Bethany I absolutely love this post! HOOOOOOO wild applause! I struggled really hard getting cast when I was pregnant as well. I don’t understand it. I had an audition that would have filmed right after my baby was due. It was a zoom audition and I was about to pop and it turned into the worst audition of my life. Basically the first thing casting said was “so we saw you’re pregnant. *really fake demeanor for this next word* Congratulations! If cast, are you going to be able to find childcare? Oh, and are you going to have problems with separation anxiety?” I was honestly ready to hop off the zoom right then, but I ended up deciding that if I had been offered the role, I would have told them I was no longer available. After that zoom, I immediately texted all of my agents (none of whom had gotten me that particular audition thank goodness) and told them that after April 15th, I was requesting that they never notify casting that I was pregnant/a new mother ever again. I figure it’s not casting’s business, as they don’t need to know about my home! I was also blatantly told at a background gig (I no longer do those, but I did then) that I should not be there while pregnant because what if I faint? As soon as I had my son, I never breathed a word about it to any casting director and I keep my son off of my socials for numerous reasons that me and my husband feel are right. And my bookings and auditions suddenly super coincidentally started happening again immediately afterward. I am so happy you made this post and are encouraging pregnant women to stay in charge of their careers, because this industry has a little dark side with the discrimination of pregnant women. I’m not sure why women have been dealing with it for so long but I am hopeful that more will stand up like this as time goes on! Just, a million YESes to this post!
Oooof this fires me up. You’re right, it’s nobody’s business and it’s insane that in an industry so determined to look progressive that it’s such a glaring issue. Thank you for sharing your story!
Bethany I absolutely love this post! HOOOOOOO wild applause! I struggled really hard getting cast when I was pregnant as well. I don’t understand it. I had an audition that would have filmed right after my baby was due. It was a zoom audition and I was about to pop and it turned into the worst audition of my life. Basically the first thing casting said was “so we saw you’re pregnant. *really fake demeanor for this next word* Congratulations! If cast, are you going to be able to find childcare? Oh, and are you going to have problems with separation anxiety?” I was honestly ready to hop off the zoom right then, but I ended up deciding that if I had been offered the role, I would have told them I was no longer available. After that zoom, I immediately texted all of my agents (none of whom had gotten me that particular audition thank goodness) and told them that after April 15th, I was requesting that they never notify casting that I was pregnant/a new mother ever again. I figure it’s not casting’s business, as they don’t need to know about my home! I was also blatantly told at a background gig (I no longer do those, but I did then) that I should not be there while pregnant because what if I faint? As soon as I had my son, I never breathed a word about it to any casting director and I keep my son off of my socials for numerous reasons that me and my husband feel are right. And my bookings and auditions suddenly super coincidentally started happening again immediately afterward. I am so happy you made this post and are encouraging pregnant women to stay in charge of their careers, because this industry has a little dark side with the discrimination of pregnant women. I’m not sure why women have been dealing with it for so long but I am hopeful that more will stand up like this as time goes on! Just, a million YESes to this post!
Oooof this fires me up. You’re right, it’s nobody’s business and it’s insane that in an industry so determined to look progressive that it’s such a glaring issue. Thank you for sharing your story!