How 21 TV stars hid their pregnancies during shooting
FX
If your favorite female TV character is wearing baggy clothing, holding groceries, suddenly "getting fat," or standing behind random props, a coverup may be in play.
Mindy Kaling recently confirmed that she's pregnant. And while the sixth and final season of "The Mindy Project" premieres on Hulu September 12, she likely didn't have to hide a bump because shooting was probably complete before she started showing. But that got us thinking about the lengths TV shows have gone to conceal pregnancies, or write them into the show.
Actresses, props teams, and everyone behind the camera do a lot to hide pregnancies during filming. Gal Gadot's pregnancy had to be hidden while shooting an additional scene for "Wonder Woman." But this is more frequently an issue for TV actors, as shows have season deadlines that aren't always as forgiving as the ones for films.
Not every pregnancy can be written into a character's storyline. So shows get creative in maneuvering around baby bumps. Often that just means the actresses are draped in comically oversized clothes, winter lasts forever because the coats are convenient, or actresses are hidden behind randomly placed objects. Or they're simply filmed from the chest up.
Take a look at which actresses were pregnant while filming and how their TV hid it:
Kerry Washington: The attempts "Scandal" took to hide its star's pregnancy in season three were often laughed at by the media and fans. From the gigantic coats, ridiculously placed objects, and chest-up-only shots, "Scandal" used every trick. And it took a toll on Washington. She said filming was a "challenge" because her "instrument was changing and evolving every day."
ABCSource: The Hollywood Reporter
From TV Guide, check out 20 of the "most ridiculous" ways the show tried to cover up Washington's pregnancy.
Lucille Ball: The comedy icon was pregnant during the second season of "I Love Lucy." Though CBS allowed Ball's pregnancy to be included in the story, the episode that revealed her condition famously was not allowed to actually use the word "pregnant" and found Lucy in some very oversized coats as she wasn't supposed to be as far along as Ball was in real life.
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Source: The A.V. Club
Alyson Hannigan: She was pregnant twice in her "How I Met Your Mother" career — the first time it was hidden, while the second coincided with her character Lily's pregnancy. The first time around, the creators decided to take some humorous liberties. They hid her behind basketballs and globes, but then showed her full belly, pretending it was the aftereffect of a hot dog eating competition. Costar Cobie Smulders, however, didn't get to show off her baby bump in the show's fourth season. Instead, she was given loose clothing and big handbags.
CBSSource: The Chicago Tribune
See the rest of the story at Business Insider