Stephen Mangan's son mistook star's pregnancy role for real life
Stephen Mangan's son believed his dad was having a baby after he saw a picture of the star playing a pregnant man in a newspaper.
Stephen Mangan's eldest child thought the star was having a baby after mistaking his role as a pregnant man for reality.
Harry, now 18, was confused after he saw a shot of the actor heavily pregnant in a newspaper to promote Joe Penhall’s 2012 Royal Court play, Birthday, in which Stephen played Ed, who carries his and wife Lisa's (Lisa Dillon's) second child after she had a previous traumatic labour.
But as Harry and his brothers, Frank, 15, and Jack, 10, have got older, they have been able to separate their 58-year-old dad from his characters.
Stephen told the new issue of HELLO! magazine: "I remember doing a play in 2012, when my eldest would have been five; I was playing a pregnant man.
"He was at his friend's house and saw a picture of me pregnant in the paper, and came home and said, 'Are you having a baby?'
"Now they're getting a bit older, they're getting their heads around it a bit more."
Stephen has many notable credits to his name, including starring in the Channel 4 hospital sitcom Green Wing, legal drama The Split, and comedy series Episodes, both for the BBC.
Despite his illustrious career, the Celebrity Gogglebox star does not think Harry, Frank and Jack - who he has with his 57-year-old wife, actress Louise Delamere - see him as a cool dad.
Stephen explained: "I don't think any dads are cool to teenagers, are they? I think it's quite an odd job for your parents to do, and because I'm not from a showbiz family, I didn't grow up with that."
The Landscape Artist of the Year host is currently starring in the West End comedy play, The Truth, in which Stephen's character, Michel, has an affair with his best pal Paul's (Ardal O'Hanlon's) wife, Alice (Sarah Hadland)
But the comedian is struggling with spending six nights a week away from Louise, Harry, Frank, and Jack - especially not being there to read the latter bedtime stories.
Stephen said: "I worry that once I come out of the play, he's not going to want me to read to him any more because he's going to have grown out of it."
