The 30-year-old actress continued working throughout her pregnancy, even filming stunts at seven months pregnant.
Jurnee Smollett-Bell is getting real about Hollywood's pressure to lose the baby weight.
ET's Courtney Tezeno caught up with the Underground star in Los Angeles on Tuesday, where the 30-year-old actress revealed that she was compared to certain standards even before she was with child.
EXCLUSIVE: How Jurnee Smollett-Bell Got Through the Toughest Scenes of ‘Underground’
"Those pressures began well before I even got pregnant. It's kind of unfortunate," Smollett-Bell shared. "I do have a lot of friends who are like, 'How did you do that?' And I think the unspoken word is that it's kind of somewhat what you don't do in your career until later on."
Smollett-Bell didn't miss a beat throughout her pregnancy, and was even filming stunts on Underground while seven months pregnant with her son, Hunter Zion Bell, who was born in November.
"I admire so many women who say, 'You know what? You don't have to choose. You can live your truth in both areas of your life and be a whole person,'" she said. "I've grown up and seen so many women who have. Alfre Woodard is an example of someone. Look at Zoe Saldana, how she's rocking the twins, you know, bringing them on the set."
"I think if in your life you want to do it, you shouldn't have to choose one over the other," she added. "We live in 2017 and, as women, we should be able to do what we love and create what we love."
EXCLUSIVE: Jurnee Smollett-Bell Filmed 'Underground' Stunts at 7 Months Pregnant!
Underground airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on WGN America.
See more on the crazy stunts Smollett-Bell performed while pregnant in the video below.