Emily Osment reveals she cracked a rib wearing 12.5-pound pregnancy prosthetic on ‘Young Sheldon’

Emily Osment’s experience playing a pregnant woman on ‘Young Sheldon’ came with an unexpected physical toll. The actress, who portrayed Mandy McAllister on the CBS sitcom, has revealed that wearing a 12.5-pound prosthetic baby bump for long hours on set left her with a cracked rib.

Osment opened up about the experience in The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw’s-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the physical challenges involved in bringing Mandy’s pregnancy to the screen. According to PEOPLE, the actress found the artificial belly particularly difficult to manage during lengthy filming days.

Emily Osment on the challenges of wearing a 12.5-pound baby bump

For Osment, the biggest challenge was not necessarily performing the scenes but carrying the heavy prosthetic throughout the day.

“The hardest part for me was wearing that baby belly,” she said, recalling the difficulties of filming while wearing the artificial bump.

The silicone prosthetic weighed approximately 12.5 pounds and was intended to give Mandy’s pregnancy a convincing appearance. However, its weight made everyday movements more difficult, requiring Osment to adjust how she walked and moved around the set.

The production team reportedly experimented with different versions of the prosthetic before settling on one that looked realistic on camera. The final design, however, proved demanding during long shooting schedules.

Removing the belly for a short lunch break and putting it back on afterwards was inconvenient. As a result, Osment sometimes kept the prosthetic on for up to 12 hours.

‘I actually cracked a rib,’ says Emily Osment

The prolonged strain eventually led to a painful injury. Osment revealed that she cracked a rib while wearing the prosthetic for extended periods.

“I actually cracked a rib while wearing it for so long,” the actress said.

The pain became serious enough for her to visit a hospital. When medical staff asked whether anything had changed in her routine, Osment explained that she had been portraying a pregnant character for work and wearing a heavy artificial belly for hours at a time.

Following the injury, the production team reportedly made adjustments to help her cope with the physical demands of filming. Osment was allowed to sit down between takes when possible.

The experience highlighted a lesser-seen aspect of television production: costumes and prosthetics designed to make characters look authentic can also place considerable physical demands on performers, particularly when they must wear them throughout long shooting days.

How Mandy’s pregnancy shaped ‘Young Sheldon’

Osment joined ‘Young Sheldon’ in its fifth season as Mandy McAllister, a woman whose relationship with Georgie Cooper, played by Montana Jordan, becomes a significant storyline in the sitcom.

Mandy’s pregnancy and the couple’s evolving relationship became central to the show’s family drama. Their daughter, Constance “CeeCee” Cooper, was born in the sixth-season episode ‘A Launch Party and a Whole Human Being’, which aired in 2023.

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The storyline subsequently helped lay the groundwork for ‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’, the spin-off centred on the couple’s married life and the challenges they navigate as a young family.

While Mandy’s pregnancy unfolded through humour and emotional moments on screen, Osment had to contend with the practical difficulties of wearing the prosthetic bump behind the scenes. Her revelation offers a glimpse into the physical preparation that can go into making a fictional pregnancy appear convincing to viewers.