When Betty Gilpin stepped into the role of Sydney Bloom in Office Romance, she knew the film would demand physical and emotional intensity. But nothing could have prepared her for the surreal experience of filming a dramatic birthing scene that required a prosthetic vagina and animatronic baby. In a candid interview with Variety, Gilpin revealed how the scene left her “freaked out”—and why working alongside Jennifer Lopez made it all the more memorable.
The Challenge of Bringing Sydney’s Story to Life
In Office Romance, Gilpin plays Sydney Bloom, a high-powered executive at Cruz Air who becomes entangled in a workplace romance with her boss, Jackie Cruz (played by Jennifer Lopez). The film’s plot takes a dramatic turn when Sydney’s water breaks during a tense confrontation with the company’s in-house lawyer, Daniel (Brett Goldstein). The story culminates in a shocking, on-the-spot birth that unfolds on Daniel’s office desk, captured in a raw and unflinching sequence.
“I had a nervous breakdown when I first saw the prosthetic vagina,” Gilpin admitted in the Variety interview. “Then I was like, ‘Oh, but I’ll be holding the ultimate working mom’s hand, Jennifer Lopez, so what could go wrong?’” Her humor masks the complexity of the scene, which required a blend of physical prosthetics, animatronics, and precise choreography to create a believable and impactful moment.
How the Prosthetics and Animatronics Worked
The birthing scene was a technical marvel. To film it, Gilpin used prosthetic legs and a realistic prosthetic vagina, with animatronics playing a key role in simulating the birth. “My real legs were below a table, [I had] fake prosthetic legs, and then a puppeteer was standing at my real legs pushing an animatronic baby out of my prosthetic vagina,” she explained. The effect was designed to sound and look as authentic as possible, with the “popping” sound of the animatronic baby adding to the scene’s visceral realism.
- The prosthetic vagina was custom-designed for the scene.
- A puppeteer controlled the animatronic baby during filming.
- Gilpin’s real legs were hidden beneath a desk for safety and practicality.
Despite the technical challenges, Gilpin praised the team for their creativity and attention to detail. “It made it sound like [popping]. It was insane,” she recalled, highlighting the surreal nature of the process.
The Emotional and Physical Toll of the Scene
While the prosthetics and animatronics were groundbreaking, the scene also took an emotional toll on the cast. For Gilpin, the experience of portraying Sydney’s vulnerability and strength in such an
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