Filming a movie or TV show is a highly coordinated effort, and when an actress unexpectedly becomes pregnant, production teams must find creative solutions to keep the storyline intact. While some productions choose to incorporate real-life pregnancies into the script, others rely on clever wardrobe choices, props, camera angles, and visual effects to conceal growing baby bumps.

1. Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman

While playing the fierce Amazonian warrior Diana Prince in Wonder Woman (2017), Gal Gadot discovered she was pregnant with her second daughter, Maya. Instead of stepping away from the physically demanding role, Gadot embraced the challenge, and the production team worked tirelessly to keep her pregnancy hidden.

They utilized carefully angled shots, costume alterations, and even green-screen fabric placed over her midsection. This allowed the visual effects team to digitally adjust her appearance in post-production, ensuring that Diana still looked like the formidable warrior audiences expected.

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2. Scarlett Johansson in Avengers: Age of Ultron

As Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson was known for her sleek black bodysuit, intense fight scenes, and acrobatic stunts in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). However, during filming, Johansson was already expecting her daughter, Rose.

The filmmakers had to get creative to maintain her character’s signature agility and action-packed presence. They hired multiple stunt doubles, relied on close-up shots, and used digital effects to modify her physique. Thanks to these efforts, Black Widow remained the formidable assassin fans adored, with no obvious signs of Johansson’s pregnancy.

3. Alyssa Milano in Mistresses

Known for her iconic role in Charmed, Alyssa Milano played Savannah Davis in Mistresses. However, just before filming for Season 2, she found out she was expecting a baby.

Rather than rewriting the script, the production team employed a variety of props and wardrobe tricks to cover her pregnancy. Milano was often seen holding large bags, menus, or pillows, and she wore loose, flowing outfits that concealed her growing belly.

Looking back, Milano joked that the extreme lengths taken to hide her pregnancy made it feel like she was in a Saturday Night Live sketch. After Season 2, she stepped away from the show to focus on her family.

4. Penélope Cruz in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Penélope Cruz was already several months pregnant when she filmed Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011). Given the movie’s high-energy action sequences, this posed a challenge for the filmmakers.

Fortunately, her younger sister, Mónica Cruz, stepped in as her stunt double for physically demanding scenes. Thanks to clever editing and costume design, audiences never noticed the switch, and Cruz’s performance as Angelica remained seamless.

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5. Sarah Jessica Parker in S*x and the City

During the filming of Season 5 of Sex and the City, Sarah Jessica Parker was expecting her first child. However, her character, Carrie Bradshaw, was at a different stage in life—embracing singlehood, career success, and a glamorous city lifestyle.

To keep her pregnancy hidden, the wardrobe team completely revamped her fashion choices. Instead of the usual form-fitting dresses, Carrie was styled in flowy outfits, oversized coats, and strategically placed accessories. The season was also shortened to just eight episodes, making it easier to work around Parker’s pregnancy.

6. Melissa Rauch in The Big Bang Theory

When Melissa Rauch, who played Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz, became pregnant while filming The Big Bang Theory’s 11th season, it created an unexpected challenge.

Her character had already given birth to her first child in the previous season, and since another pregnancy so soon didn’t fit the timeline, the showrunners initially planned to hide it. However, they later decided to integrate it into the plot, making it a comedic storyline about the surprises of parenthood.

Bernadette and her husband, Howard, were left shocked and overwhelmed by the news of baby number two, making for some hilarious and relatable moments.

7. Mindy Kaling in The Mindy Project

When Mindy Kaling became pregnant during the final season of The Mindy Project, her character, Mindy Lahiri, was already past her on-screen pregnancy arc. This meant her real-life pregnancy needed to be hidden.

To achieve this, the wardrobe department made sure Kaling was always holding large purses, folders, and other props, which conveniently covered her stomach. Additionally, camera angles were adjusted to avoid drawing attention to her baby bump.

Despite the behind-the-scenes efforts, Kaling completed the show’s final season with her signature wit and charm intact.

8. Blake Lively in The Shallows

Blake Lively spent most of The Shallows (2016) in a bikini, fighting off a terrifying shark. Given the film’s setting, hiding a pregnancy might seem impossible. However, Lively was already expecting her second child during filming, and the production team had to be extremely resourceful.

Through strategic camera angles, visual effects, and the use of a stunt double, they ensured her character remained lean, athletic, and capable of surviving the film’s intense challenges.

9. Gillian Anderson in The X-Files

While filming Season 2 of The X-Files, Gillian Anderson discovered she was pregnant. Instead of trying to hide it entirely, the show’s writers came up with a creative workaround—they wrote an abduction storyline for her character, Dana Scully.

In the final episodes of the season, Scully was kidnapped by aliens, allowing Anderson to spend more screen time lying down or wrapped in blankets. This clever plot twist not only helped cover her pregnancy but also became one of the most famous storylines in the series.

10. Julie Bowen in Modern Family

Julie Bowen, who played Claire Dunphy in Modern Family, was seven-and-a-half months pregnant with twins when the pilot episode was filmed. Since the show’s story didn’t include a pregnancy for her character, the production team got inventive.

Bowen wore baggy sweaters, carried laundry baskets, and even stood behind cereal boxes in kitchen scenes to keep her pregnancy from being noticeable. The efforts paid off, and audiences never realized she was on the verge of giving birth when the show premiered.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to hiding pregnancies on screen, Hollywood has mastered the art of creative problem-solving. From strategic camera work and wardrobe tricks to rewritten storylines and CGI magic, these ten productions prove that pregnancy doesn’t have to slow down a film or TV series.

With more studios embracing inclusivity and flexibility for working mothers, future productions may find even better ways to support actresses during this special time in their lives—whether by incorporating pregnancies into the story or using ever-evolving filming techniques to keep them hidden.