The Real Reason Courteney Cox's Pregnancy Was Hidden On Friends
Plenty of beloved shows have had to handle the issue of one of its leading cast members becoming pregnant, which can sometimes be a curveball that the show's creative team didn't anticipate. The choice for the writers is either to integrate the development organically into the story or ignore it altogether. The latter option then becomes a test for directors, as the actor suddenly finds themselves regularly shot in mid-close-ups, or positioned behind furniture, or suspiciously wearing flowy outfits.
One actress who had such an experience was "Friends" star Courteney Cox, who played Monica Geller on the hit series. Unlike Lisa Kudrow's pregnancy, which was integrated into a story about Phoebe having triplets, Cox's pregnancy required tricks with the camera and careful prop placement. This wasn't the fault of lazy writing or production, however. Developments in the "Friends" storyline demanded that her pregnancy be concealed because of Monica's plotline.
The character Monica could not get pregnant
Near the end of the series, Monica and Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) are given the heartbreaking news that they could not have children and instead looked into adoption to start a family. This plot development made the issue of Courteney Cox's real-life pregnancy difficult to include in the story, which caused the production staff to resort to the usual techniques shows use to hide a star's growing belly. By the time the Bing twins arrive, it's clear that Courteney Cox is most definitely pregnant from certain camera angles, but she usually isn't on display long enough to notice.
Thankfully, the timing was convenient for the show, given that her pregnancy only came fully into view in the last episode. By then, the future of Monica and Chandler is clear, leading to a happy family life of their own with their two new children. After the show wrapped, Cox gave birth to Coco Arquette, and in 2020 described her pregnancy journey to her 15-year-old daughter as "Exciting, emotional, great." Of course, that just leaves us to process that information and feel confused, shocked, and old.