do everything, just what was safe. Monica came at the end to do some scenes. She’s a dancer and very good with a sword because she’s done a film herself," Cruz explained regarding filming.
Emily Blunt in Into the Woods and Girl on the Train
Emily Blunt has not once but twice starred in films while pregnant. Because her character in Into The Woods desperately wanted to have a child but was unable to, it was important to keep Blunt's pregnancy fully concealed. The costume department was able to use period clothing to keep her bump hidden, and co-star James Corden was positioned in front of her for many scenes.
Two years later, Blunt found herself pregnant again when filming Girl on the Train. Fortunately, she was able to use first-trimester woes to help her portrayal of a devastated alcoholic.
Helena Bonham Carter in Sweeney Todd
Helena Bonham Carter didn't have to worry about being recast if she became pregnant before filming Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street because the director was her baby daddy. After two years of infertility struggles, Bonham Carter and Tim Burton were actually considering in vitro fertilization when she became pregnant with their second child.
Thick fabrics, kitchen props and good camera angles helped conceal her bump with the only noticeable change occurring in her chest. Based on her larger bustline, most of the beginning of the film was shot later in production.
Anna Paquin on True Blood
When Anna Paquin was uncharacteristically covered up in season five of True Blood, fans knew something was up with the actress who was never afraid to bare all on the HBO series. Turns out the actress was using pajamas, blankets and pillows to hide her six-month pregnant belly full of twins.
Co-star Todd Lowe revealed about filming, "I know that her stunt double has had more work than needed before. I know that and they’re pretty creative with staging and costuming." Paquin and husband-slash-co-star Stephen Moyer welcomed their children shortly before returning to film season six.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Seinfeld
When Julia Louis-Dreyfus told Jerry Seinfeld that she was pregnant while working on the third season of the show, he suggested they have Elaine get fat. Julia admits to bursting into tears because she was offended and, you know, pregnancy hormones didn't help either.
Years later, she admitted that the idea was hilarious and ran with a similar joke during her 2005 appearance on Arrested Development. When she was pregnant again for season eight, Seinfeld didn't really try to hide her pregnancy but never mentioned it or her weight gain.
Kristen Bell on House of Lies
When Kristen Bell was seven months pregnant during season two of House of Lies, her character, Jeannie van der Hooven, was dealing with a leaked sex tape.
The actress had to actually film the scene (that was CGI edited) with her TV love interest, Adam Brody, who "affectionally referred to our sex scenes as threesomes, because my belly was right on top of him," Bell told Conan. Always in good spirits, Bell further joked, "Now I can forever look at my daughter and go, ‘Oh, you were present for that.’"
Isla Fisher in Burke and Hare
Ever the actress, Isla Fisher used her skills to hide her pregnancy from the entire cast and crew of Burke and Hare. Her period-costume included a full corset that she only pretended to wear while she instead used a push-up bra to fool everyone including director John Landis.
At only three-months along, it wasn't too hard to pull off, and co-star Simon Pegg admitted, "I didn't know what was going on. She didn't look pregnant until the last minute. I saw her a couple of months later and she was like a balloon. None of us knew ... She hid it well."
Jane Leeves on Frasier
Unlike Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jane Leeves was game for playing the fat card when she was pregnant during the eighth season of Frasier. Daphne develops a compulsive-eating disorder to cope with her fear of being unable to live up to Niles's lofty expectations.
She eventually went to a "spa for fat people" for a few episodes and returned after losing the 60 pounds she had gained. In the episode "It Takes Two to Tangle," which was filmed during Leeves's maternity leave, Niles reported that Daphne had lost 9 pounds, 12 ounces in a nod to her baby's birth weight.
Christian Serratos on The Walking Dead
When Christian Serratos joined The Walking Dead as Rosita, her character frequently showed off her midriff. In late season six through seven, tight clothes were exchanged for baggy shirts, and she was frequently filmed in a crouched position or carrying a big gun to hide her growing belly.
These were all tactics the show used to hide two other pregnancies: Sonequa Martin-Green’s, who plays Sasha, and Alanna Masterson’s, who plays Tara Chambler. Masterson’s character actually took a hiatus from the twelfth episode of season six to the sixth episode of the seventh season while she was on maternity leave.
Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman
When watching Wonder Woman and seeing Gal Gadot's stunning figure, it is shocking to learn she was five months pregnant for some of those scenes. While skillful camera work was enough for much of the movie, later reshoots required some CGI magic.
The costume department actually cut a piece out of the belly of her costume to attach green fabric over it to make post-production editing of her bump easier. Gadot joked, "On close-up, I looked very much like Wonder Woman. On wide shots, I looked very funny, like Wonder Woman pregnant with Kermit the Frog."
Julia Roberts in Ocean's Twelve
Julia Roberts' role in Ocean's Twelve might just be one of the most eccentric roles that she has ever portrayed. Tess, the wife of Danny Ocean, was persuaded into pretending she was a pregnant Julia Roberts to assist in his latest heist. How meta!
Apparently, the writers reworked the film's script so that they could cater to the actress' real-life pregnancy. At the time, she was actually not just carrying one baby, but a set of twins with her husband and cinematographer Daniel Moder.
Ellen Pompeo on Grey's Anatomy
There was a time when Ellen Pompeo could not be more thankful for her oversized scrubs. Her iconic costume on Grey's anatomy helped hide her growing belly during Season 6. The production also worked on creative angles to avoid exposing the actress' expanding midsection.
In the latter months of her pregnancy, Pompeo's character Meredith Grey donated a part of her liver to her estranged father so she could take some time off the show. Meanwhile, her co-star Jessica Capshaw's character was sent to Africa when she became pregnant the following season.
Jennifer Garner in Catch and Release
While moviegoers found the romantic comedy Catch and Release not memorable at all, Jennifer Garner will never forget her experience making the film. After all, it was also the time she was carrying her first daughter with Ben Affleck.
Garner took advantage of her pregnancy while filming. "It was actually perfect timing. It was in between nausea and getting big, and I felt really emotional, so I could cry easily if I needed to," she said. The actress' sentimental performance should definitely be attributed to her baby girl, Violet.
Jaime King, 'Hart of Dixie'
Since Jaime King could no longer hide her baby bump on The Hart of Dixie, she went on a maternity leave earlier than expected in Season 3. The show's writer then made it look like her character, Lemon Breeland, visited her beloved grandmother.
In an interview with Us Weekly, King revealed what was happening behind the scenes. "I shot until the day before I gave birth, literally, then went back six weeks later... it was gnarly! I felt safer being on set because I knew if anything were to happen, my crew and cast would take care of me," she explained.
Rosamund Pike in Jack Reacher
It is one thing to work on a film while pregnant, but it is another thing to star in an action movie while carrying a baby in your womb. Rosamund Pike did that without breaking a sweat in Jack Reacher. At the time, she was already five months into her pregnancy.
The Oscar-nominated actress acknowledged the support that she received on set, especially from her co-star, Tom Cruise. "He could not have been more supportive. Certain stars would have — or might have — said, 'Get someone else, she's pregnant!' That sort of thing goes on in this day and age," Pike shared.
Kaitlin Olson on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Kailtin Olson benefitted from the insanity that takes places on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia most especially during her pregnancy. Instead of relying on traditional TV techniques, the writers thought of a more fun way to deal with her real-life pregnancy.
Olson's character Dee Reynolds made up a story to her two closest male friends that one of them was the father of her unborn child. This drove them crazy, but in the end, she revealed that she was working as a surrogate for a transgender woman.
Naomi Watts in Easter Promises
As part of preparing for her role as a midwife in the gangster film Easter Promises, Naomi Watts researched thoroughly on pregnancy and childbirth. The actress then found out that she was expecting just two weeks into shooting the movie.
Watts actually learned this after she had already done a stunt that involved hopping on a motorcycle and driving through a real traffic. Fortunately for the crew, there was not much baby bump to disguise in the movie since the pregnancy was earlier on.
Melissa Fumero on Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Melissa Fumero's character on Brooklyn Nine-Nine gave birth in Season 7. However, pregnancy was not yet on the table for Amy Santiago back in Season 3, so the show had to be creative in concealing the actress' growing bump. They started with positioning her behind desks and huge purses.
When they can no longer cover her belly, they took advantage of her role as a cop and went to prison as an undercover pregnant inmate. It was perfect way to conceal her pregnancy in real life.
Jodie Foster in Panic Room
Jodie Foster faced a number of challenges while shooting the film Panic Room. For starters, she only had nine days to prepare for the role of Meg Altman since Nicole Kidman backed out due to a knee injury. Then, Foster found out that she was pregnant with her second child while filming.
It did not help that director David Fincher was very meticulous with every scene. As a result, Foster had to reshoot some of them after she gave birth.
Teri Hatcher in Tomorrow Never Dies
Although many people recognize Teri Hatcher better as Susan Mayer on Desperate Housewives, she first made waves as Bond girl Paris Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies. What people might not know is that she was actually three months pregnant while shooting the action blockbuster.
Unfortunately, the Golden Globe-winning actress' pregnancy actually caused a tension between her and costar Pierce Brosnan. Hatcher's morning sickness might have resulted to delays on set and the actor forgot that his character was a ladies' man.
Kelly Rutherford on Gossip Girl
When Kelly Rutherford became pregnant with her second child in the second season of Gossip Girl, the writers chose not to incorporate the actress' condition in her role as Lily van der Woodsen. Instead, they dusted off their books on how to hide baby bumps on television.
Rutherford was then dressed in oversized gowns and scarves. It somehow worked because her character was among Manhattan's elite. There were scenes where she carried massive handbags and newspaper, or even hid behind the counter.
Gillian Anderson on X-Files
Gillian Anderson became pregnant while portraying Dana Scully on X-Files. In the beginning of Season 2, the crew solely relied on creative camera angles. However, when it was no longer possible to hide her growing bump, the writers stepped in and created a plot twist.
Anderson's character was apparently abducted by aliens. This storyline actually played out well on the episodes later on, especially when it came to Scully's fertility and children. The mythology story arcs kept going throughout the series.
Angeline Jolie in Changeling
It was in the middle of the production of the drama, Changeling, when Angelina Jolie discovered that she had a baby on the way. Since they were already approaching the end of the shoot, the actress decided to keep it a secret.
Jolie gave credit to her pregnancy for her performance in the emotional movie. "I was so emotional about children I think something in me kicked into gear," she said. The role went on to earn her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Bryce Dallas Howard in Spider-Man 3
Unlike many of the actresses on this list, Bryce Dallas Howard did not intentionally hide her pregnancy while filming Spider-Man 3 because she herself had no idea that she was expecting. The stakes were high since the daughter of Hollywood mogul Ron Howard even had to do stunts for her role.
In the movie, her character Gwen Stacy fell from the building. Dallas performed the risky scene on set without knowing the she was already in the early stages of pregnancy.
Cate Blanchett in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
Cate Blanchett worked on a film while pregnant not once, not even twice, but thrice in her acting career! She was determined to portray her roles in Charlotte Gray, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Blanchett's pregnancies never caused a major issue in any of these blockbuster movies since they all happened to be in the early stages while shooting. The A-list actress even wore a fake belly as a pregnant journalist in The Life Aquatic, since her real-life baby bump was still not visible at the time.
Angela Kinsey on The Office
While Angela Martin later on got pregnant on The Office, the character was not yet ready for a newborn when actress Angela Kinsey was expecting in real life in Season 4. Since the show could not incorporate her condition, they had to rely on other tricks.
For most of the time, the resident moral cop would be filmed behind her desk and high cubicle walls. There was a scene where her growing belly was covered by the swan-shaped ice sculptures.
Ginnifer Goodwin on Once Upon a Time
Ginnifer Goodwin was among the slew of stars who played two characters on Once Upon a Time. This was possible because the show was set in multiple universes. After telling the writers that she was pregnant, they got creative on the situation of her roles as Snow White and Mary Margaret.
The actress concealed and displayed her pregnancy on the show at the same time. Snow White was expecting, while Mary Margaret was not. At least, she did not have to wear trench coats and stand in front of giant furniture for several scenes.
Halle Berry in X-Men: Days of Future Past
Halle Berry's character Storm in the X-Men franchise is well recognized for her skintight suits, this would have made it impossible for her to hide the signs of pregnancy. To cater to the actress' situation while making X-Men: Days of Future Past, production prioritized her scenes.
Just weeks after filming began, Berry later on revealed that she had already outgrown the suit. By the time the film wrapped, the Oscar winner gave birth to her first child with then-husband Olivier Martinez.
Lucille Ball on I Love Lucy
The production of I Love Lucy did not give much attention on Lucille Ball's first pregnancy. However, when it happened the second time, they decided to write it into the series. They made the reveal in the episode "Lucy Is Enceinte." Apparently, CBS considered "pregnant" as a vulgar word so they used the French translation.
In addition to that, the network executives were also not thrilled about the pregnancy on the show since the character Lucy and her husband slept on twin beds.