5 Times an IRL Pregnancy Was Brilliantly Written into the Show, Ranked
Screenwriters may have a perfectly thought-out plan for the plot of their show, but sometimes it has to be thrown out of the window when an actor is unexpectedly expecting.
Here are the top five times the writers have had to get creative with an actor's pregnancy.
5. Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother )
Lily and Marshall have spent much of the show thinking about having kids and then trying to conceive. In season 7, they are finally blessed with Marvin.
This storyline came so naturally, but it was actually a coincidence – Alyson Hannigan got pregnant with her second child, and the timing just happened to be perfect for the on-screen couple to have kids as well.
By the way, her first real-life pregnancy, which occurred during season 4, was hidden, but we did get a glimpse of Alyson's baby bump in that hilarious scene where Lily takes part in a hot dog eating contest!
4. Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City )
Miranda was never the character that we expected to have kids, but she ended up being a mom, largely due to Cynthia Nixon's real-life pregnancy during season 4.
Who knows what would have happened with Miranda and Steve if the actress hadn't been expecting then?
We might never have gotten one of the most adorable couples on the show (we know they aren't together in the revival, but we are going to ignore it, thank you very much).
3. Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls )
This show's writers were truly in a tough spot with McCarthy's pregnancy during the last season because Sookie's husband, Jackson, supposedly had a vasectomy after the birth of their second child. What to do?
The writers found a simple but smart out. Jackson hadn't actually had the operation and had just lied to his wife about it. Not the greatest choice for the character, but we appreciated the drama of it all!
2. Sherri Saum (The Fosters)
The show is essentially about a lesbian couple, Stef and Lena, who foster several kids.
Stef has a biological son from her previous marriage, and Lena realizes that she wants to experience that kind of connection too, factoring in Saum's pregnancy.
However, the writers later understood that a baby wouldn't fit the vibe of the show and had Lena suffer a miscarriage (Sherri Saum had agreed to the storyline beforehand). This was such a powerful subplot!
1. Lisa Kudrow ( Friends)
Phoebe's pregnancy on the show is one of the most unexpected plot twists to this day. Lisa Kudrow was expecting her son at the time, but her character wasn't even married yet (or had a partner at least), so the writers had to come up with a good cover (and boy, did they deliver).
Phoebe ended up acting as a surrogate for her brother and his wife, resulting in one of the best storylines on the show (and the jokes we got were on another level of awesome).
These shows have made the most of their actors' pregnancies (and without hurting the main plot), and we are glad they have!