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Penélope Cruz, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ (2012) -

Penélope Cruz was pregnant with her first child when she scored a part as a swashbuckling pirate alongside Johnny Depp. It was a pretty action-packed role, so she couldn't safely film every scene herself. Luckily, her sister Mónica Cruz (who looks a lot like her!) was able to step in as a highly-effective body double.

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Helena Bonham Carter, ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ (2007) -

The filming of Tim Burton's macabre musical got a little complicated when Helena Bonham Carter became pregnant. She told interviewers that the continuity of the movie was completely thrown off by the size of her boobs! The scenes aren't filmed in order, so a scene with a pregnant Bonham Carter would be followed by a scene with a non-pregnant Bonham Carter. She said it was like switching back and forth between melons and tangerines.

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Reese Witherspoon, ‘Vanity Fair’ (2004) -

Reese Witherspoon revealed that she was pregnant shortly before production of the 2004 movie 'Vanity Fair' began. Luckily, the fashion of the era made it easy to hide. She wore empire-line gowns and the lighting in the movie was kept soft and dim to avoid too much clarity...

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Scarlett Johansson, ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ (2015) -

Scarlett Johansson usually enjoys the physical challenge of playing Black Widow in the 'Avengers' series, but she had to take it easy for the 2015 movie 'Avengers: Age of Ultron.' Johansson was pregnant with her first child, although you really wouldn't know it! Her stunt double had to step in for the more daring scenes.

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Rosamund Pike, ‘Jack Reacher’ (2012) -

Rosamund Pike was five months pregnant when she starred alongside Tom Cruise in the action blockbuster 'Jack Reacher.' Pike shared that it was pretty wild filming a fast-paced movie like that, not knowing if she would suddenly be struck with morning sickness or balloon up in size!

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Gal Gadot, ‘Wonder Woman’ (2016) -

As if Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman wasn't inspiring enough, Gadot revealed that she was actually pregnant during filming. Gadot was a full five months pregnant, so the special effects team were kept busy covering up her bump!

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Naomi Watts, ‘Eastern Promises’ (2007) -

Naomi Watts didn't know that she was pregnant while filming the 2007 thriller 'Eastern Promises.' She did all sorts of wild scenes, like riding a motorbike through traffic, which she probably would have avoided had she known.

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Amy Poehler, ‘Parks and Recreation’ (2009-2015) -

The first couple of years of production for 'Parks and Recreation' were a little bit rocky. That's because star and writer Amy Poehler got pregnant, twice! Naturally they worked around her needs, and the show was a hit.

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Bryce Dallas Howard, ‘Spider-Man 3’ (2007) -

'Jurassic World' star Bryce Dallas Howard is no stranger to action movies. She had a role in the 2007 movie 'Spider-Man 3' in which she performed her own stunts, one of which involved falling off a building! The actress only discovered that she was pregnant after the filming was complete.

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Courteney Cox, ‘Friends’ (1994-2004) -

When Lisa Kudrow became pregnant during the filming of 'Friends,' it was written into the storyline that she was acting as a surrogate for her brother and his wife. The same couldn't be done for Courteney Cox due to a previous storyline where Monica discovered she couldn't get pregnant. When the actress started to show her bump during the final season, they just dressed her in looser clothes.

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Halle Berry, ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ (2014) -

In the 2014 movie 'X-Men: Days of Future Past,' Halle Berry was actually three months pregnant. She had to complete all of her scenes within a couple of weeks, before she started busting out of her leather suit!

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Mindy Kaling, ‘The Mindy Project’ (2012) -

The costume designer and cinematographer of 'The Mindy Project' worked wonders to disguise the fact that Kaling was seven months pregnant while filming the show.

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Ellen Pompeo, ‘Grey's Anatomy’ (2005- ) -

Ellen Pompeo stars as Meredith Grey in the hit series 'Grey's Anatomy.' When the actress revealed that she was expecting during the filming of the sixth season, the writers had to think hard. They ended up writing her out of the final episodes to give her and her baby bump some time off.

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Emily Blunt, ‘Into the Woods’ (2014) -

In 'Into the Woods,' Emily Blunt plays a baker's wife who is determined to get pregnant. In real life, she already was. To disguise her growing bump, they continuously placed her co-star James Corden in front of her. They had to keep raising the apron tied around her waist higher and higher.

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Emily Blunt, ‘The Girl on the Train’ (2016) -

Emily Blunt became pregnant with her second child while filming the 2016 film ‘The Girl on the Train.' She said that the pregnancy made her extremely tired this time, but that it helped her play up the role of a worn-out woman struggling with paranoia and alcoholism.

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Sarah Jessica Parker, ‘Sex and the City’ (1998-2004) -

Sarah Jessica Parker got pregnant during the fifth season of 'Sex and the City.' The writers decided to dress her in loose-fitting (designer) clothes, and reduced the number of episodes in the season. They chose not to write the pregnancy into the story, as it didn't seem authentic for her character.

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Kerry Washington, ‘Scandal’ (2012-2018) -

'Scandal' star Kerry Washington was pregnant for parts of both season three and season six of the show. Season three was made shorter to accommodate her, and in season six they hid her bump with oversized coats and strategically placed Prada bags!

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Blake Lively, ‘The Shallows’ (2016) -

Blake Lively got pregnant with her second child towards the end of production on 'The Shallows.' For the final scenes, she was able to hide her bump by keeping it below the water or holding a surf board in front of her torso.

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Isla Fisher, ‘Burke and Hare’ (2010) -

Isla Fisher managed to hide her pregnancy from her co-stars during the filming of 'Burke and Hare' in 2010. She was only three months pregnant at the time, and could still fit into her corset!

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Claire Danes, ‘Homeland’ (2011-2020) -

Claire Danes is just as tough as her character on the hit TV show 'Homeland.' She carried on working in this demanding role throughout her pregnancy, and simply had the producers edit out her bump when it became too obvious.

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Julie Bowen, ‘Modern Family’ (2009-2020) -

Julie Bowen was heavily pregnant with twins when she scored her role in 'Modern Family.' She filmed the pilot with a huge bump, then gave birth, and then came back to film season one. If you watch the pilot, you'll notice she's always carrying a laundry basket or standing behind a counter.

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Zooey Deschanel, ‘New Girl’ (2011-2018) -

When Zooey Deschanel got pregnant while filming 'New Girl,' the writers came up with a genius plotline to hide it. Deschanel's character was suddenly called up for jury duty, so we only see her sitting down in the jury box. She ended up missing several episodes in season five while she was on maternity leave.

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Terri Hatcher, ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ (1997) -

Terri Hatcher played a typically seductive Bond girl in the 1997 film 'Tomorrow Never Dies.' Most people don't know that she was three months pregnant at the time. Apparently her morning sickness caused some delays on set, and co-star Pierce Brosnan was not as gentlemanly about it as you might expect!

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Debra Messing, ‘Will & Grace’ (1998-2006) -

Debra Messing became pregnant during the sixth season of 'Will & Grace.' They managed to hide her bump for a while by having her hold random items like towels in front of her stomach, but eventually she was written out of the final episodes.

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January Jones, ‘Mad Men’ (2007-2015) -

January Jones was pregnant during the fifth season of 'Mad Men.' The writers came up with one of the most outrageous cover-ups ever seen on TV. Jones' character went through a story arc where she gained a significant amount of weight. Jones had to wear a fat suit and facial prosthetics. It looked ridiculous, but at least it distracted from the pregnancy.

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Angelina Jolie, ‘Changeling’ (2008) -

Angelina Jolie was pregnant with her twins Vivienne and Knox while filming 'Changeling' in 2008. She kept it a secret until the very end, hiding it from the cast and crew. She looks typically lithe in the movie, so she must not have started showing yet.

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Melissa Fumero, ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ (2013- ) -

‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ star Melissa Fumero was extremely pregnant while filming the third season. In fact, she gave birth five days after it wrapped. Fumero found it extremely challenging to work the long hours on set and remember her lines. She joked that she barely made it through the last few episodes!

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Mandy Moore, ‘This Is Us’ (2016-2022) -

In the show 'This Is Us,' Mandy Moore plays both the older and younger versions of her character. When she became pregnant, it was clear that the older grandmother version could not be seen with a baby bump, so she had to appear much less in season four.

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Kelly Rutherford, ‘Gossip Girl’ (2007-2012) -

'Gossip Girl' actress Kelly Rutherford got pregnant during the second season. But the costume department were able to cover up the pump with stylish trench coats and carefully positioned designer handbags.

Sources: (BuzzFeed) (TheThings) (CafeMom) (Looper) 

See also: Actors who were forced to play roles against their will

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