The fascinating journey of Diana Bishop in the Sky One and Sky Max fantasy series A Discovery of Witches was defined by magic, time-walking, and a forbidden romance with vampire Matthew Clairmont. However, as of December 2025, one of the most compelling behind-the-scenes stories involves the show's lead actress, Teresa Palmer, who was pregnant not once, but *twice*, during the filming of the beloved adaptation of Deborah Harkness's *All Souls Trilogy*.
This reality posed a massive challenge for the production team, forcing them to make significant, last-minute changes to the plot of the second and third seasons. The actress's personal life profoundly impacted the on-screen narrative, particularly regarding a major, darker storyline from the source material that had to be completely abandoned to accommodate her real-life pregnancies.
Teresa Palmer: Biography, Filmography, and Family Life
Teresa Mary Palmer is an acclaimed Australian actress and model whose career spans over two decades, transitioning from indie dramas to major Hollywood blockbusters. Her role as the powerful witch Diana Bishop brought her global recognition and a dedicated fandom, known as the 'All Souls' family.
- Full Name: Teresa Mary Palmer
- Date of Birth: February 26, 1986
- Place of Birth: Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Spouse: Mark Webber (m. 2013)
- Children: Five (Four biological children with Mark Webber, plus one step-son)
Selected Filmography & Key Roles
Palmer's versatility is evident in her diverse film roles, showcasing her ability to handle everything from horror to romance and war dramas. Her work on A Discovery of Witches marked a significant foray into long-form television.
- Wolf Creek (2005)
- The Grudge 2 (2006)
- I Am Number Four (2011)
- Warm Bodies (2013) - Julie Grigio
- Point Break (2015)
- Hacksaw Ridge (2016) - Dorothy Schutte
- Lights Out (2016)
- A Discovery of Witches (2018–2022) - Diana Bishop
The Palmer-Webber Family: A Growing Coven
Teresa Palmer and her husband, American actor and director Mark Webber, are known for their large, blended family. Their children often feature in Palmer's social media, highlighting her commitment to motherhood alongside her demanding career.
- Step-Son: Isaac Love Webber (from Mark Webber's previous relationship)
- Son: Bodhi Rain Palmer (born 2014, before ADOW)
- Son: Poet Lake Palmer (born April 2019) - Born during the ADOW production run.
- Daughter: Prairie Moon Palmer (born August 2021) - Born during the ADOW production run.
- Fifth Child: The couple welcomed their fifth child together, further expanding their family in recent years.
The Season 2 Secret: Hiding a Real-Life Pregnancy on Screen
The first time Teresa Palmer was pregnant during the filming of *A Discovery of Witches* was while shooting the highly anticipated second season, which adapted the second novel in the trilogy, *Shadow of Night*.
Filming for Season 2, which sees Diana and Matthew time-walking to Elizabethan London in 1590, took place in late 2018 and early 2019. Palmer was pregnant with her third biological child, a son named Poet Lake, who was born shortly after filming wrapped in April 2019.
The Massive Plot Change: Cutting the Miscarriage Storyline
The most significant consequence of Palmer’s pregnancy was the creative decision to eliminate a major, pivotal plot point from the source material. In Deborah Harkness’s novel, *Shadow of Night*, Diana Bishop experiences a miscarriage while in 16th-century London.
The showrunners, along with Palmer herself, made the conscious choice to remove this storyline from the TV adaptation.
Palmer, who has always been open about her passion for motherhood, explained that playing a character who was experiencing a miscarriage while she was pregnant in real life would have been emotionally too taxing and potentially confusing for viewers.
“For me, it was always a non-negotiable,” Palmer explained in interviews. “I just felt like it was too close to home. I was pregnant with my son, Poet, and I just couldn't imagine having to go through that emotionally.”
Creative Solutions and Elizabethan Fashion
To conceal her growing baby bump while filming in a period setting, the production team relied heavily on creative costuming and strategic camera work. The large, voluminous gowns and corsets characteristic of Elizabethan fashion provided a natural way to hide the pregnancy for much of the season.
The series employed classic techniques, including:
- Strategic Props: Diana Bishop was frequently seen holding books, scrolls, or other objects in front of her midsection.
- Loose Clothing: The wardrobe department utilized the era's flowing fabrics and layers.
- Camera Angles: Shooting from the chest up or behind furniture became common practice.
This careful planning ensured that the narrative flow of Diana and Matthew’s quest for the magical manuscript, *Ashmole 782*, remained intact without the real-life pregnancy becoming a distraction.
The Season 3 Challenge: A Second Pregnancy and COVID-19 Protocols
In a rare turn of events for a television lead, Teresa Palmer found herself pregnant again during the filming of the final season, *A Discovery of Witches* Season 3. This time, she was expecting her fourth child, daughter Prairie Moon, who was born in August 2021, shortly after the final scenes were shot.
The production faced a dual challenge: managing a pregnant lead actress while also adhering to strict COVID-19 filming protocols, which added layers of complexity, stress, and long hours to the process.
Integrating the Pregnancy into the Plot
Unlike Season 2, where the real-life pregnancy necessitated a major *removal* of a storyline, the Season 3 pregnancy with Prairie Moon was much easier to integrate into the narrative. The third book, *The Book of Life*, features Diana and Matthew returning to the present day and eventually having twins, a storyline that was central to the final season.
While the show didn't perfectly match the timeline of Diana’s fictional pregnancy with Palmer's real-life one, the actress’s visible bump helped to authentically portray the later stages of Diana’s journey into motherhood.
- Topical Authority: The fact that the actress was pregnant twice reinforced the show’s central theme of Diana and Matthew building a family, despite the immense danger from the Congregation.
- Filming Conditions: Palmer admitted that filming Season 3 was particularly exhausting due to being pregnant and working “crazy hours” under the new safety restrictions of the pandemic era.
The Legacy of Diana Bishop’s Journey to Motherhood
Teresa Palmer’s experience of being pregnant while portraying Diana Bishop has become a beloved part of the show's lore. It not only highlights her dedication as an actress but also the creative flexibility of the production team in adapting a complex fantasy series.
The decision to skip the miscarriage plot in Season 2 was ultimately a compassionate and practical one. It allowed Palmer to focus on her health and the joy of her real-life pregnancy with Poet Lake, while still delivering a powerful performance as the burgeoning witch Diana Bishop.
The two pregnancies—one a challenge, the other an integration—cemented a unique connection between the actress's personal life and the character's destiny. For fans of the *All Souls Trilogy*, the knowledge that the actress was literally pregnant while bringing the final, family-focused chapters of the story to life adds an extra layer of magic and authenticity to the entire series.
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