Olivia Colman reveals difficulties of filming The Night Manager on This Morning

Olivia Colman is back on TV screens in new TV series The Night Manager, the new adaptation of John le Carre's novel of the same name. But the actress, 42, has confessed that - although she was upfront about her pregnancy from the beginning - it was rather difficult at times.

Olivia Colman is back on TV screens in new TV series The Night Manager, the new adaptation of John le Carre's novel of the same name.

But the actress, 42, has confessed that - although she was upfront about her pregnancy from the beginning - it was rather difficult at times.

Appearing on This Morning along with her co-star Hugh Laurie on Thursday, the actress revealed all about working on the six-part thriller with a sizeable bump.

Bumping along! Olivia Colman revealed that she encountered a few difficulties with filming new show The Night Manager as she appeared on This Morning on Thursday

Bumping along! Olivia Colman revealed that she encountered a few difficulties with filming new show The Night Manager as she appeared on This Morning on Thursday

'I was pregnant before I went for my first meeting,' she told Ruth Langsford. 

'I thought I had to be honest, it would become quite obvious. I thought I'd just tell them. It was Susanne [Bier] the director, and she was very nice about it. I went away and talked to the producer and they were fine with it.'

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And, although they wrote the pregnancy into her character Angela Burr, an MI6 intelligence officer's storyline, due to the constraints of filming and non-chronological shooting process, there were difficulties. 

She added: 'Luckily it was written in, it was very open. But there were a few 'big jumper behind desk scenes'.'

Perfect co-stars: Olivia and Hugh chatted about the new thriller series, with the actress confessing 'there were a few 'big jumper behind desk scenes'' when she filmed last summer

Perfect co-stars: Olivia and Hugh chatted about the new thriller series, with the actress confessing 'there were a few 'big jumper behind desk scenes'' when she filmed last summer

Olivia began filming the drama series last summer when she was five-months pregnant with her third child with husband Ed Sinclair.

She had landed the role before she fell pregnant, but luckily it was all fine after she confessed all, despite her fears that she would lose the part.

Olivia's role in the new series - which starts on BBC One on Sunday - was actually originally a male part, but it was changed to accomodate her.

'I think they certainly wanted some more women, and quite right, and that character became a woman,' she explained to This Morning's host Ruth. 

Hotly-tipped: The Night Manager also stars Tom Hiddleston (front), Elizabeth Debicki (centre) and Tom Hollander (right) - Olivia was five-months pregnant when they filmed the show last year

Hotly-tipped: The Night Manager also stars Tom Hiddleston (front), Elizabeth Debicki (centre) and Tom Hollander (right) - Olivia was five-months pregnant when they filmed the show last year

Making it work: After revealing she was pregnant, the producers managed to change the script to accomodate this for Olivia's character, MI6 intelligence officer Angela Burr

Making it work: After revealing she was pregnant, the producers managed to change the script to accomodate this for Olivia's character, MI6 intelligence officer Angela Burr

'I am the big cheese! She is, there's a lot of yin and yang and opposites, good and bad, and I'm the good one, the opposite of [Hugh's] character.'

And the Broadchurch actress, who welcomed her third child in August 2015 after filming had commenced, looked stunning as she appeared in the pre-recorded interview segment. 

Wearing a high-necked blouse and a full patterned skirt, she wore her dark brunette locks loose and in waves around her youthful face. 

Hugh, 56, shed more light on the series, which stars Hollywood favourite Tom Hiddleston in one of the leading roles, Jonathan Pine, a former British soldier.

Of his character Richard Onslow Roper, he said: '[I am] dastardly like you wouldn't believe. I am full on dastardly. I am proud to say I am described in the story and the script as 'the worst man in the world'. I am weirdly proud of that.

To which Olivia added: 'I'm the best man!'

Radiant: Olivia looked gorgeous as she chatted to Ruth Langsford on the show, wearing a high-necked blouse and a full patterned skirt, she wore her dark brunette locks loose and in waves around her youthful face

Radiant: Olivia looked gorgeous as she chatted to Ruth Langsford on the show, wearing a high-necked blouse and a full patterned skirt, she wore her dark brunette locks loose and in waves around her youthful face

'[I am] dastardly like you wouldn't believe': Hugh, 56, was thrilled about his 'world's worst man' role in the John le Carre adaptation

'[I am] dastardly like you wouldn't believe': Hugh, 56, was thrilled about his 'world's worst man' role in the John le Carre adaptation

She later added that 'it's my raison d'être to take him [Hugh] down. I get [Tom's charcter] to work for me to try and take Hugh down.'

Also on the daily ITV programme, she confessed she doesn't find being famous an irritant, as she said: 'I’m a bit of a hermit. I stay at home, that makes it fine.' 

Olivia previously admitted in an interview with Radio times that she dreaded telling the director about her pregnancy, as it would mean a script re-write. 

She told Radio times: 'I went to see Susanne thinking, 'Oh God, should I mention it in the first meeting?'. And I thought, 'I can't lie'. Which is why I'd be a rubbish spy.

'She said, 'Oh... right...'. And didn't look that pleased.'

Luckily for the Broadchurch star, Bier decided that, as with Frances Dormand's pregnant policewoman Marge Gunderson in Fargo, it would add a 'weird power' to the role - and added scenes around chairs so the actress could rest during filming.

More women please! 'I think they certainly wanted some more women, and quite right, and that character became a woman' she said of her character Angela Burr, who was originally written as a man

More women please! 'I think they certainly wanted some more women, and quite right, and that character became a woman' she said of her character Angela Burr, who was originally written as a man

It is unlikely to come across in the final edit, but the award-winning actress also revealed the pregnancy gave her 'nappy brain'.

'I just can't retain my lines like I normally would. There are an awful lot of script changes that happen. 

'It can change the day before, on the day. It fills me with fear: 'Oh Christ, I've barely got the script in my head and now I've got to change it'. So it is a little bit hanging by my fingernails.' 

Olivia is now the proud mother of a six-month-old daughter with her husband Ed, as well as two sons, Finn, nine, and Hall, seven. 

The Night Manager airs on BBC One on Sunday February 21, at 9pm. 

Mum's the word: The Broadchurch star managed to keep her third pregnancy - with husband Ed Sinclair - relatively secret. On This Morning, she also said - 'I¿m a bit of a hermit. I stay at home, that makes it fine'

Mum's the word: The Broadchurch star managed to keep her third pregnancy - with husband Ed Sinclair - relatively secret. On This Morning, she also said - 'I’m a bit of a hermit. I stay at home, that makes it fine'

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