The Hallmark Movie You Didn't Know Emilie Ullerup Was Pregnant While Filming
Since her acting career began in 2006, Emilie Ullerup has played eclectic roles across a variety of genres. She's been in science fiction fare like "Battlestar Galactica," comedic horror in "A Little Bit Zombie," and dramas including "Arctic Air." Beginning in 2012, Ullerup started working for Hallmark when she was cast in "The Music Teacher." Since then, she's participated in numerous Hallmark projects, such as the "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" trilogy, "Winter Castle," and every episode of the TV series "Chesapeake Shores."
Off-screen, Ullerup is married to actor Kyle Cassie. On January 24, 2020, their first child, Wilde Mørkøv Ullerup Cassie, was born. While Ullerup had documented her pregnancy on her Instagram account since October 2019, fans of the actor may not have been aware that she was pregnant while working on one of her Hallmark films, "Nature of Love."
The rom-com was released in April 2020, about three months after Ullerup's child was born. To promote the film on X (formerly Twitter), Ullerup posted a behind-the-scenes picture of herself dating back to the time of the movie's production. In the picture, Ullerup stands in profile, displaying a noticeable baby bump. She was four months pregnant when the film was shot, and the production team made use of some time-honored techniques to conceal this fact. "I had to hold a lot of purses or [place] my hands in front of me to camouflage the bump," Ullerup informed Parade in 2020.
Some discerned Ullerup's pregnancy despite the concealments
While some viewers had no idea Emilie Ullerup was pregnant in "Nature of Love," some sharp-eyed fans spotted telltale clues. "The closeups, the baggy clothes and you always have something in your lap!" one fan commented on X (formerly Twitter). Another thought that Ullerup's body language, combined with her character's wardrobe, denoted her status as a parent-to-be.
For instances where her pregnancy couldn't be hidden on screen, a body double acted as a stand-in for the actor. In another behind-the scenes reveal, Ullerup posted an Instagram picture of herself alongside her body double from the movie, and the resemblance between them is uncanny. "1 + 1 = 1.1 + 1 = 1. #double #ilovepaula #tricks #movies," Ullerup captioned the photo. In the picture, both women wear an identical green top and yellow jacket. Besides their similar eye and hair color, they even have matching smiles. However, body doubles are used for many purposes in a film, including stunts, and at the time of the late August 2019 post, Ullerup hadn't yet divulged her pregnancy.
Even though Ullerup's performance had to be adjusted to conceal her pregnancy, she did appreciate the restive beauty of being on location in British Columbia. "In between takes I'd sit and look over the river," the actor informed Media Village. "It was magical. I was just out of my first trimester and feeling awful, which made it feel like less of a vacation, but it was wonderful."
Ullerup was also pregnant during Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores
In September 2022, Emilie Ullerup announced that she was expecting her second child when she posted a video to her Instagram account showing her struggle to get off a couch. As she turns to the side, her bump is prominently displayed. Just over a month later, on October 28, Ullerup and Kyle Cassie's second child, Coco Mørkøv Ullerup Cassie, was born. Just like with her first child, Ullerup's second pregnancy had to be hidden while she was working for Hallmark.
This time the actor's pregnancy coincided with her role as Bree O'Brien on the sixth (and final) season of "Chesapeake Shores." Ullerup was in good company, as her castmate Meghan Ory was also pregnant. In addition, two other actors were newly postpartum. The production team used well-practiced skills to keep the real-life pregnancies out of the fictional story, earning praise from the cast. "I don't know how wardrobe kept hiding the baby bumps so well," Barbara Niven, who played Megan O'Brien on the show, commented to Hallmark.
However, Ullerup noticed one instance where her pregnancy wasn't quite concealed. "Looks like Bree is a little bit pregnant in that one photo #whoopsie #chesapeakeshores," she posted on X (formerly Twitter), along with a photo collage from the show. Although there isn't exactly a bump, the drape of Ullerup's shirt, along with the placement of her interlaced fingers, seems to highlight her abdomen, which may have prompted the actor's observation.