Maternal star Lisa McGrillis had her own daughter cast as her on-screen baby on the new ITV medical drama and she shares all the good (and bad!) about working with your own baby on-screen.
Lisa had baby Cleo in December 2020 under lockdown, just like her character Dr Helen Cavendish!
When it came to casting her character’s on-screen baby, Lisa suggested that her own daughter should be cast.
Read on to find out why Lisa McGrillis cast her daughter on Maternal and why she questioned if it was “a good idea.”
Maternal on ITV1: Lisa McGrillis’ real-life daughter plays baby
Lisa McGrillis plays Dr Helen Cavendish, an acute medicine doctor who has recently got off maternity leave after having a baby during the worst of the pandemic.
Lisa can relate to this part of her character. She had her own daughter in December 2020 during a major lockdown.
She shared in a Q&A for the new ITV medical drama: “I, like Helen, had a baby during the pandemic. Her husband is a consultant in the hospital so they decided that they would be apart because it would be dangerous for her pregnancy.
“I lived apart from my husband during the pandemic, because he was shooting away and wasn’t able to come home. On the page – I thought, holy [bleep], I don’t think I’ve ever played a character so close to myself in so many ways.”
And when it came time to cast Helen’s baby, Lisa decided to make her similarities with her character even stronger!
She suggested her daughter Cleo, who she shares with her actor husband Stuart Martin, should be cast as her on-screen daughter.
She shared: “So that was a thought of me trying to solve my childcare issue. I was like I’ll bring my baby to work and that’s sorted! I was thinking this is perfect, Helen has a baby the same age as Cleo is.”
Lisa admits it was tougher than she expected to film with her daughter…
Although, Lisa admits that she found filming with her daughter tougher than she initially expected.
She said: “It wasn’t until my very first day, we were filming with lots of children. Mindy (Parminder Nagra) also probably remembers that day very well, but you know there is a reason they say never to work with children or animals.
“I was trying to be very composed, remember my lines, and deal with my own nerves of it being my first day. Then suddenly, Cleo was there. She was hungry or tired or needed a nap and I was like what the [bleep] was I thinking.
“I have actually brought this on myself why did I think this was a good idea. I remember Griff (Director James Griffith) said to me it’s really working! Because I was like ‘what am I doing!’ and Cleo was crying in the background.
She was hungry or tired or needed a nap and I was like what the [bleep] was I thinking.
“And Griff was like great Lisa, I can see the stress. And I thought, good because I’m having a nervous breakdown!”
Read more: Maternal on ITV: Parminder Nagra lead cast in post-pandemic medical drama
Maternal: Lisa McGrillis shared what she’ll do with Cleo’s acting wage…
But Lisa said she was ultimately happy with the scenes and glad that her daughter was cast.
Lisa added: “Cleo was amazing because she was saying ‘mummy’ and putting her arms out. You got all that for free basically!”
Maternal creator Jackie Honess complimented the scenes, adding: “Those scenes are gorgeous, and she’s forever on that screen with you now.”
Lisa agreed and joked about Cleo’s wage from her appearance: “She’ll be able to look back on it.
“And that reminds me that I must put her wage into a bank because I have definitely spent it, well I’m definitely taking 10% per cent for sure!”
Maternal begins on Monday, January 16 at 9pm on ITV1. Episodes are available on ITVX after airing.
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