Hannah Waddingham Validates Working Moms With 'Separation Anxiety' Story About Her Daughter

Hannah Waddingham revealed the mom guilt she experienced while filming one of "Game of Thrones'" most memorable scenes. Eight months pregnant when she landed the role of Septa Unella, Hannah Waddingham was nearly unrecognizable without her short blond hair. Just nine weeks after welcoming her daughter, Kitty, she brought the newborn to set while filming the famous "Shame!" scene in 2014. But hearing her baby crying in the background made the actor question her decision to take on the project so soon after giving birth. "I just thought, oh my God, what am I doing?" she recalled when speaking with The Guardian in July 2026. "The other part was going, I've got terrible separation anxiety. So when I watch it back, I just see a woman who doesn't know whether she's coming or going."

As she raises her daughter, the "Ted Lasso" star admits the mom guilt still creeps in when she has press runs for the show. "God, all the time. I'm about to go away to do press for the next season of Ted [Lasso], and the mummy guilt descends. But I have to try and combat it," Waddingham said. Having built a name for herself in musical theater before rising further in television, Waddingham admitted to desiring a return to the stage — but at the expense of being present for her daughter. "I don't think my daughter is ready," she said, emphasizing her need "to find the time to be able to go, 'I'm taking this coat off for now and I'm putting my theatre coat back on.'"

Hannah Waddingham combatted any potential mom guilt she might've felt when attending the 2024 SAG Awards by donning a standout handbag designed by her daughter, Kitty, on the red carpet. All eyes were on the cardboard clutch, emblazoned with the word "Epic," which Waddingham paired with a deep red off-the-shoulder dress and Norman Silverman jewelry. A testament to how Hannah Waddingham proves fun fashion is possible in your 50s, "The Fall Guy" star proudly gushed about her daughter's artistic addition to her award show look. "My daughter wanted to contribute, so she's made me a bag," she told People. 

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The deep slit in her dress added a touch of sex appeal, while Hannah Waddingham's voluminous short hairstyle was perfect for older women to copy. On the red carpet, Waddingham made it clear how seriously she takes her role as a mom. "This is all great but this [being is a mom] is the most important," she declared. Raising Kitty, whom she shares with ex Gianluca Cugnetto, as a single mom comes with its own set of challenges. Still, Waddingham uses her high-demand career as an opportunity to connect with her daughter while encouraging her future endeavors. "My primary function is being a single mama," she told People in 2023. "Mommy guilt is real, but I keep saying to her that we are a team and that I have to do this ... I've always said to her, 'Mommy must take this time while the light shines on me, because the light shines on you.'"