Helen George turned to a cup of tea to get over devastating 'Call The Midwife' birth scenes.
Helen George reflects on emotional Call The Midwife scenes
The 39-year-old actress has played Trixie Franklin in all 13 series of the BBC period drama, and while she's used to the practical side of her role, the emotions can be overwhelming.
Asked if she could deliver a baby for real, she told The Lady magazine: "Well, I suppose I wouldn't be quite as surprised as some people about what goes on. And I would know how to cut the cord.
"But I still get quite emotional in those scenes. In season four there was a particularly difficult birth, and I couldn't stop crying.
"The emotion was raw and heartfelt. But I just had to embrace it and then have a cup of tea to recover."
However, Helen still loves the "physical challenge" of the scenes, and how rewarding they are by the end of the shoot.
She added: "Even after all this time I still get the most out of the birth scenes, because they are such a physical challenge.
"There are always so many props to deal with, which really puts you through the wringer."
She had a very different challenge while touring on stage in 'The King And I', as she found herself having to wear a corset and huge dress to fit the 19th century style.
She said: "I call it The Beast. It weighs 10 pounds, and I lost so much weight on tour last year because of it.
"You have to be pretty fit to wear the dress night after night, so you almost have to train like an athlete. I made sure to eat a lot of protein over Christmas."
The costume was a world away from her outfits as Trixie.
She explained: "Trixie always has lovely coats and outfits because she wants to be someone different every night.
"She'll dress like Doris Day on one occasion and then Marilyn Monroe on another - or even a bit of a beatnik look with a polo-neck as the show moved into the 1960s."
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