These Studios Tried to Hide Their Leading Ladies’ Pregnancy Bellies on Screen But Not All Succeeded
Lisa Kudrow
The actress Lisa Kudrow was the first of the main cast of Friends to become pregnant. In preparing for the fourth season, the producers decided to show the pregnancy and incorporate it into the show. Phoebe Buffet had a fantastic tale to accompany it, of course.
Phoebe didn’t plan on carrying triplets on behalf of her half-brother; she had a real baby bump. As a result, it became one of the season’s most beloved storylines. Lisa remembers everyone telling her on the set: “Have a good show, love you, love you, tiny Julian!”
Gal Gadot
Gal Gadot was five months pregnant while filming Wonder Woman. Yet, she somehow still managed to do a lot of her own stunts and make the action-packed scenes look believable. A lot of that was thanks to the help of CGI. Gal wore a green fabric around her stomach while filming so that her pregnancy belly could be edited out in post-production.
The actress 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.”
Blake Lively
Filming was underway for Blake Lively’s shark attack film The Shallows, released in 2016, at the same time that she was expecting the birth of her daughter, Inez. Filming while pregnant wasn’t easy, with most of the shooting requiring risky stunts.
Blake said, “A stunt double didn’t get hired until the last few weeks of filming.” She added, “The filming was extremely stunt-heavy.” Her baby bump was barely visible, even in swimwear. Some scenes featured a strategically-placed surfboard used to conceal her stomach.
Cynthia Nixon
During season four of Sex and the City, actress Cynthia Nixon was pregnant. She was lucky because the show incorporated her pregnancy into the story, resulting in baby Brady for her and Steve.
The actress was pregnant both on-screen and off-screen, playing Miranda Hobbes, who was trying for a baby with husband-to-be Steve. As an ironic coincidence, Sarah Jessica Parker also became pregnant during the same season.
It’s not uncommon for actresses to get pregnant, even when they’re contractually obligated to play a role in a movie or TV show. The main character’s growing baby belly is always dealt with in creative ways by studios. As these photos demonstrate, they don’t always succeed. From using pillows and newspapers to interesting angles and clothing choices, check out how these studios tried to hide their leading ladies’ pregnancy bellies on screen… and failed.